The Carolina Hurricanes returned to play after a four-day break, with goaltender Frederik Andersen making his first appearance since Nov. 2, 2023, after missing 49 games due to blood clotting issues. Andersen was sharp, saving 24 of the 25 shots he faced in a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. He received support from defenseman Brady Skjei, who scored two goals.
“Very, very happy,” said Andersen. “ It was just exciting to be out there with the guys again and feel the energy of the crowd. Being back was pretty nice.”
The last time the Canes (37-19-6) played, they squandered a three-goal lead against the Winnipeg Jets. But tonight’s game unfolded differently. Carolina started slow, but with Skjei’s two skillful goals, along with a late-period goal from right wing Stefan Noesen, secured the win over the Canadiens (24-29-10)
“I think we were a little sluggish to start,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “… You could just tell it was going to take a little time for us to get our legs. I thought, not only our legs but just up to speed at the pace, we were just a little off. You know, not terrible, but just not quite doing it consistently right. I thought we played a little better as the game went on.”
Montreal struck first in the contest, with right wing Joshua Roy capitalizing on a Carolina turnover. However, Skjei quickly equalized with a nifty play assisted by right wing Andrei Svechnikov.
The first period included five penalties, with Carolina and Montreal each receiving two and three, respectively. Despite numerous chances, only two goals were scored.
Andersen showcased his prowess in the second period, denying two prime Montreal opportunities.
Carolina struggled to stick to its direct style of play initially but improved as the second period progressed, culminating in Noesen’s late-period goal with just 25 seconds remaining. Noesen backhanded home a rebound to give his team the lead.
The Canadiens opened the third period aggressively, but their early goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference. Andersen kept making timely saves to derail Montreal’s momentum.
“He made countless good [saves] when we needed it,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s really the key of his night.”
Carolina had two shorthanded chances, including a breakaway for center Seth Jarvis and a two-on-one opportunity for center Sebastian Aho and Jarvis, but failed to convert. Despite a brief power play, the Canes found success in four-on-four hockey, with Skjei scoring his second goal of the game after a stretch pass from his partner defenseman Brett Pesce.
“I was screaming for it, but Pesce always has his head up,” said Skjei. “I got a step behind the guy and yelled for it, and it was right on my stick. Can’t say enough about Pesce and how good of a player he is.”
Svechnikov sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Before the win, trade rumors swirled pregame, suggesting left wing Michael Bunting’s involvement in a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins for star left wing Jake Guentzel.
“It’s hard,” Skjei said. “It’s definitely not normal. You go through it every year, but it’s definitely a little different feel in the locker room going into a game like that when you see one of your teammates leave out of nowhere and you don’t really know what’s going on. I thought we did a good job of getting past it. Didn’t come out great, but our full game was pretty solid.”
Carolina did indeed trade for Guentzel. The trade announcement was made shortly after the contest and sent Bunting, a handful of prospects, a conditional first-round pick in 2024 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 for Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith.
“I grew up playing with Jake in Minnesota in the summers,” Skjei said. “His dad was my college hockey coach at Minnesota, my defensive coach, so I know the family really well, and Jake’s an unbelievable guy, and he’s going to fit in great here, and all the guys are going to love him.”
Acquiring a goal-scorer like Guentzel solves a problem that Carolina has run into in previous years. The Canes sit just four points behind the New York Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan division.
Carolina’s next game is against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, March 9 at 12:30 p.m.
