The Carolina Hurricanes got back to winning ways with a hard-fought 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in PNC Arena on Sunday, April 10.
The Canes (47-18-8) and the Ducks (29-33-12) combined for five goals in the first period alone, but the game turned much more physical down the stretch as both squads hustled, jostled and fought for a definitive edge over the other. In the end, center and team captain Jordan Staal put the game out of reach by completing his first hat trick as a Hurricane.
“It was nice to get that tonight,” Staal said. “It was a good effort. Obviously my linemates are a big part of that. It was a fun night.”
Staal’s first goal came just over five minutes into the game to double Carolina’s lead to 2-0 after right wing Andrei Svechnikov opened the scoring after just 1:17. A tricky blue-line shot through traffic by Josh Mahura put Anaheim on the board just over a minute after Staal’s goal, but left wing Jordan Martinook reset the Canes lead to two goals on a slick assist by center Max Domi.
“Everybody was good tonight,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “We moved [Domi] to a new position and he handled that well. That line was good. We didn’t get them out that much because they were rolling three lines, so it was a little bit tougher. But when they were out there, they were super effective.”
Down 3-1 after just nine and a half minutes, the Ducks ramped up the physicality for the rest of the game. Troy Terry capitalized on a big pile-up in the Carolina crease, laying out for a loose puck to sweep it into the net to make it 3-2. Goaltender Frederik Andersen could not get over to stop the shot due to the mass of bodies in the blue paint, but the referees held up the goal, ruling that defenseman Brett Pesce prevented a Ducks skater from leaving the crease.
Svechnikov led the Canes in chirps for the night, jawing back and forth with multiple Ducks over the course of the game, though the tone was not always negative. Svechnikov arguably has the greatest affinity for lacrosse goals in the league, but one player that could rival him is Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras. Zegras had the only lacrosse goal attempt of the game, a third-period shot that Andersen denied, but Svech and Zegras seemed to bond over their patented moves later in the game.
On the other hand, Svechnikov also played a starring role in a series of scuffles between Carolina and Anaheim in the second period, so it wasn’t all smiles for Svech by any means. Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was the first to engage Svechnikov in any significant behind-the-play shenanigans, but Shattenkirks’ slash on Svech just before Shattenkirk retreated to the bench lit the fuse for a big brawl later the second period.
Svechnikov got back at Shattenkirk with a thunderous hit during the next shift. Although it was a clean connection, the Ducks nevertheless voiced their discontent before switching over to more physical negotiations on the next faceoff. Svechnikov got hit to the ice by two Ducks players, causing a massive melee to commence.
When the dust settled, five players in total were sent to the sin bin. Svechnikov got two minutes for tripping while center Seth Jarvis, Adam Henrique, Ryan Mayhew and Getzlaf all got two for roughing. Carolina couldn’t quite score on the following power play, or on any power play on the night for that matter, Brind’Amour was pleased with the improvement in quality following Friday’s disappointing showing against the New York Islanders.
“It was great,” Brind’Amour said. “We had a lot of good looks. We got in and had zone time. The second power play, two of our guys were out so we kind of mixed and matched the unit, but they got some good looks.”
Adding onto the milestones of the evening, defenseman Jaccob Slavin skated in his 500th career game in the win. The career Hurricane stayed humble after the game, keeping the focus on Staal’s big night.
“That’s perfect, I love that,” Slavin said. “‘Fly under the radar.’ I’m always happy to see the big man put the puck in the net.”
The 27-year-old Slavin has plenty of time to tack onto that total, with his next opportunity to take the ice coming on Tuesday, April 12 when Carolina travels north to face off against the New York Rangers. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
