Center Martin Necas broke his scoring slump at an opportune time as his third-period goal lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, March 6.
The Canes (39-12-5) struggled to find their rhythm early, staying neck-and-neck with a Kraken (17-36-5) team that’s sitting at the bottom of the Pacific division in its inaugural season. A scoreless first period preceded a 2-2 deadlock in the second intermission, but Necas and the Hurricanes found a way to win.
“The start was terrible,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “There were like 10 icings. I was like ‘oh, this is not what we want at the start getting a rhythm going.’ We were trying to do the right things and we have the puck and all of a sudden it’s a breakaway. … But I give our guys credit. It’s not easy to play hard like we have every night, and guys keep finding ways to do it.”
Necas’ goal was only his second of 2022 and his first since a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 15. A game-winning goal is a great way to break a slump, but for arguably the Canes’ most dangerous offensive threat, getting back on the scoresheet was a big relief.
“I was trying to not count the games I haven’t scored,” Necas said. “But it gets a little bit in your head. I don’t think in my career I’ve ever waited that long for a goal, but it happens. The last few games I started feeling a little better and getting more chances. Today it finally went in.”
Left wing Teuvo Teräväinen also had a momentous afternoon, playing and scoring in his 500th NHL game. Teräväinen converted on a quick power play, scoring just four seconds into center Alex Wennberg’s penalty to tie the game up at 2-2 late in the second period.
That wasn’t the only occasion of the evening as several former Hurricanes returned to Raleigh for the first time outside the organization. Defenseman Haydn Fleury and center Morgan Geekie, both former Hurricanes, came to PNC Arena in Kraken sweaters. Additionally, former Canes broadcaster and current Kraken broadcaster John Forslund received a huge ovation for the Carolina faithful.
Although the Canes came away with the win, goaltender Antti Raanta made several key saves to secure the two points for Carolina. Raanta racked up 28 saves on the night, but the big takeaways from his performance was within the broader context of his recent run of form. With goaltender Frederik Andersen nursing an undisclosed day-to-day injury, Raanta has stepped up and anchored the Canes net well.
“It’s funny how it goes when you get a couple games in a row and you get that rhythm going,” Raanta said. “The confidence is growing when you get good games under yourself. It was kind of easy to go into the game, and there were a couple good shots early on to feel the puck.”
The Canes will get a few days of rest before continuing their homestand with a showdown against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, March 10. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
