By Rockin’ Reese
The Carolina Hurricanes are halfway through the regular season.
They have a record 28-15-5, which gives them 61 points & has them in 2nd place in the Metropolitan Division. They will start the second half of the season on Tuesday, when they host the Vancouver Canucks at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. Let’s take a look at how the first half of the season ended for the Hurricanes.
On January 21st, they hosted the Minnesota Wild. Things looked good for the Hurricanes, as they scored the first goal of the game. With less than 6 minutes remaining in the first period, (center) Jack Drury & (right winger) Stefan Noesen set up (center) Martin Nečas to score against (Wild goalie) Filip Gustavsson. However, 3:41 later, the Wild tied the game, as (center) Marco Rossi & (defenseman) Alex Goligoski set up (left winger) Kirill Kaprizov for a goal against (Hurricanes goalie) Antti Raanta.
The game was tied 1-1 at the end of the first period. The Wild scored the only goal of the second period. This one was set up by (center) Joel Eriksson Ek & (right winger) Matthew Boldy to give Karpizov his 2nd goal. More importantly, it gave the Wild a 2-1 lead.
In the third period, the Hurricanes tied the game, as centers (alternate captain) Sebastian Aho & Seth Jarvis set up (left winger) Michael Bunting for a goal. Just 1:15 later, the Wild would retake the lead, as (defensemen) Brock Faber & Jonas Brodin set up Eriksson Ek for a goal. Late in the period, while the Hurricanes were trying to tie the game, Raanta was pulled off of the ice for an extra attacker.
However, after Faber blocked a shot from (Hurricanes defenseman) Brent Burns, Kaprizov cleared the puck into the empty net, giving him a hat trick. With 56 seconds remaining in regulation, the Wild put the game in the deep freeze, as Eriksson Ek & (defenseman) Zach Bogosian set up (defenseman) Jacob Middleton for an empty net goal. The Wild would win 5-2.
On January 24th, the Hurricanes made a trip to TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, where their mothers (except for Gaby Burns, Brent’s mother…she was having health issues; Brent’s oldest daughter Peyton went in her place) were in attendance to watch them played the Boston Bruins. After (Bruins defenseman) Brandon Carlo was called for hooking, the Hurricanes scored the first goal of the game on a power play.
Drury & (defenseman) Brady Skjei set up Nečas to score against (Bruins goalie) Linus Ullmark for the only goal of the first period. After (Bruins right winger) Morgan Geekie was called for tripping, the Hurricanes scored another power play goal. Aho & Jarvis set up (left winger) Teuvo Teravainen for the only goal of the second period.
In the third period, the Bruins made sure to not the Hurricanes rest too easily with that 2-0 lead. In only 90 seconds, (defenseman) Hampus Lindholm & (left winger) Trent Frederic set up (left winger/captain) Brad Marchand for a goal against (Hurricanes goalie) Spencer Martin. Marchand tied the game, 5:50 later, after his 2nd goal was set up by Frederic & (center) Charlie Coyle. Late in the period, after Martin made a save against (Bruins right winger/alternate captain) David Pastrnak, the Hurricanes would retake the lead. A series of quick passes from Burns to Aho to Teravainen would set up (left winger/alternate captain) Jordan Martinook for a game-winning breakway goal. The Hurricanes would leave Boston with a 3-2 victory.
The very next night, the Hurricanes returned home (with Peyton & the mothers) to host the New Jersey Devils. Just like the previous 2 games, the Hurricanes scored first. This time, (defenseman/alternate captain) Jaccob Slavin & Teravainen set up Aho to score against (Devils goalie) Nico Daws for the only goal of the first period.
In the second period, the Hurricanes struck early. After (Devils left winger/alternate captain) Ondrej Palat was called tripping, it only took 3 seconds for him to pay. Despite the Devils winning a face-off, Bunting quickly got to the puck & passed to Teravainen, who scored a power play goal. Just 25 seconds later, Jarvis & Skjei set up (center/captain) Jordan Staal for a goal. The Hurricanes led 3-0, at the end of the period.
In the third period, the Devils finally got on the board. Raanta was finally solved, as (center) Chris Tierney & (forward) Alexander Holtz set up (center) Justin Dowling for the goal. With 3 seconds left, (defenseman) Luke Hughes set up (left winger) Jesper Bratt for the score. It was too little, too late, though, as the Hurricanes earned a 3-2 victory. After the game, Peyton & the mothers were brought on the ice for the “Storm Surge”.
On January 27th, the Hurricanes hosted the Arizona Coyotes. This time, the Coyotes scored first, as (defenseman) JJ Moser & (right winger) Dylan Guenther set up (center) Logan Cooley to score a goal against Raanta. It was the only goal of the first period. In the second period, the Hurricanes tied the game, after (Coyotes center) Nick Bjugstad was called for holding. On a 4-on-3 power play, Burns & Jarvis set up Nečas for the goal against (Coyotes goalie) Connor Ingram. The game was tied 1-1, at the end of the period.
In the third period, the game looked like it was heading for overtime. However, the Hurricanes had different plans. With 36 seconds left in regulation, (defenseman) Jalen Chatfield & Drury set up (defenseman) Dmitry Orlov for a goal. Just 13 seconds later, Jarvis set up (right winger) Jesper Fast for a goal, that was allowed, after a review (the puck hit the back of Fast’s glove). The Hurricanes ended the first half of their season with a 3-1 win.
