Defense has not been the Carolina Hurricanes’ strong suit as of late, but goaltender Frederik Andersen held firm in net while center Sebastian Aho solidified a 4-3 overtime victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Jan. 25.
Coming off a 7-4 defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 22, the Canes (28-9-2) were defensively tested by the Golden Knights (25-15-3) who averaged 3.41 goals per game heading into the contest. On the flip side, Andersen is one of the best goalies in the league and he showed exactly why that is the case with several key saves to stave off a Vegas comeback.
“Both goalies played well,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “Their goalie kept them in it early and then Freddie at the end there, [in the] third period especially, made some big saves. Overtime, made a couple there. … We know he has to be one of our best players if we’re going to be successful and he has been all year.”
After an uneventful first period, the Canes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second period. Right wing Nino Niederreiter exhibited some crafty net-front presence, combining with right wing Jesper Fast to break the deadlock. 57 seconds later, right wing Andrei Svechnikov set up center Vincent Trocheck on an odd rush to double Carolina’s lead to 2-0.
“[Svechnikov] was great,” Brind’Amour said. “I didn’t get him out there that much…it was just weird how it was working out. And I’m like ‘I gotta get him out there more.’ … You could tell he was definitely playing well.”
The defensive woes finally came to the surface later in that period. Chaos around the Canes net put Andersen out of position and unable to stop Nolan Patrick from burying the rebound. Despite a challenge for goalie interference by Brind’Amour, the Canes went into the second intermission with only a one-goal lead.
Aho converted the only power play goal of the evening in the third period, a redirect off defenseman Tony DeAngelo’s shot from point that beat Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit. With a multi-goal lead entering the final 10 minutes, it was the perfect time for Vegas to stage a comeback and attempt to spoil the Canes’ night.
A defensive breakdown allowed Brett Howden a free look at goal, which he seized to cut the Hurricanes lead back to one. With 2:30 left in regulation, an unmarked Nicolas Hague tied it up with a top-shelf bullet. Despite a spectacular solo effort by center Martin Nečas in the dying seconds of regulation, Brossoit made the save to send the game to overtime.
With overtime on the docket, it was once again Andersen’s time to shine. The Golden Knights engineered an early two-on-one rush, threatening to complete the comeback, but Andersen smothered the opportunity with a glove save.
A few minutes later, Aho ensured that Carolina did not go to its first shootout of the season with an overtime winner. Svechnikov created a turnover in the Vegas zone and dished the puck to Aho who smashed the shot past Brossoit to seal the deal.
“[It was a] great read by him,” Aho said. “Not just reading that play, he won his battle there and he wanted that puck which is the thing he does really well. He’s strong and fast and just made a nice play. Great pass to me and yeah, I had to bury that one.”
With the OT victory, the Canes maintained pace in the Metropolitan division, sitting third in points and first in points percentage. On the individual level, Aho’s win-clinching goal was the seventh overtime winner in his career, making the Canes’ all-time leader in that stat.
The Hurricanes will head north of the border for the first time in over a month to take on the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, Jan. 27. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
