Coming off of a four-game losing streak, the Carolina Hurricanes picked up their first win since Jan. 1 with a 6-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jays on Thursday, Jan. 12. The game marked head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s 200th win, making him the third-quickest NHL coach to hit the milestone.
“You know what [200 wins] means is, we’ve got a great group,” Brind’Amour said. “Same thing we kind of talked about with the All-Star thing — that’s about the group. And so, I’m pretty fortunate to — I say it all the time, but we’ve got a great group to work with and a great bunch of guys.”
Exactly one week after left wing Max Pacioretty’s debut with the Hurricanes, goaltender Frederik Andersen returned to the crease for the first time since Nov. 6. His much-needed reappearance comes after a week of lackluster goaltending from fellow netminders Antti Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov. Andersen ultimately saved 21 of 23 shots on goal, a solid performance that reinvigorated a tired defensive squad.
In fact, that same defensive squad put up five of Carolina’s six goals — defensemen Brett Pesce, Brent Burns, Jalen Chatfield and Jaccob Slavin all contributed heavily to the Hurricanes’ decisive win over the Blue Jackets. Pesce, who scored two goals, came tantalizingly close to his first-ever NHL hat trick late in the third frame. That near-goal, in fact, sparked a battle behind the crease between right wing Stefan Noesen and Columbus defenseman Erik Gudbranson.
“The puck just went in the net a little more frequently — I think the game was pretty similar to all the games we’ve pretty much played here,” Brind’Amour said. “I thought Freddie was good, he made a couple nice saves, just kept us going in the right direction.”
Columbus right wing Kirill Marchenko may have garnered his team a win over Carolina last Saturday, Jan. 7, but the Blue Jackets’ offense just couldn’t stack up against the Hurricanes’ blue line and a fresh-faced goaltender. Columbus’ second goal came late in the third frame after Noesen and Gudbranson were sent to the box, but center Seth Jarvis quickly followed up with Carolina’s sixth and final goal of the evening.
For as many penalties both teams racked up on Thursday evening — nine in total — not a single goal was scored on the power play. That being said, Chatfield picked up Carolina’s sixth shorthanded goal of the season, an impressive feat for the 26-year-old.
The only thing Caniacs have to worry about after tonight’s blowout win is Pacioretty’s physical status — the offensive superstar left the game early after experiencing a lower-body injury unrelated to his Achilles tendon, which kept him off the ice for several months.
The Hurricanes will return to PNC Arena on Saturday, Jan. 14 for an inter-division matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
