The Carolina Hurricanes put forth a dominant team effort that saw five different players score a goal in a 5-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Two former Arizona draft picks found the back of the net — left wing Jordan Martinook and left wing Michael Bunting — as Carolina took sole possession of second place in the Metropolitan division.
It only took 16 seconds for the Hurricanes to light the lamp as former Coyotes draft pick Martinook scored his ninth goal of the season and eighth of the calendar year. Martinook raced down the ice to prevent an icing and was promptly rewarded when defenseman Brady Skjei found him unmarked in front of the net to put the Canes up 1-0 with fans still looking for their seats.
The Canes got back on the board a few minutes later on a play masterfully set up by center Martin Necas. He used his elite speed to gain the offensive zone and then went behind the net to set up a wrap-around pass to defenseman Jalen Chatfield who fired a puck past diving Coyotes netminder Karel Vejmelka.
Despite dominating for most of the period, the Hurricanes allowed the Coyotes to stay in the game. Chatfield turned the puck over at the blue line, setting up a golden opportunity on a breakaway for Arizona right wing Dylan Guenther, who ripped a shot past goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov.
Even though the Coyotes fell down 2-0 early, they had the momentum exiting the period after outshooting Carolina 16-15 and scoring the last goal of the frame.
This momentum was short-lived as center Seth Jarvis found the back of the net to open up the scoring in the second off a lucky bounce. As Arizona attempted to clear the puck out of its zone, the puck hit the skate of Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz and went directly to the stick of Jarvis, who wasted no time sniping the right corner of the net for a 3-1 lead.
Earlier in the period, Jarvis put his body on the line to block a shot so it was just a matter of time before he was rewarded. The 22-year-old center continues to impress in his breakout season, showing off his 200-foot game by blocking shots and scoring goals.
Each side slowed down offensively in the second frame evidenced by a combined 14 shots on goal but Carolina capitalized on its opportunities. On its first power play, left wing Teuvo Teravainen cleaned up a rebound to give the Canes a 4-1 lead heading to the locker room.
As per usual, the Hurricanes dominated special teams. They scored on the man advantage and killed off all four of Arizona’s power plays. This comes as no surprise as Carolina ranks in the top five for power play and penalty kill percentage in the league.
With a 4-1 lead going into the third period, the Canes were able to coast through the final 20 minutes knowing they were playing in the first game of a back-to-back. Despite sitting back, the Hurricanes tickled the twine once again courtesy of another former Coyote. Necas found Bunting between the face-off circles and he slid a shot through the five-hole of Vejmelka for a 5-1 lead.
Although his offense gave him five goals and he didn’t see much action after the first period, Kochetkov once again played solid in net, saving 27 of the 28 shots he faced. Even with goalie Frederik Anderson nearing a return, it looks like it’s Kochetkov’s job to lose.
The Hurricanes will look to carry the momentum from this game as they visit the defending Stanley Cup champions Las Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, Feb. 17. Puck drop is set for 10:30 p.m.
