The Carolina Hurricanes overcame two early deficits in their matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, Oct. 29 in PNC Arena, evening the score up at 1-1 and later putting up five unanswered goals on the Blackhawks to win 6-3.
A chaotic first period set the tone for an action-packed game that included 61 combined shots on goal and 36 combined penalty minutes.
After goalkeeper Frederik Andersen minded the net for the Canes first six games of the season, a 24-hour turnaround between the previous night’s showdown against the Boston Bruins and this victory over the Blackhawks prompted head coach Rod Brind’Amour to give goalkeeper Antti Raanta the start in net, affording Andersen some much deserved rest.
Raanta’s debut in a Hurricanes uniform didn’t get off to a great start, surrendering a pair of first-period goals to give Chicago a 1-0 and then a 2-1 lead. The Finn buckled down thereafter, however, holding the Blackhawks to just one additional goal for the rest of the night, a third-period power play goal by Alex DeBrincat to make it 6-3.
Raanta’s rough start was particularly emotional given that this was his first game after the passing of his father last August.
“It was my first game since my dad passed away this August,” Raanta said. “It’s been a rough couple of months.”
Chicago struggled to convert its opportunities after going up to 2-1, giving the Canes room to swing the momentum in their favor. Center Jordan Staal did just that a little over 13 minutes into the game, pouncing on the rebound of defender Ethan Bear’s long-range shot and evening the score at 2-2.
What was once a 2-1 Blackhawks advantage quickly disappeared as Carolina notched five unanswered goals to take a commanding 6-2 lead by the second intermission. Center Derek Stepan, right wing Jesperi Kotkaniemi, center Sebastian Aho and right wing Andrei Svechnikov all bagged goals to extend the Canes’ lead after Staal’s equalizer.
Having squandered not one but two early leads, Chicago became visibly frustrated with the Hurricanes’ resurgence, making the game increasingly more physical down the stretch. Tempers frequently flared in the second and third periods, but DeAngelo won a third-period fight against Reese Johnson at center ice to assert Carolina’s dominance in the waning minutes.
DeAngelo’s competitive fervor added a little something extra to the affair, keeping his team and the crowd fired up even though the game was essentially over in terms of wins and losses.
“That’s what we thought we were getting,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s a good puck mover, enjoying the rush. He can score, he’s got that competitive edge, that fire that you love.”
The Canes will look to make it eight consecutive wins to start the season when they take on the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday, Oct. 31 in PNC Arena. Puck drop is set for 1 p.m.
