In the last 28 games, the Carolina Hurricanes have scored first just 10 times.
“That’s been kind of a lot of our game, especially lately, is slow starts,” said center Jordan Staal. “Love to see that kind of desperation right off the bat. It’s tough to come back in this league. I did obviously like our desperation at the end, but it’s got to be the whole game. It’s got to be better all the way through.”
Over those last 28 games, the Hurricanes haven’t played up to their usual standard. Trading for two new players during the stretch — forwards Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall — has seemingly made it tougher to find their game.
That theme carried over in the Canes’ 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Saturday night at Lenovo Center. Entering the game, Edmonton had given up 26 goals in its past five games and was riding a five-game losing streak. Against the Canes, the Oilers and goaltender Calvin Pickard gave up one goal on 36 shots.
Only when desperation sets in and its back is against the wall does Carolina look and act like the team it has been of the past few seasons. The trends of slow starts aren’t new, it’s just starting to cost the Canes.
“We’ve come back in the last few games and everyone gets all excited about it but it isn’t the recipe for success,” Staal said after a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers in November.
In the first period, the Canes had three power play chances and instead of taking a commanding lead, they went down a goal. Five minutes into the game, Oilers center Adam Henrique scored shorthanded after Carolina failed, and failed again to make a zone entry.
It was pretty obvious to see there was a piece missing on the power play unit, a player that currently is at a point-per-game pace in Colorado.
Throughout the game, the Canes handled two of the NHL’s top point scorers in centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It only took one mistake from the Canes for them to pounce and bump their lead to two.
After being hemmed in their own zone, defenseman Jalen Chatfield had the chance to clear the puck but turned it over and Draisaitl threaded the needle to find right wing Corey Perry for the tap-in and a 2-0 lead in the second period.
“We had the puck on our tape and we gave it to him,” Brind’Amour said. “Then it goes to a world-class player, they’re going to make plays.”
Each team had its fair share of chances to increase their lead or cut the deficit, in but frantic goaltending at both ends kept the scoring to a premium.
Finally, on the Canes’ fourth power play, on an opportunity where they held the puck in the offensive zone, they cashed in. Center Sebastian Aho and Rantanen ran a give-and-go play that resulted in Rantanen lasering a pass to Aho at the back post.
With just over 15 minutes and one goal to go, Carolina kept pushing for chances but none better came than with less than a minute to go.
After Rantanen took an interference penalty in frustration that sent him to the box, and put the Canes down a man. The threat of a goal looked bleak. Suddenly, there was no one between Aho and Pickard and with the opportunity to tie the game, Pickard made the save.
“I got to bury that,” Aho said. “No way around it. You have the game on your stick.”
Carolina pushed to the end but defenseman Evan Bouchard scored an empty-netter with a second left, emphasizing the 3-1 loss.
Carolina can immediately put this one behind it as it plays the Calgary Flames on Sunday at 5 p.m.
