The Carolina Hurricanes got a standout debut performance from defenseman Brent Burns, who scored two goals in a 4-3 preseason win over the Florida Panthers in PNC Arena on Saturday, Oct. 1
Burns entered as one of the main offseason acquisitions for Carolina. The 37-year-old defenseman came from San Jose via trade on July 13, and took the ice in a Canes sweater for the first time in this game. By the time the final horn sounded, Burns had two goals to his name.
“Those [goals] are important, too,” Burns said. “To grind things out, stick with what we want to do, and it’s fun. You get to see the guys from this side of it. A lot of skill, but the skill works hard, so I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Burns scored the game opener just over six minutes into the afternoon. Left wing Teuvo Teräväinen teed up him with a slick backhand pass near the blue line, and Burns flicked a quick wrister into the net for his first goal as a Hurricane.
Burns later doubled his tally with a go-ahead goal in the third period. After collecting a stray puck on the right side of the offensive zone, Burns cruised towards the net before bouncing the puck off a Florida defenseman to find twine. Even though he lit the lamp again in a timely moment, Burns’ second goal was a happy accident.
“I’d love to tell you I tried to aim there, [but] I was trying to hit Staalsy back door,” Burns said. “I’ll take them.”
Although the goal deficit (or lack thereof) after the first period was a tad worrisome for Canes fans, you wouldn’t know it if it wasn’t for the scoreboard. With 47 shots on goal over the Panthers’ 10, Carolina’s offense was leagues ahead of Florida’s.
Carolina’s blue line wasn’t nearly as cohesive as their offensive counterparts, but in the preseason, those kinds of things hardly matter. Brind’Amour and the Canes still have weeks to tighten up their top defensive and offensive squads, and a 3-0 preseason record is nothing to sneeze at.
I mean, their goalie was great,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “You know, they capitalize on a couple chances. But forget the score. … I mean, we’re not really concerned with that — it’s how we’re playing. I thought we’d played really hard, which is good.”
Less than an hour before puck drop, defenseman Calvin de Haan was announced as a last-minute addition to the Hurricanes. De Haan, who played with Carolina in the 2018-19 season, will be with the team for one year on a PTO contract.
“[I’m] kind of on the older side of hockey, hockey age now,” De Haan said “I want a chance to win, and I think this team’s got a good opportunity, and at the same time, I think I can help and be a part of this team.”
The Hurricanes’ regulars had a field day against a relatively inexperienced Panthers lineup. Right wing Andrei Svechnikov tallied a goal and an assist for the afternoon, but his impact was felt beyond the box scores.
When center Martin Nečas took an awkward hit near the boards against an oddly physical Panthers defense, Svechnikov stood up for his teammates in the ensuing, albeit inconsequential, scuffle. In the waning minutes of the third period, Svech also showed off his skills by deking and ducking in and around the Panthers’ defensemen.
The Canes will stay in Raleigh for a Monday night matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 3. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at PNC Arena.
