The Carolina Hurricanes’ seven-game run came to an end Sunday night in Calgary, where a late third-period goal from Yegor Sharangovich lifted the Flames to a 3-2 win and handed Carolina its first road loss of the season.
It was the second night of a back-to-back, and the Canes were already dealing with trouble before the puck even dropped. Mark Jankowski was scratched as a game-time decision, which forced Nicolas Deslauriers into the lineup and pushed Jordan Martinook to center the usual Staal line. With Jordan Staal and Taylor Hall already out, the loss of Jankowski left Carolina scrambling, and after the game Rod Brind’Amour made it sound like something worth watching after Jankowski was sent back to Raleigh to have it checked out.
The opening period never really took off offensively, even if both teams had their looks. Carolina controlled the shot count 14-8, but Brandon Bussi and Devin Cooley each handled what came their way. Calgary’s chances were fewer, but they were dangerous enough to make Bussi work for everything.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi finally gave the Canes something to build on in the second period. With Jordan Staal out, Kotkaniemi has been playing steady minutes, mostly on the fourth line, and after scoring on Saturday in Winnipeg he struck again Sunday on a perfect setup from Nicolas Deslauriers. On the replay, Kotkaniemi looked almost more excited about Deslauriers getting the point than about scoring himself.
Carolina then spent several minutes pinning Calgary in late in the period, aided by the long second-period change. They had the Flames buried - everything except the finish.
And that missed chance came back to bite them. On the clear, Calgary chose to press instead of just dumping the puck out and changing, and the next sequence flipped the game.
A shot from the Flames surprised Bussi, who kicked the puck back out rather than smothering it, and Matvei Gridin buried the rebound to tie things up.
Then came the penalty that turned the period on its head. Shortly after the faceoff, Mike Reilly was called for delay of game after a shot went over the glass without touching it. Carolina’s penalty kill couldn’t get the puck out, and only 1:09 after the tying goal, Morgan Frost finished into an open net to put Calgary ahead 2-1.
For a moment, it looked like the Canes were going to carry a lead into the intermission despite controlling much of the game. But with three seconds left, Sebastian Aho won a faceoff in the defensive zone, and Carolina ran a play that left Jalen Chatfield uncovered. Chatfield ripped the shot through, and the Hurricanes escaped the second tied at 2-2.
The third period belonged mostly to Calgary. Bussi kept Carolina alive for most of it, but the Flames outshot the Hurricanes 14-11 in the frame, even with Carolina getting about two minutes of empty-net time late.
The winner came after K’Andre Miller failed to get a puck deep in the offensive zone, then got caught, as Tripp Tracy put it on the broadcast, “puck focused” on the rush back the other way. That left Sharangovich free, and he made the opportunity count.
Carolina still had chances to respond, but Cooley was sharp in his first appearance since giving up seven goals against Colorado on October 8th. His 34 saves tell part of the story, though the Canes also rang three posts.
Bussi finished with 31 saves on 34 shots and gave Carolina enough to at least think about leaving with a point. Instead, the bounces tilted Calgary’s way, and the Flames made the most of them.
The Hurricanes now head to Vancouver for a late start Tuesday night as the State Fair Road Trip continues, before a Thursday matchup in Alberta against Edmonton.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Let A Perfect Weekend Slip Away In Calgary
The Hurricanes final trip to the Scotiabank Saddledome had all the ingredients for a tidy finish to the weekend, but it ended with a 3-2 loss to the Flames instead. Carolina went with Brandon Bussi and Devin Cooley in net, while Mark Jankowski was unavailable because of a lower-body injury, leaving the lineup a little thinner as the team tried to keep its momentum going in Calgary.
Instead, the game turned late in the second period when the Flames struck twice in a short span to seize control, and the pressure only grew from there. Yegor Sharangovich delivered the deciding goal in the third, sending the Hurricanes home with a frustrating finish after a trip that looked for a while like it might produce a perfect weekend. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Injury Problems Just Got Worse With Another Forward Down
Mark Jankowski was scratched from Carolinas game against the Calgary Flames with a lower-body injury, adding another forward to a list the Hurricanes would rather not keep updating. Rod BrindAmour said Jankowski is heading back to Raleigh for further evaluation, a sign the team is moving beyond short-term day-to-day caution and into a closer look at what comes next.
The injury comes at an awkward time for a club already coping with absences up front, including Seth Jarvis, Jordan Staal and Taylor Hall. Those losses have forced Carolina to dip into its AHL depth, and Nicolas Deslauriers stepped in against Calgary as the Hurricanes tried to piece together their lineup for a 3-2 loss. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Forward Depth Suddenly Looks Like A Real Problem
Taylor Hall landing on injured reserve is the latest reminder that Carolinas forward group is suddenly getting stretched thin. The veteran left winger had already been unavailable for a key matchup with Washington, and now his absence adds to a lineup that has been forced to absorb more injury news than anyone around the team would like at this point in the season.
The bigger concern for the Hurricanes is that Hall is not the only name in limbo. Seth Jarvis, Jordan Staal and Mark Jankowski are also dealing with injuries or being evaluated, which leaves Carolina trying to piece together its depth on the fly while waiting for answers on a handful of regulars. [Read more 🡒]