Hurricanes carry points streak into showdown vs. Senators
The Carolina Hurricanes would be wise to do a better job of protecting leads after a couple of late-in-regulation problems following their historic comeback last week.
The Hurricanes will put an eight-game points streak (6-0-2) on the line against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night in Raleigh, N.C.
In one victory during its streak, Carolina scored three goals in the final 1:29 to beat the Utah Mammoth 5-4 on Thursday. Down 4-2, the Hurricanes became just the third team in NHL history to come back from a two-goal deficit in the final two minutes to win in regulation.
The Senators, meanwhile, will bid for their season-high fifth consecutive victory after scoring twice in the third period Monday night in a 3-2 victory at Pittsburgh. Claude Giroux scored the game-winner with 5:08 remaining in the session.
"It's a big win for us on the road," Giroux said.
More than that, coach Travis Green saw good aspects of the Senators' overall performance.
"We created a lot, probably could have scored a few more," Green said. "I liked that we didn't get away from our game. Just kept playing."
The 31 shots for the team also pleased the coach.
"Good things happen when you go to the net," Green said.
Ottawa's Michael Amadio recorded his first goal since Dec. 11.
"It's good to see it going for him," Senators forward Shane Pinto said. "Hopefully, the floodgates open for him and he starts scoring more."
The good news for the Hurricanes is that they didn't allow a goal until holding leads of 3-0 and 2-0, respectively, of their last two games vs. Washington and Los Angeles. The bad part is that both games ended up in overtime, with Carolina losing the first of those and winning the next.
"We were in a good spot, they got a couple, but I love the way we just kept playing," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said of Sunday's matchup with the Kings. "I thought it was a great game by us."
Carolina won 1:25 into overtime on Sebastian Aho's goal.
"It's a good thing to always shoot the puck, and that was the case on that one, too," Aho said. "It just kind of went off their stick or skate or something that changed the direction, and we were able to sneak that one in."
The Senators, meanwhile, halted Pittsburgh's six-game winning streak on Monday, so they'd be happy to end Carolina's points string.
In Ottawa's winning streak, the Senators have allowed a total of just six goals. In the game before the streak began, host Ottawa fell 4-1 to Carolina on Jan. 24 in the first meeting of the season between the teams.
Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi made 36 saves in that outing, but if he gets the call again, it means he'll play in consecutive games. This will be the Hurricanes' final home game before the Olympic break.
Aho has 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 23 career games vs. Ottawa, but he managed just one shot on goal in last month's meeting and didn't record a point.
The Senators might have a choice to make because goalie Linus Ullmark has been riding a hot hand. Former Carolina netminder James Reimer, who owns a 2-2-1 record, has played in only five games this season -- including last month's loss to Carolina.
Keep an eye on the status of Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot for Tuesday's game after he played nearly 21 minutes Monday. He was considered a game-time decision for that matchup because of upper-body and wrist issues.