The Carolina Hurricanes reign supreme in the National Hockey League, remaining the only undefeated team thus far this season after a 4-1 road win against the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center.
The Canes (4-0-0) got on the board 15 minutes into the first period, as center Seth Jarvis’ shot flew into the right corner of the net past Ducks (2-2-0) goaltender Lukas Dostal, assisted by defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. Jarvis’ goal marked the 100th of his career. At just 23 years old, Jarvis has quickly solidified himself as an essential player for the team. His versatile playing style has made him a key contributor to both scoring and assisting.
Scoring once again, Jarvis’ shot made it into the back of the net with help from Gostisbehere and right winger Jackson Blake 11 minutes into the second period. The Ducks quickly responded one minute later with a goal from center Leo Carlsson, assisted by left winger Alex Killorn and defenseman Drew Helleson, making the game 2-1.
Quickly after the start of the third period, defenseman Alexander Nikishin scored a power-play goal with help from center Sebastian Aho and Gostisbehere with just 15 seconds remaining on the man-advantage. Nikishin shot from the far left into the top right corner of the net, scoring his first career NHL goal.
To close out the game, Aho put his name on the board, scoring a goal with an assist from, once again, Jarvis. Shooting from a tight angle surrounded by Ducks players, Aho made it right under the top post to finish off the game 4-1.
The Canes entered this match-up having not lost a game, one of the last three teams that had remained undefeated. The other two were the Dallas Stars and the Seattle Kraken, who have now both lost their first games of the season. Following a disappointing preseason, the Canes have come back strong with an impressive four-game winning streak. The Canes’ preseason struggles resulted in just one win across six games.
While much of the attention has been paid to Seth Jarvis and his outstanding performance so far in the season, credit is also due to the brick wall at goal, Frederik Andersen.
Delivering another stellar performance, Andersen stopped 23-of-24 shots on goal. He continues to prove how essential he is to the team, and credit has to be given when it is due. His consistency in these four games so far has been crucial to the Canes success.
The Hurricanes remain in Southern California and will take on the Los Angeles Kings Saturday night, looking to continue their winning streak. Puck drop is set for 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
