Hurricanes defeat Edmonton, but Antti Raanta, the goalie, leaves the game possibly hurt.
The departure of goalie Antti Raanta following the first period of the Carolina Hurricanes’ game on Wednesday caused significant unease at PNC Arena. With a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, the Canes continued their unsettling losing streak this season while winning back-to-back games for the first time since early November. After taking a 4-0 lead in the first period and forcing Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner to leave the game, the Canes (11-7-0) looked to be coasting to an easy victory. Along with Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis, Jesper Fast scored his first goal in 13 games and Drury’s first of the season.
Raanta quickly moved from right to left in an attempt to stop Zach Hyman from scoring, but the Oilers struck late in the first quarter on a power play. Hyman made a point. Raanta remained in goal for the remainder of the half, but he left after the first, allowing Pyotr Kochetkov to enter and stop 13 of 15 attempts. Raanta did deserve the victory, his sixth of the year, and has now scored a point in each of his previous eighteen home games. Raanta’s departure was concerning because goalie Frederik Andersen has been sidelined for the last six games due to a blood-clotting problem, and his return is still uncertain. However, Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour stated following the game that he did not think the lower-body issue was serious.
Brind’Amour remarked, “He said he felt something a little funny.” We didn’t think it was anything serious, but we didn’t want to take a chance. So, you know, cautious. When asked about Andersen on Wednesday morning, Brind’Amour stated he had no update on his health. Veteran goalie Jaroslav Halak was recently brought in by the Canes for a professional tryout, but he was released from the PTO. Although 15 players for the Canes recorded at least one point, Teravainen and Jarvis each had a goal and an assist. Back in the lineup, defenseman Jalen Chatfield contributed two assists.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are two of the best players in the world, but the Oilers (5-12-1) may be a disorganized team. But after trailing 5-1 in the second when Martin Necas scored for Carolina, they rallied and put pressure on the Canes. The Canes attempted to tighten up defensively in front of Kochetkov as the Oilers scored shorthanded and tied the score at three in the third period, in addition to Hyman’s power-play goal. After taking four shots in the second, Edmonton crowded Kochetkov and put 11 shots on goal in the third.
“A flurry of activity occurred,” Brind’Amour remarked. It was not going to be possible for you to enter the game, shut those guys down, and not allow them to score. But I believe we did a respectable job.
With 1:13 remaining in regulation, Canes defenseman Brett Pesce was called for holding, giving the Oilers a 6-on-4 advantage and forcing goalie Calvin Pickard to pull for an additional attacker. However, the Canes quickly neutralized the threat, as Brett Burns whipped in a long backhander for an empty netter and the final 6-3 score after Jordan Staal won a draw in the defensive zone.
Jarvis stated, “We had a good start, which is something we have struggled with.” “We usually fall behind fairly quickly, so having a 4-0 lead is a great place to start. And we did a good job of fortifying ourselves. “Kooch” did a fantastic job entering. Even though the third period wasn’t the best, the important thing is that we finished the task at hand. “Getting into a little groove is fantastic. Everyone benefited from being at home. Everyone is incredibly excited, and we’re starting to click.
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There is a matchup in the Eastern Conference for today’s NHL Predictions. The Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-5) lost in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, ending their three-game winning streak. Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos goals helped the Lightning put together a strong performance. But the team currently has the most losses via overtime or shootouts.
There is a matchup in the Eastern Conference for today’s NHL Predictions. The Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-5) lost in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, ending their three-game winning streak. Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos goals helped the Lightning put together a strong performance. But the team currently has the most losses via overtime or shootouts.
