The Carolina Hurricanes lost 3-2 in overtime to the Minnesota Wild Thursday night at PNC Arena.
The Hurricanes (6-9-1) found the back of the net early, after outworking the Wild (10-3-2) for most of the first period, but a poor final few minutes of the opening frame and a noticeable drop off in the second doomed Carolina, sending the game to overtime where they ultimately fell.
Carolina, who entered the game with only three first period goals all season, showed a much-needed sense of urgency early on, jumping out to a 2-0 lead less than halfway through the first.
A struggling Canes power play, 7-for-55 on the year, converted less than five minutes into the game, thanks once again to a slapshot blast from defenseman Justin Faulk, who leads the NHL in power play goals with six.
Less than four minutes later, Carolina forward Andrej Nestrasil scored his first goal of the season, on what was originally ruled no-goal on the ice, to give the Canes an early 2-0 advantage.
Forward Jay McClement crashed into Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk, moving him out of his crease, before Nestrasil put home a loose puck. Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters used his coach’s challenge and the call on the ice was reversed as video review showed McClement was pushed into Dubnyk by a Wild player.
The Canes fourth line of Nestrasil, McClement and Joakim Nordstrom was their best of the game, outperforming the team’s more skilled players simply by playing hard.
“I thought [Nordstrom] was outstanding. I thought [McClement] was very good. I thought [Nestrasil] was very good on the puck,” Peters said. “I didn’t play them enough just because other guys took the night off and then all the sudden, now you’re worried about matchups.”
Minnesota began turning the tide in the final few minutes of the first, eventually pulling within a goal on a rocket from forward Jason Zucker, past the glove of Carolina goalie Cam Ward.
The Wild carried that momentum into, and throughout, the second period, clearly outplaying the Canes and outshooting them 8-3.
“I didn’t think our second (period) was nearly as good as the rest of the game,” Peters said. “Our (lack of) intensity and effort in the second period denied us the opportunity to get two points.”
Ward’s glove was beat for a second time on the night, this time by Wild forward Thomas Vanek, to tie it around the halfway point of regulation. Carolina got unlucky on the play as a puck deflected off a stick and right to Vanek.
The Hurricanes rebounded with a much better third period, producing several quality chances on 14 shots while holding the Wild to six. Neither team scored, sending the game to overtime.
Carolina’s power play woes continued in overtime as the team couldn’t find a way to beat Dubnyk despite a few great opportunities.
Minnesota made the Canes pay for not converting, scoring shortly after the penalty ended to win the game 3-2. Zucker scored his second goal of the night, redirecting a shot from Wild defenseman Ryan Suter past Ward.
