It was a stretch of games on the schedule, three in four days, that probably caused Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour to shudder a bit — at St. Louis, at Washington, at Tampa Bay.
That’s the stretch the Hurricanes faced after a four-game homestand, beginning with Saturday’s game against the Blues. That can take a toll on a team, and especially at this point in the season, with the travel and competition against three playoff-bound teams.
“It’s tough,” Brind’Amour said Saturday morning. “It’s a grind and the ‘Groundhog Day’ kind of effect. One thing about our group throughout the year is we haven’t had a real lull with energy or effort.”
The Canes weren’t lacking energy or effort against the Blues, rolling to a 7-2 victory as goalie Antti Raanta turned in a solid 30-save game filled with several super stops and 13 players finished on the scoresheet.
Groundhog Day? Brind’Amour would like to have a two more like it on this trip.
Andrei Svechnikov had a pair of goals for the Canes (43-15-7), the first on a second-period power play. Good timing, too. It was his 22nd birthday.
A short-handed goal by Martin Necas gave the Canes the first goal of the game in the first period, and the Canes pushed the lead to 4-1 after two periods. Seth Jarvis and Brett Pesce scored at even strength before Svechnikov’s power-play goal in the second.
Pavel Buchnevich had pair of goals for the Blues (35-20-9), who have been slumping of late. His second, on a third-period power play, pulled St. Louis within 4-2 and awakened a crowd that had been slumbering.
The Blues pulled goalie Ville Husso with 5:30 left in regulation and the Canes took advantage — Svechnikov and then Nino Niederreiter scored. Defenseman Ian Cole added the seventh goal.
For the Canes it was a game of tight gaps defensively, lots of sticks on a lot of pucks, staying on the move, staying on the forecheck, staying aggressive. The Canes killed off penalties.
The Canes also won the only fight of the game. After forward Derek Stepan was shaken up by a hit from the Blues’ Alexei Toropchenko along the boards, linemate Jesperi Kotkaniemi quickly tossed aside the gloves and threw some haymakers.
Kotkaniemi’s blows, in front of the Carolina bench, got a whoop of support from Pesce on the bench. Kotkaniemi ended up with 17 penalty minutes, just as Pesce did Thursday against the Dallas Stars.
Necas’ third career short-handed goal was the winger at his best, using his speed and puck handling. Necas picked up a loose puck deep in the Canes zone, sped down the left wing and cross-crossed with Jesper Fast in the Blues zone. He wheeled around Buchnevich and got off the shot from the right circle.
It was the second goal in three games for Necas, who has been inconsistent, if not disappointing offensively much of his third full NHL season.
Jarvis’ goal came so quickly that veteran defenseman Colton Parayko and Husso were left stunned. The rookie forward, taking a stretch pass from Aho, went in alone, going backhand to forehand to beat Husso.
Pesce took advantage of the Canes winning a board battle, going unchecked in the slot for his sixth of the season. Svechnikov’s power-play blast, on a one-timer from the right circle, came after some sharping passing between Tony DeAngelo, Teuvo Teravaine and Aho.
Svechnikov’s power-play goal came 1:26 after the Blues pulled within 3-1 on a four-on-four score from Buchnevich off the rush.
