Top 10 Carolina Hurricanes Moments of the 2019-20 Season...So Far
I have been a Canes fan since 2006. The first game I ever attended was Game 2 of the opening round of the 2006 NHL Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, or, as I have grown to remember it over the years, Cam Ward's Welcoming Party. During that playoff run, I attended four more games, Games 1 and 2 against the New Jersey Devils and Games 5 and 7 against the Edmonton Oilers in the final. Game 7 of the Edmonton series and watching the team win it all has been burned in my mind and remains the single-greatest sporting memory that I've ever witnessed. 8-year-old me stood the entire game and yelled as loud as I could from the upper deck. That was almost 14 years ago, and the times have changed. In those 14 years, the Canes have only made the playoffs twice, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals each time, and fell into a pit of mediocrity. Despite this, I've continued watching. After making the playoffs for the first time in a decade, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the team. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put an immediate halt to one of the most exciting (and extremely frustrating) playoff races in recent memory, a race that the Canes are firmly in the middle of. They still have 14 games left in the regular season and hold onto the first Wild Card spot, but there have been several amazing moments this season, which is why I am here. There are ten moments that I feel are the most memorable from the first 68 games. They can be games, either individual or certain stretches, plays, or simply just moments that stand out in my mind. This list won't be perfect and is sure to omit some big moments, but this is my opinion, so feel free to disagree.
10. The Carolina Hurricanes Get an Outdoor Game in Raleigh. The rumors had been swirling for a while, but once it was officially announced during the Heritage Classic game in February, it was such a relief. To think that the Canes are getting an outdoor game at home shows how far this franchise has changed in the last few years. Their opponent is unknown and with the Capitals out of the mix, there is a lot of speculation as to who will be on the other bench. I personally want to see it either be Tampa Bay, Florida or Columbus. None of these teams have played outdoors. Tampa is one of the most prolific teams in the league with one of the best goalies. Florida is one of the most underrated teams in the entire league. Columbus, despite their numerous injuries, remains right in the hunt for a playoff spot, which means at full-strength, they can be lethal. Columbus is the only of these teams in the division, but Tampa and Florida are both former-Southeast Division rivals, so there is a connection. I still think Washington makes the most sense given recent history, but as long as it isn't Pittsburgh, I don't care.
9. Hats Off for Aho. I do love me a hat trick and since it's the only one this year, it deserves some recognition. On the night of December 7, Sebastian Aho netted the only Canes hat trick of the season thus far. In a game that the Canes felt every bit in control of, Aho was the benefactor of some brilliant passing from Teuvo Teravainen. We all know how good Turbo is, but on this night, it was on full display. Aho scored at even strength, on the power play, and short-handed with an empty net in a 6-2 win over the Wild. To add to how impressive a game he had, Aho added two assists for a five-point game. The hat trick was the third of his career and his second in the calendar year (1/13/19 against Nashville).
8. The Svech, Part 1. The goal that started it all, this was a goal unlike any I had ever seen before. Andrei Svechnikov, who is in the midst of a spectacular sophomore season, scored a goal that captivated the entire world. It had never happened in the NHL before, but a 19-year-old playing in North Carolina was the first to pull it off on October 29. You could argue this was more impressive than the second for any number of reasons. My best case is the time and score of the game when he pulled it off was crucial. The Canes hadn't gotten anything past Calgary G David Rittich and trailed 1-0 after two periods. About halfway through the 3rd, Svech parked himself behind the net, lifted the puck up, and tucked it in the top corner of the net to tie the game. This goal then led to another Svech goal on the PP and gave the Canes a 2-1 win over the Flames.
7. The Canes Love OT. I like to think of the Canes as a team that loves playing in overtime. The Canes have needed extra time to decide a game 16 times this season, and though this isn't the most in the league, it certainly feels like they're addicted to it. This was especially the case at the beginning of the season. In the first four days of the season, the Canes played three OT/SO games against Montreal, Washington, and Tampa Bay. Best of all they won each of the games and the opponents made it bittersweet. With Montreal giving Aho an offer sheet during the offseason, then talking about how he wanted out of Carolina, beating them at home on opening night in the shootout was satisfying. Then two nights later, in a matchup against the team we knocked out of the playoffs in seven games, Jake Gardiner capped off a comeback by beating Washington G Braden Holtby in OT. The next night, the Canes returned home and beat Curtis McElhinney and last season's Presidents Trophy-winning Lightning in OT. It was an incredible stretch to open the season.
6. Canes-Leafs Cause Christmas Chaos. Not every moment resulted in a Canes win, but this was one of the most entertaining games I've ever watched, it's just a shame we were on the losing side of it. This game truly had everything. The last game before Christmas was an afternoon matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs with James Reimer making his triumphant return to Toronto. Too bad that lasted 5:10 into the first period, with Reimer giving up three goals on the first seven shots, thanks in large part to a Pesce 4-minute high sticking penalty. Once Reimer was pulled, the Canes went on a tear. The Canes scored the next five goals, including three in 1:04 in the second period, and carried a 6-4 lead into the midway point of the third period. Then the wheels fell off. The Leafs scored three goals in 0:59 to take the lead and added an empty-netter to win the game 8-6. I've never experienced a roller coaster of emotions during a Canes game before, but this surely took the cake. On the one hand, I hate they lost, but as a hockey fan, this was a fun one.
5. Down Goes Dougie. This moment is one I still can't believe happened. Dougie Hamilton, in the midst of one of the best seasons by a defenseman in team history, fractured his fibula in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team's All-Star representative went down on an innocent-looking play and it was a moment that had the entire fanbase holding its breath. Personally, I believe if the officials called a penalty that happened mere seconds earlier, the injury doesn't happen, but they missed it and it did. The Canes would go on to lose the game 3-2 to Columbus and Jaccob Slavin was named Hamilton's replacement on the Metropolitan All-Star team. The team has gone 11-7-2 since he went down on January 16.
4. The Svech, Part 2. It seemed impossible that a move that had never been pulled off in the NHL could be done, but for it to be done twice in the same season by the same 19-year-old was unimaginable. Then Andrei Svechnikov did it again. The Svech went international when he beat Winnipeg G Connor Hellebuyck in the same spot as Rittich, this time on the move. The goal broke a 2-2 tie in the second period and spurred a 6-3 win for the Canes. The reason I rank this one higher than the first is that it happened while he was on the move. It didn't come across nearly as calculated as the first, plus it proved that the first one wasn't a fluke. It has started a movement and has since seen been done by Nashville's Filip Forsberg, but we all know who the credit goes to.
3. The Geek(ie) Kicks Down the Door. Call it recency bias, but this was something I hadn't expected. When I saw the team had called up Morgan Geekie, I had no clue why, but it became clear once Ryan Dzingel was scratched for the game against Pittsburgh on March 8. What followed is what I can say with certainty is the best debut in Canes history. Geekie made an immediate impact. He scored on his second shift after winning the face-off and directing a shot-pass from the point past Jarry. Then, after winning another face-off, Slavin blasted a shot past Jarry to tie the game at two with Geekie providing solid net-front presence and picking up an assist. For the final act of his masterpiece of a debut, he won a battle out front and blasted a shot home for his second goal and third point in a 6-2 win over the Penguins in a must-win divisional game. He followed that up with a goal in the team's next outing against the Red Wings before the league let out for the pandemic.
2. Captain Willy Returns. The offseason was littered with uncertainty surrounding whether or not Justin Williams would return to the team. As a UFA, he decided to sit out the beginning of the season, but when news broke he had decided to sign with the Canes mid-season, it felt like things were back the way they needed to be. Questions as to when he would return to the ice were squashed when he laced up on January 19 against the New York Islanders. The game was a fairly mundane affair with the teams taking a 1-1 score into a shootout. In a move we were all hoping to see, Rod Brind'Amour sent out Williams in the 8th round of the shootout. Though I wasn't there in person, I could feel how loud the building was as he skated to center ice. Then the unthinkable happened. Willy gave New York G Thomas Griess no chance to react as he went five-hole on the stand-up goalie to give the Canes the lead in the shootout and sealed it with a save by James Reimer. In the 20 games since his return, Williams has eight goals, 11 points, and three shootout winners. He has been every bit as valuable as we could have hoped down the stretch.
1. EBUG to the Rescue. It must be something about whenever the Canes and Leafs meet up because this year, they have been two of the most amazing games of the year. In all honesty, there is no way this wasn't going to be the best moment of the year so far. In case you aren't aware (or have been living under a rock), this was the game that a 42-year-old emergency back-up goalie (EBUG) beat a professional hockey team in a regular-season game amid a playoff race. The events leading up to it were equally as exciting. James Reimer, looking to redeem himself after not lasting long in the first matchup between the two, left the game 6:10 into the first after Jaccob Slavin was pushed into him, causing an injury. Petr Mrazek came in to relieve him. With a 3-1 lead in the second, Mrazek came out to play a puck far from the crease when he collided with Kyle Clifford that resulted in one of the biggest collisions I've ever seen. I don't blame Clifford for the play and don't think he deserved the penalty that eventually led to the next goal. With both goalies down, the EBUG was rushed into action. The EBUG for this game, 42-year-old David Ayres, was brought in to play in net for the Canes. With the PP they were handed, they scored after Ayres came out and played the puck and Turbo cashed in not too long after to make it 4-1. With the time left in the second period, the Leafs took advantage, scoring twice on the EBUG to make it 4-3 after two periods. The Canes then played the best 20 minutes of defense they have all season in front of Ayres, only allowing seven shots in the third, all stopped by Ayres. The Canes won the game 6-3 and what followed was the most talked about story on the continent. The phenomenon that was David Ayres took the U.S. by storm. Every show had to have Ayres on. It may be one of the most remarkable moments in NHL history. For a team that had been plagued by criticism of how low home attendance was, everyone was talking about the Canes, even if the goalie was technically a part of the Toronto organization.
I hate that hockey has been stopped for the time being but with the state of the ongoing pandemic, I fully understand. I miss sitting down and watching the games, but it has allowed me to revisit some of the best moments in franchise history, not just this season, to get my hockey fix. I'm not sure when hockey will return but rest assured when it does, the Canes will be ready. With talks of the league considering a 24-team playoff, that Canes will be firmly in, regardless of how they decide on the seeding. I imagine they will give the top four teams in each conference, or the top two in each division (either way it's the same four teams), a bye with the other teams playing a one-game playoff. The following round could be a best-of-three or five, then the Eastern Conference Finals would be best-of-five or seven, then a seven-game final. If they do it by points or point percentage, the Canes are the sixth-best team in the Eastern Conference. If the seeding is by point percentage, which I think is the best way to overcome the fact that not every team has played the same number of games, then the Canes would play the 11-seeded New York Rangers, which doesn't bode well in a one-game playoff. I think the 24-team format would be too many teams personally, but I'm not sure how to remedy this. Regardless of how they do it, I expect to see the Canes in the middle of the race. What's even crazier to think about is if this carries on for long enough, the Canes could be completely healthy, minus Brett Pesce of course. If they can get Hamilton, Vatanen, Reimer, and Dzingel healthy, this team is going to be absolutely lethal on the front end and near impossible to beat defensively.
10. The Carolina Hurricanes Get an Outdoor Game in Raleigh. The rumors had been swirling for a while, but once it was officially announced during the Heritage Classic game in February, it was such a relief. To think that the Canes are getting an outdoor game at home shows how far this franchise has changed in the last few years. Their opponent is unknown and with the Capitals out of the mix, there is a lot of speculation as to who will be on the other bench. I personally want to see it either be Tampa Bay, Florida or Columbus. None of these teams have played outdoors. Tampa is one of the most prolific teams in the league with one of the best goalies. Florida is one of the most underrated teams in the entire league. Columbus, despite their numerous injuries, remains right in the hunt for a playoff spot, which means at full-strength, they can be lethal. Columbus is the only of these teams in the division, but Tampa and Florida are both former-Southeast Division rivals, so there is a connection. I still think Washington makes the most sense given recent history, but as long as it isn't Pittsburgh, I don't care.
9. Hats Off for Aho. I do love me a hat trick and since it's the only one this year, it deserves some recognition. On the night of December 7, Sebastian Aho netted the only Canes hat trick of the season thus far. In a game that the Canes felt every bit in control of, Aho was the benefactor of some brilliant passing from Teuvo Teravainen. We all know how good Turbo is, but on this night, it was on full display. Aho scored at even strength, on the power play, and short-handed with an empty net in a 6-2 win over the Wild. To add to how impressive a game he had, Aho added two assists for a five-point game. The hat trick was the third of his career and his second in the calendar year (1/13/19 against Nashville).
8. The Svech, Part 1. The goal that started it all, this was a goal unlike any I had ever seen before. Andrei Svechnikov, who is in the midst of a spectacular sophomore season, scored a goal that captivated the entire world. It had never happened in the NHL before, but a 19-year-old playing in North Carolina was the first to pull it off on October 29. You could argue this was more impressive than the second for any number of reasons. My best case is the time and score of the game when he pulled it off was crucial. The Canes hadn't gotten anything past Calgary G David Rittich and trailed 1-0 after two periods. About halfway through the 3rd, Svech parked himself behind the net, lifted the puck up, and tucked it in the top corner of the net to tie the game. This goal then led to another Svech goal on the PP and gave the Canes a 2-1 win over the Flames.
7. The Canes Love OT. I like to think of the Canes as a team that loves playing in overtime. The Canes have needed extra time to decide a game 16 times this season, and though this isn't the most in the league, it certainly feels like they're addicted to it. This was especially the case at the beginning of the season. In the first four days of the season, the Canes played three OT/SO games against Montreal, Washington, and Tampa Bay. Best of all they won each of the games and the opponents made it bittersweet. With Montreal giving Aho an offer sheet during the offseason, then talking about how he wanted out of Carolina, beating them at home on opening night in the shootout was satisfying. Then two nights later, in a matchup against the team we knocked out of the playoffs in seven games, Jake Gardiner capped off a comeback by beating Washington G Braden Holtby in OT. The next night, the Canes returned home and beat Curtis McElhinney and last season's Presidents Trophy-winning Lightning in OT. It was an incredible stretch to open the season.
6. Canes-Leafs Cause Christmas Chaos. Not every moment resulted in a Canes win, but this was one of the most entertaining games I've ever watched, it's just a shame we were on the losing side of it. This game truly had everything. The last game before Christmas was an afternoon matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs with James Reimer making his triumphant return to Toronto. Too bad that lasted 5:10 into the first period, with Reimer giving up three goals on the first seven shots, thanks in large part to a Pesce 4-minute high sticking penalty. Once Reimer was pulled, the Canes went on a tear. The Canes scored the next five goals, including three in 1:04 in the second period, and carried a 6-4 lead into the midway point of the third period. Then the wheels fell off. The Leafs scored three goals in 0:59 to take the lead and added an empty-netter to win the game 8-6. I've never experienced a roller coaster of emotions during a Canes game before, but this surely took the cake. On the one hand, I hate they lost, but as a hockey fan, this was a fun one.
5. Down Goes Dougie. This moment is one I still can't believe happened. Dougie Hamilton, in the midst of one of the best seasons by a defenseman in team history, fractured his fibula in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team's All-Star representative went down on an innocent-looking play and it was a moment that had the entire fanbase holding its breath. Personally, I believe if the officials called a penalty that happened mere seconds earlier, the injury doesn't happen, but they missed it and it did. The Canes would go on to lose the game 3-2 to Columbus and Jaccob Slavin was named Hamilton's replacement on the Metropolitan All-Star team. The team has gone 11-7-2 since he went down on January 16.
4. The Svech, Part 2. It seemed impossible that a move that had never been pulled off in the NHL could be done, but for it to be done twice in the same season by the same 19-year-old was unimaginable. Then Andrei Svechnikov did it again. The Svech went international when he beat Winnipeg G Connor Hellebuyck in the same spot as Rittich, this time on the move. The goal broke a 2-2 tie in the second period and spurred a 6-3 win for the Canes. The reason I rank this one higher than the first is that it happened while he was on the move. It didn't come across nearly as calculated as the first, plus it proved that the first one wasn't a fluke. It has started a movement and has since seen been done by Nashville's Filip Forsberg, but we all know who the credit goes to.
3. The Geek(ie) Kicks Down the Door. Call it recency bias, but this was something I hadn't expected. When I saw the team had called up Morgan Geekie, I had no clue why, but it became clear once Ryan Dzingel was scratched for the game against Pittsburgh on March 8. What followed is what I can say with certainty is the best debut in Canes history. Geekie made an immediate impact. He scored on his second shift after winning the face-off and directing a shot-pass from the point past Jarry. Then, after winning another face-off, Slavin blasted a shot past Jarry to tie the game at two with Geekie providing solid net-front presence and picking up an assist. For the final act of his masterpiece of a debut, he won a battle out front and blasted a shot home for his second goal and third point in a 6-2 win over the Penguins in a must-win divisional game. He followed that up with a goal in the team's next outing against the Red Wings before the league let out for the pandemic.
2. Captain Willy Returns. The offseason was littered with uncertainty surrounding whether or not Justin Williams would return to the team. As a UFA, he decided to sit out the beginning of the season, but when news broke he had decided to sign with the Canes mid-season, it felt like things were back the way they needed to be. Questions as to when he would return to the ice were squashed when he laced up on January 19 against the New York Islanders. The game was a fairly mundane affair with the teams taking a 1-1 score into a shootout. In a move we were all hoping to see, Rod Brind'Amour sent out Williams in the 8th round of the shootout. Though I wasn't there in person, I could feel how loud the building was as he skated to center ice. Then the unthinkable happened. Willy gave New York G Thomas Griess no chance to react as he went five-hole on the stand-up goalie to give the Canes the lead in the shootout and sealed it with a save by James Reimer. In the 20 games since his return, Williams has eight goals, 11 points, and three shootout winners. He has been every bit as valuable as we could have hoped down the stretch.
1. EBUG to the Rescue. It must be something about whenever the Canes and Leafs meet up because this year, they have been two of the most amazing games of the year. In all honesty, there is no way this wasn't going to be the best moment of the year so far. In case you aren't aware (or have been living under a rock), this was the game that a 42-year-old emergency back-up goalie (EBUG) beat a professional hockey team in a regular-season game amid a playoff race. The events leading up to it were equally as exciting. James Reimer, looking to redeem himself after not lasting long in the first matchup between the two, left the game 6:10 into the first after Jaccob Slavin was pushed into him, causing an injury. Petr Mrazek came in to relieve him. With a 3-1 lead in the second, Mrazek came out to play a puck far from the crease when he collided with Kyle Clifford that resulted in one of the biggest collisions I've ever seen. I don't blame Clifford for the play and don't think he deserved the penalty that eventually led to the next goal. With both goalies down, the EBUG was rushed into action. The EBUG for this game, 42-year-old David Ayres, was brought in to play in net for the Canes. With the PP they were handed, they scored after Ayres came out and played the puck and Turbo cashed in not too long after to make it 4-1. With the time left in the second period, the Leafs took advantage, scoring twice on the EBUG to make it 4-3 after two periods. The Canes then played the best 20 minutes of defense they have all season in front of Ayres, only allowing seven shots in the third, all stopped by Ayres. The Canes won the game 6-3 and what followed was the most talked about story on the continent. The phenomenon that was David Ayres took the U.S. by storm. Every show had to have Ayres on. It may be one of the most remarkable moments in NHL history. For a team that had been plagued by criticism of how low home attendance was, everyone was talking about the Canes, even if the goalie was technically a part of the Toronto organization.
I hate that hockey has been stopped for the time being but with the state of the ongoing pandemic, I fully understand. I miss sitting down and watching the games, but it has allowed me to revisit some of the best moments in franchise history, not just this season, to get my hockey fix. I'm not sure when hockey will return but rest assured when it does, the Canes will be ready. With talks of the league considering a 24-team playoff, that Canes will be firmly in, regardless of how they decide on the seeding. I imagine they will give the top four teams in each conference, or the top two in each division (either way it's the same four teams), a bye with the other teams playing a one-game playoff. The following round could be a best-of-three or five, then the Eastern Conference Finals would be best-of-five or seven, then a seven-game final. If they do it by points or point percentage, the Canes are the sixth-best team in the Eastern Conference. If the seeding is by point percentage, which I think is the best way to overcome the fact that not every team has played the same number of games, then the Canes would play the 11-seeded New York Rangers, which doesn't bode well in a one-game playoff. I think the 24-team format would be too many teams personally, but I'm not sure how to remedy this. Regardless of how they do it, I expect to see the Canes in the middle of the race. What's even crazier to think about is if this carries on for long enough, the Canes could be completely healthy, minus Brett Pesce of course. If they can get Hamilton, Vatanen, Reimer, and Dzingel healthy, this team is going to be absolutely lethal on the front end and near impossible to beat defensively.
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