Hurricanes find their offense, beat Jets 5-3 behind two goals from Jesperi Kotkaniemi
On a day when it was learned forward Andrei Svechnikov would have season-ending surgery, the last thing the Carolina Hurricanes wanted to see was another player limping off the ice.
It happened Tuesday early in the second period against the Winnipeg Jets, the Canes’ Jordan Martinook being hurt after a knee-to-knee hit from Dylan Samberg. Seconds later, the Jets’ Dylan DeMelo scored as PNC Arena erupted in boos.
The Hurricanes’ response? Brady Skjei scored. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored. Stefan Noesen later dropped the gloves and took on Samberg, landing on top, as the boos turned to cheers.
The game ended with the Hurricanes winning 5-3 as Kotkaniemi had two goals and an assist, Jack Drury scored in his first game since his recall from the Chicago Wolves and goalie Frederik Andersen earned his 17th victory.
“Obviously the news on ‘Svech’ was really tough,” Skjei said. “You don’t replace a guy like that. But everyone has to step up and do a little bit more (and) give a little extra.”
The Hurricanes (44-14-8) now lead the Metropolitan Division by two points over the New Jersey Devils, who were beaten at home Tuesday by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After being shut out against the Vegas Golden Knights and then New Jersey in back-to-back games, the Canes needed a goal — from someone.
Slavin gave it to them, the defenseman getting off a shot from the left circle and past goalie David Rittich after the puck bounced off Slavin’s leg as he crashed the net.
Officially, make it Slavin, at 4:37 of the first period. For the Canes, make it the first goal since Svechnikov scored 2:09 into the Philadelphia game last week — a span of more than 182 minutes.
“It was big,” Skjei said. “We’ve been a little snakebit for a couple of games, and we knew that wasn’t going to last too long. Nice to get one early and we ended with five, so a good game by us.”
It was 1-0 when Martinook collided with Samberg, then 1-1 after the quick DeMelo goal.
“That shouldn’t happen. Everyone stopped playing,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of the DeMelo score.
But Skjei beat Rittich with a rising shot from the left circle, and Kotkaniemi used his long reach to score on a wraparound as the Canes moved to a 3-1 lead after two periods.
The Jets (38-27-3) made it a 3-2 game in the third when Nikolaj Ehlers took a pass from Blake Wheeler and sniped one through Andersen. But Drury soon scored, Noesen picking up an assist on Drury’s first goal of the season and the first game-winning goal of his career.
“That’s what we need. Everybody’s got to contribute,” Brind’Amour said.
A goal by Nino Niederreiter, the former Canes forward, sliced the Canes’ lead to 4-3 with 4:22 left in regulation. But Kotkaniemi’s second goal, an empty netter in the final seconds, sealed the Canes’ win.
Samberg’s hit on Martinook, the Jets defenseman leading with his knee in open ice, was a dangerous one. And while Martinook needed help getting off the ice for treatment, he soon was back — and seemingly playing with an inner fury.
But everyone in red did their part, it seemed.
Defenseman Brent Burns, playing one of his best games of the season, made a sliding block to break up a two-on-one in the second period, sweeping his stick around to knock away the puck.
Jesper Fast saved a goal in the first period after a sharp save by Andersen. The puck was sitting near the goal line but Fast got his stick on it.
“We weren’t great tonight but sometimes you don’t have to be,” Brind’Amour said. “That little extra effort here and there, and we got a couple of bounces, which we haven’t gotten in three games, and that’s what happens.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 9:34 PM.
