If you’re on a three-game losing streak, in which you’ve given up a ridiculous amount of goals with below average goaltending, facing the league’s best team in the Washington Capitals would not be among your top choice. Probably not even in your top 10 choices but they were next on the schedule and knowing coach Rod Brind’Amour, he could care less who they faced, they just needed to right the ship.
The Carolina Hurricanes fell to the Florida Panthers 4-2 before nearly a sellout crowd after they just returned from their best five-game road trip in franchise history. The Canes garnered nine out of a possible 10 points on a trip through western Canada ending up in Colorado.
Young Andrei Svechnikov led the Canes to a much-needed 3-2 shootout win over the San Jose Sharks in a game that was highly entertaining from the first drop of the puck. The Canes played the top team in points two nights before, losing 2-0 in a game that was 0-0 with about five minutes to go.
Cary, NC – For all those that have played team sports, one of the worst times is after not only losing a game but losing a game that had very little team effort, then knowing what’s coming in the locker room afterwards. The game against the Nashville Predators was one of those games.
Coach Rod Brind’Amour wanted the Canes to bounce back after a strong start then virtually giving the last game away and the Canes responded in an incredible manner. In a reversal of their previous game in which they went up with two early goals, the Canes found themselves down by two goals within 16 seconds in the nine-minute mark.
After winning all three games on the road, which no other team has done in franchise history, the Canes had a chance to extend their winning streak against the Flyers, who had lost four straight. However, sloppy play in all three zones found the Canes on the losing end by a score of 5-3.
Cary, NC – After losing to the Ottawa Senators 4-1 two days before in Canada, the Canes bounced back big time on the home-and-home series by trouncing the Sens, 8-2 on a rare Monday night game.
Sometimes you bring your A-game with just about everything going your way and you still lose. That’s what happened to the Canes when they ran into future Hall of Famer goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who was a wall as the Canes fell 4-2 in a contest they dominated and easily had possession 75 percent of the time in the first period.
Any fans who saw the Carolina Hurricanes play at home this weekend saw an unforgettable marathon of a match where the Canes won in triumphant fashion, which may have drained some of their energy as they lost another long game against the New Jersey Devils the next night.
For the second game in a row, Andrei Svechnikov score two goals, the first will easily be the NHL top goal of the month, to beat the Calgary Flames with a come from behind 2-1 victory. Former Cane Elias Lindholm heard the boo birds nearly every time he hit the ice as last year after a Flames win at the RBC Arena, Lindy mocked the Storm Surge which offended the Caniacs who forget nothing.