The Carolina Hurricanes looked like the better team from start to finish as they defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at PNC Arena.
Just a few days removed from its rousing victory in the Stadium Series, Carolina (38-10-8) claimed yet another 4-1 victory, this time against a Blues (26-28-3) squad that had no answer for the Canes’ first line.
Right wing Andrei Svechnikov opened the game by scoring two goals in the first eight minutes. Svechnikov ripped a shot over Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington to score just 1:26 into the contest and set the pace for how the rest of the game would go.
Svechnikov’s linemates, centers Sebastion Aho and Seth Jarvis, were also able to tally goals of their own in the second and third periods, respectively. The Blues had no answer for Carolina’s first line tonight as it scored all four of the Hurricanes’ goals.
Over the past three games, Jarvis has played in superb form, scoring four goals — including the hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 16. He looks to be playing with more confidence since head coach Rod Brind’Amour mixed up the team’s top two lines, taking on defenders one-on-one when in the past he would pass the puck, and it is certainly paying off.
Jarvis and Aho have benefited immensely from Svechnikov’s presence on the team’s top line and his physical playstyle, which directly led to Aho’s goal.
The Canes created significantly more chances than the Blues as their offensive pressure remained high throughout the game. Despite the four-goal blemish on the scorecard, Binnington was the only reason the Blues stayed in the game. The goaltender was able to cover up many of the chances his lackluster defense let through.
On the other end of the rink, Canes goaltender Frederik Andersen didn’t have a bad game himself, stopping 35 of 36 shots. The Blues had many opportunities to get back into this game, but Andersen shut the door numerous times, and he capped off his second game wearing his Stadium Series mask by allowing just one goal.
Despite the high shot counts, the Blues weren’t able to sustain many offensive chances, seeing such chances come and go throughout the whole game. After trading away key offensive pieces close to the deadline, it’s no surprise they have struggled to develop good offensive plays.
Although the good offensive chances were few and far between for the Blues, they were able to score one goal, which came from defenseman and ex-Hurricane Justin Faulk in the second period.
The Hurricanes have now won four games in a row and are keeping their foot on the gas, trying to extend their lead in the Metropolitan Division standings. Carolina will face the Ottawa Senators on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at PNC Arena.
