The Carolina Hurricanes started their 25th season in style with a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, Oct. 12 in PNC Arena.
The action ignited in the second period as the Canes (1-0-0) overcame a quick 1-0 deficit courtesy of Patrik Laine to pull even and eventually take the lead from the Blue Jackets (0-1-0). Defenseman Brady Skjei fired home the go-ahead goal with 1:30 left in the second period thanks to a nifty assist by center Martin Nečas.
“When we play our style, which is fast and tenacious forechecking, we’re tough to play against,” Skjei said. “I think we can beat any team in this league when we play like that, and I think everyone else [on our team] believes that too.”
Nečas notched a goal and another assist before the night was over, an excellent start to the season for the 23-year-old Czech. Though he’s put up solid numbers over the past few seasons, this could be the year that Canes fans see Nečas take his game to the next level.
“I know, [head coach Rod Brind’Amour] knows it: I can do much better on the ice than I did last season,” Nečas said. “Mentally, physically [I wanted to] get better in the summer, which I think happened. We have a really good line right now. Great team, so many good guys here.”
The Hurricanes enjoyed a few more big plays from key players. After coming over from San Jose as the Hurricanes’ marquee offseason acquisition, defenseman Brent Burns made an immediate impact during his debut in a Carolina sweater, shutting down opposing rushes with frequency and consistency.
Center Seth Jarvis made some plays on the offensive end, evening the score at 1-1 for the Canes, but he made waves on the ice beyond the box scores. In his second NHL season, the 20-year-old looks as spry as ever, but now he’s even more dangerous with a season of experience under his belt.
Jarvis used his speed to navigate the holes in Columbus’ defense quickly and efficiently, dancing down the red line before squeezing the puck past Blue Jackets netminder Daniil Tarasov.
The night wasn’t perfect for Carolina though, as Laine eliminated the possibility of a shutout with the game’s first goal just 11 seconds into the second period. Laine’s goal ended up as the only mistake by goaltender Frederick Andersen, but a slow first period allowed the Blue Jackets to take the lead on that shot. The Hurricanes also coughed up the puck 16 times over the course of the evening. While it didn’t cost them the win tonight, the Canes will need to cut back on the giveaways if they want to build some early momentum in future games.
“I thought Columbus had better play early,” Brind’Amour said. “I kind of expected that, to be honest. It’s been a long time since we played. Some of the guys haven’t played in a really long time. We were definitely a little behind the 8-ball in the beginning of the game.”
As the Canes pulled away in the latter two periods, the Jackets’ frustration swelled in the form of penalties and extracurriculars. While Carolina-Columbus is by no means the most heated rivalry in the NHL, the Blue Jackets definitely remembered the 8-1 beatdown the Hurricanes laid on them in the preseason just a couple of weeks prior.
As the North Carolina State Fair takes over the area surrounding PNC Arena, the Hurricanes will skip town for a while with a five-game road trip out west. First leg will come against the San Jose Sharks on Friday, Oct. 14 with the puck set to drop at 10:30 p.m.
