Let's just say you are an NHL franchise just outside of the playoff picture having just lost 3 very important games at home by a combined score of 15-2. Your confidence is reeling and you have suddenly lost any sort of identity as a team. What might be the subscription to cure your ills?
How about back-to-back games against the Islanders and Lightning?
Yeah, that seems to be the ticket.
Having come off a 6-2 pasting of the Islanders on Long Island Thursday night, the Hurricanes followed up with a 4-1 win over the hapless Tampa Bay Lightning Friday night in front of what could have only been a anxious crowd at the RBC Center.
The Canes played a solid game overall, but did have some obvious trouble moving the puck out of their own zone at times. This team seems to pull the string a bit on way too many passes on home ices - cross ice passes to defensemen who apparently aren't even looking at the play, a lot of pucks in skates and turnovers at the blueline. BUt on this night, after some shaky moments that were enough to make this Caniac cringe, the home team was able to put the game away in the third period and continue to climb in the Eastern Conference points race.
Joe Corvo iced the game in the third with two goals 39 seconds apart, to give the Canes a 4-1 lead. Both goals came with the Canes enjoying a 5-on-3 powerplay.
Eric Staal got the scoring started mid way through the first period with his 27th goal of the season. It was Staal's 4th goal in his last 4 games, but his first on home ice since January 29th, which just so happened to be the game winner in a 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay.
The Lightning only managed to generate one shot on goal in the first period. But they did get a tying marker early in the second when Vaclav Prospal found the back of the net to make the score 1-1, and the RBC Center grew tense once again.
But what turned out to be the game winning goal came from former Lightning Jussi Jokinen at 14:30 of the second. The tally was Jokinen's first goal for the Hurricanes after being acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay on Feb 7th. Rod Brind'Amour forced a turnover deep in the Lightning zone and was credited with an assist on the game winning goal, his first point since Jan 27th.
Corvo's two goals in the third then put the game out of reach.
Tampa Bay managed only 13 shots on goal for the entire game, and their star forwards Martin St. Louis and Vinnie Lecavalier were kept off the score sheet entirely.
Sergei Samsonov picked up two assists, giving him 5 helpers in his last two games.
Ray Whitney also scored two assists for the Hurricanes.
Next up is what promises to be a sterner test against the Colorado Avalanche at 3pm on Sunday at the RBC Center. Colorado will come into town on a 3 game winning streak, including a 4-1 victory over the Capitals on Friday night in DC.
-m
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