Sometimes, you have to get one from your goalie. That was certainly the case for the Carolina Hurricanes Friday night, who was not the better team on the PNC Arena ice but defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-1, largely thanks to 40 saves from Curtis McElhinney, for their fifth win in six games.
Forward Nino Niederreiter scored two goals for the Hurricanes (30-22-6) and is now at eight goals and 12 points in 12 games since joining the team in a trade for forward Victor Rask. Forward Sebastian Aho assisted on both of Niederreiter’s goals to set a new single-season career high in points with 66, and forward Lucas Wallmark also scored against the Oilers (24-28-5).
“I haven’t felt like that all year,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It didn’t feel like we could quite get to what we wanted to do. I give the other team credit; they were playing really well and dictating most of the play. We hung in there and our goaltender was great.”
McElhinney, who has had a stellar season with Carolina since joining the team via waivers late in training camp, put up his best game of the season, stopping 40 of 41 shots and stealing a win for his team. Every time the Canes needed a big stop, McElhinney was there to make it. His .920 save percentage on the season is tied for eighth in the NHL and he continues to answer the call as the games get bigger and bigger.
“It’s great,” McElhinney said. “Obviously I got the opportunity to be in a playoff atmosphere the last couple years in Toronto. I played some critical games down the stretch. I don’t think there’s anything better. For me to be given the reins right now to kind of run with it and play some games, it feels awesome.”
It was a hectic start to this game, as both teams combined for three goals in the first 2:16 of the first period.
The Canes wasted little time jumping in front; forward Aho made a perfect cross-ice feed to Niederreiter, who snapped a shot home from the left circle to make it 1-0 37 seconds in.
“At the end of the day, you want to be the best player you can be,” Niederreiter said. “Sometimes a change helps and sometimes it doesn’t. In my case, it definitely helped a lot.”
The lead was short-lived, however, as Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl finished off a give-and-go with forward Zack Kassian on a two-on-one rush just 55 seconds later.
The wild start continued from there; Wallmark one-timed home a slick feed from forward Teuvo Teravainen to put Carolina up 2-1 just 44 seconds after Draisaitl’s goal.
With the Canes on an early power play shortly after the scoring barrage, it was the Oilers who got the best scoring chances, but McElhinney came up with two shorthanded stops to keep his team in front.
McElhinney again came up big with six minutes and change left in the second period with a point-blank stop on Oilers forward Alex Chiasson, who was left all alone in front of the net.
Following the early scoring burst, the Oilers were the clear better team, but McElhinney kept the Canes in front with big save after big save.
“You need goaltending,” Brind’Amour said. “Especially on nights like tonight where we weren’t at our best. It was one of those games where I feel like we didn’t get to our game at all, which is why goaltending is so important.”
The Aho-Niederreiter connection gave the Canes some insurance with 3:37 to play; Niedrreiter finished off a two-on-one rush for the pair with a double-tap goal to make it 3-1.
“[My linemates] make terrific plays,” Niederreiter said. “On the second goal, it was a great play by [forward Justin Williams] to get the puck out and then a terrific pass by Aho, and I had a chance to bury it.”
The win moves the Canes, who are the hottest team in the league since the calendar flipped to 2019, within one point of both the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot and the Columbus Blue Jackets for third place in the Metropolitan Division. All three teams will be in action Saturday, with the Canes hosting the Dallas Stars.
“I think we’re just getting critical plays at critical times right now,” McElhinney said. “We know what the situation is. It’s going to take a lot for us to get into the playoffs, but the guys have been rolling since before the break and we came out of it pretty hot. It’s just a matter of gas pedal to the floor.”
Right-winger Nino Niederreiter sets up for face off at the game against the Edmonton Oilers at PNC Arena on Feb. 15, 2019. Niederreiter scored two points during the game, the game opening goal and the game winning goal. The Canes beat the Oilers 3-1 at home.
