Hurricanes hold off Edmonton, but goalie Antti Raanta leaves game with possible injury
The Carolina Hurricanes won a game Wednesday but had goalie Antti Raanta leave after the first period, causing some serious anxiety at PNC Arena.
The Canes took a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, winning back-to-back games for the first time since early November while adding to the Oilers’ troublesome slide this season.
The Canes (11-7-0) grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first period, knocking Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner out of the game, and seemingly were cruising to an easy win. Jesper Fast scored his first goal in 13 games and Drury his first of the season while Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis also found the net.
But the Oilers struck on a late power play in the first, Raanta moving quickly right to left to try and deny Zach Hyman from scoring.
Hyman scored. Raanta stayed in net the rest of the period, but left after the first, with Pyotr Kochetkov coming in to stop 13 of 15 shots. Raanta did earn the win, his sixth of the season, and has earned a point in each of his last 18 appearances at home.
With goalie Frederik Andersen missing the past six games with a blood-clotting issue, and his return still uncertain, having Raanta leave was concerning, although Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said after the game he did not believe the lower-body issue was serious.
“He said he felt something a little funny,” Brind’Amour said. “Nothing serious, we didn’t think, but we didn’t want to take a chance. So precautionary, really.”
Brind’Amour, asked Wednesday morning about Andersen, said he had no update on his condition. The Canes recently brought in veteran goalie Jaroslav Halak on a professional tryout but released him from the PTO.
Teravainen and Jarvis each had a goal and assist but the Canes had 15 players notch at least a point. Defenseman Jalen Chatfield, back in the lineup, had two assists.
The Oilers (5-12-1) might be a team in disarray despite having two of the best players in the world in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But they regrouped and made a push at the Canes after falling behind 5-1 in the second when Martin Necas scored for Carolina.
In addition to Hyman’s power-play goal, the Oilers also scored shorthanded and were within 5-3 in the third period as the Canes looked to tighten up defensively in front of Kochetkov. Edmonton, after four shots in the second, put 11 on net in the third, swarming around Kochetkov.
“There was a flurry of activity,” Brind’Amour said. “You weren’t going to be able to come into this game and shut those guys down and not give up scoring opportunities. But I thought we did a decent job.”
Canes defenseman Brett Pesce was called for holding with 1:13 left in regulation, the Oilers had a 6-on-4 advantage with goalie Calvin Pickard pulled for an extra attacker. But the Canes quickly defused the threat as Jordan Staal won a draw in the defensive zone and Brett Burns whipped in a long backhander for an empty netter and the final 6-3 margin.
“We had a good start, which is something we have struggled with,” Jarvis said. “We usually find ourselves behind pretty early, so 4-0 is a nice lead to come out to. And we did a nice job hunkering down. ‘Kooch’ did a great job coming in. That third period wasn’t great but we got the job done and that is all that matters.
“It’s great to get on a little roll. Being home helped everybody out. Everyone’s just pumped and we’re finding our game now.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2023 at 8:56 PM.
