-Gabriel Dorris-

The Recap

The Overview

The Canes had a solid first 5 minutes in Anaheim, leading shots 5-2 at one point, but it was Anaheim who struck first just 7 minutes in, as Noeson lost a puck battle on the wall leading to a turnover where a nice pass was sent to Sam Carrick who finished off the play. Anaheim would also strike second, when a seemingly innocent Frank Vatrano shot got past Raanta 5 hole, and third, on an open net shot allowed by Tony DeAngelo’s poor play in front of the net. There weren’t too many opportunities for either side in the period after that, although Necas did ring the post on a powerplay chance.

A high-sticking double minor gave the Canes three minutes of powerplay time to start the second, and although the team didn’t score, they generated momentum that would stick for almost the entire period. The Canes dominated shots, and even got a much needed goal when Teravainen picked up a rebound and wristed it over the left shoulder of goaltender Lukas Dostal, who was 16-16 on saves to that point. But the two goal difference would not last long, and less than 3 minutes after the Canes got on the board, the Ducks had an answer. DeAngelo lost his man behind the net, allowing Frank Vatrano to get open in the circle for his second of the night. Still, the Canes kept pushing, and Jaccob Slavin even hit his second post of the night.

In the third period, the Canes were all over the Ducks, and they’d be rewarded just 3 minutes into the frame with Teravainen’s second of the night and fourth of the season, coming on the powerplay. Right off of a zone entry, he let out a blue line blast, and the puck found a hole in the corner of Dostal’s net. The Canes would continue putting on the pressure, and with four and a half minutes to go, Martin Necas, who was switched to both the first powerplay unit and the first line mid game, would score on a beautiful Michael Bunting pass for the Cane’s second powerplay goal of the game. Carolina now had hope, and with 2 minutes left in the game, Raanta was pulled for a 6th attacker. But an offensive zone turnover led to a Ducks goal just seconds later, and the Canes, now again down by 2, would pull the goalie once more, this time resulting in a hat trick for Frank Vatrano and the 6-3 final.

The Standouts

Teuvo Teravainen was a standout player from start to finish, potting 2 goals and continuing to pave the way for a revenge season after the disappointment last year was. Brady Skjei notched his third assist and 4th point of the year, and really solid defensive games by him and Brett Pesce led to those two being the only Canes players with a +/- above 0. Brent Burns may have been a -3, but he played 25 minutes and 2 seconds, over three minutes more than anyone else on the team, and almost 6 minutes more than any other D-man. Martin Necas was probably the team’s second best player offensively, and he brought life to the powerplay all night. The last standout this game was Tony DeAngelo, but not for a good reason. Mistakes and poor positioning led to a majority of Ducks goals being at least partially on him.

In order, my three stars (Canes players only) would be Martin Necas (***), Brady Skjei (**), and Teuvo Teravainen (*).

The Preview

The Overview

Tonight at 10:30PM EST, the Canes are going to match up against the Sharks in San Jose. The Canes are 2-1-0, and the Sharks are 0-1-1. Frederick Andersen will be starting in net for the Canes, and Mackenzie Blackwood is the favorite to start with the Sharks, after going 51 for 52 on saves in his season debut against the Avalanche on Saturday. The Canes have had only a day of rest, while the Sharks have had 2, but the Canes are still the better team. However, if the Sharks can get another god like performance in goal, and the Canes have another lackluster outing in net, the Sharks have a chance. The Canes will also need to do better defensively and on the power play.

Players to Watch

Teuvo Teravainen is tied for the team lead in points, and owns it in goals, with 4 of those in 3 games. He’s coming off a down year, and it’s worth seeing if he can turn this into a big time bounce back season. Brady Skjei shares that title, with 3 assists and a goal of his own, and he’ll be trying to turn a contract year into another career year. Martin Necas will be playing on the first line for a full game, and we’ll see his chemistry with Aho and Turbo. Frederick Andersen has had a poor start to the season, with a .867 save% over two games, and Freddie will be trying to turn it around, especially considering his current title as starter for the team. If Jalen Chatfield plays, he’ll be trying to steal the permanent 6th defenseman spot from Tony DeAngelo, and if DeAngelo plays, he’ll be trying to play a more defensively responsible game and stop Chatfield from doing just that.

Prediction

The Canes are easily the better team against the Sharks, and after a disappointing loss, they’ll be looking to bounce back. The Canes showed promised at the end of their last game, and they just have to keep that momentum going here. The Sharks will need another fabulous show in net to steal a win, but I’m not confident in the ability of Mackenzie Blackwood to do that again.

5-2 Canes

Record: 2 (correct winner) – 1 (incorrect winner) – 0 (predicted OT/shootout loss and lost in regulation, or vice versa.)