It was about 40 minutes of little to no effort shown from the Carolina Hurricanes to start what was a 5-2 bludgeoning by the Nashville Predators. While Nashville was getting production from its big-name players, the Canes were nowhere to be found.
It took until the score was 4-0 that Carolina (21-12-1) decided to show some fight, answering with a quick sequence of its only goals from centers Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho. After that, however, the Predators (11-17-7) locked down in front of goaltender Juuse Saros to secure the two points.
Nashville spent the most money in the NHL in free agency, landing big names like centers Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos and defenseman Brady Skjei. The latter, a former Hurricane, didn’t score a point but Marchessault and Stamkos dominated on a top line that killed the Canes with seven combined points.
Stamkos scored the opening goal 13:34 into the first period when his shot from behind the net trickled past Canes goaltender Dustin Tokarski. Marchessault doubled the lead later in the second when he tucked a feed at the back post from center Tommy Novak.
The Canes were out-shot 20-14 through the first 40 minutes, but despite the slim difference, the quality chances were all one-way traffic from Nashville. Tokarski was left out to dry in net for most of the game, having to make highlight-reel efforts to limit the damage.
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Giveaways and defensive lapses handed the Predators quality chances that the Canes couldn’t afford to give up. Carolina had 24 giveaways in the game, tied for its most all season.
Instead of batching down the hatches to enter the third, the Canes instead surrendered two goals within the period’s first three minutes. Center Ryan O’Reilly was left all alone in front of the net on the power play and buried it, ending the Canes’ perfect penalty-killing streak for the month of December. Center Mark Jankowski was then given all the time and space to beat Tokarski which he did with a well-placed snap-shot.
Finally, the Hurricanes showed some signs of life outside of Tokarski, flashing the leather. Making an aggressive push to respond, Staal scored a minute and a half later on a pass below the goal line from left wing Jordan Martinook.
Aho followed up Staal’s example 40 seconds later when he settled a two-on-one pass from center Seth Jarvis with his skate and scored on a tough angle. The two quick goals gave the Hurricanes some much-needed momentum and got themselves back in the game, but the valiant effort in the third was all for naught when Marchessault scored an empty-netter to seal it.
Marchessault and Nashville have found a groove lately after a rocky start to the season, earning points in three of the last four contests. Marchessault has recorded a goal in each of those four and has a point streak extending past that for a total of seven games.
The Canes have been up and down the last 10 games, winning five and losing five. The Hurricanes will have to sit on this lump of coal performance and look to come out of the break better against a Metropolitan division rival.
Carolina kicks off a back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils on Friday at 7 p.m.
