Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) misses a verify on Carolina Hurricanes proper wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) throughout the first interval of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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The Canes took a 1-Zero lead into the second interval and had their probabilities so as to add to it, solely to have the Lightning tie it. after two.
The Canes had two electricity performs within the first 9 minutes of the interval however couldn’t converti. Later within the interval, Steven Lorentz jumped on a rebound, in search of his first NHL objective, solely to have goalie Curtis McElhinney deny him, stretching for a toe save.
The Lightning then tied on a Mikhail Sergachev objective, his first of the season, for the 1-1 tie. It was comfortable objective for Canes goalie James Reimer, however Reimer quickly made a sprawling save, diving throughout the crease, to cease a shot close to the publish and preserve the rating tied.
First interval: Pesce rating for Canes
Defenseman Brett Pesce’s second objective of the season has given the Canes a 1-Zero lead after the primary interval.
The Canes have been sharper and extra engaged than they’ve been the primary durations of the earlier two video games with the Lightning, outshooting Tampa Bay 13-6 within the interval and outchancing the Lightning.
Pesce’s objective got here of the frenzy, off a pleasant setyup move frrom Jesper Fast, who Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour placed on the highest line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. It was Svechnikov who took a success alongside the boards to get a move to Aho and spring the play. Aho pushed the puck to Fast, who took it from there as Pesce jumped into the frenzy down the precise wing.
Svechnikov practically scored earlier within the first off the frenzy, hitting the far publish with a backhander after a move from Aho.
Tampa Bay had three electricity performs within the first though an Alex Killorn slashing penalty towards Brick McGinn shorted the second. The Lightning carried 20 seconds of power-play time into the second.
Game setup
Regular-season video games with a playoff really feel. That’s the way in which Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour described the Canes’ 4 straight video games towards the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday morning main into the fourth game.
The Canes gained the primary of the 4 on Saturday at PNC Arena as Alex Nedeljkovic picked up his first NHL shutout. Tampa Bay gained the second game 4-2 on Monday, then had Andrei Vasilevskiy come by way of with a shutout Wednesday because the Lightning gained 3-Zero at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
“These are playoff video games,” Brind’Amour mentioned Thursday morning. “You can inform by how tight they’re. You should battle for each inch. So it positively has a playoff really feel for me on the bench in the way it’s being performed and the depth of it.”
The Canes have had poor begins in every of the final two video games, falling behind 2-0 Wednesday within the first interval. The Canes started to get to their game within the late phases of the second interval however Vasilevskiy, the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner, was a wall in internet.
“We’ve talked about it for 3 weeks,” Brind’Amour mentioned of the gradual begins. “Sometimes, you overcook it. And you’ve received to present the opposite crew credit score. They’re a very good crew. We’ve received to play a 60-minute game. The different crew is doing their half to ensure we don’t.”
The Canes blanked the Lightning of their first regular-season assembly on Jan. 28 in Raleigh, getting a shutout from goalie Petr Mrazek.
The lineup
James Reimer would be the beginning goalie for the Canes and Curtis McElhinney is anticipated to be the starter for the Lightning to finish the back-to-back.
McElhinney helped the Canes attain the 2019 playoffs, signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay and gained a Stanley Cup with the Lightning final season within the bubble Stanley Cup playoffs. He has spent a while on the NHL COVID protocol record this season and has performed two video games, going 1-1 with a 3.57 objectives towards common and .844 save proportion.
Brind’Amour shuffled all of the strains within the third interval of Wednesday’s game and the Canes didn’t have a morning skate Thursday at Amalie Arena.
One lineup change may have defenseman Haydn Fleury drawing returned in and Jake Gardiner shall be a scratch.
