The Carolina Hurricanes rolled out their full roster for the first time this preseason and dominated the Panthers in a 4-1 win Friday night at PNC Arena.
It was a good showing for a lot of the guys, but especially strong nights for Teuvo Teravainen, new guys Dmitry Orlov and Michael Bunting and goaltender Frederik Andersen.
Teravainen finished the night with a goal and two points and had a 63.64 CF%.
“He played hard," said coach Rod Brind'Amour about the Finnish winger. "That’s what we need. It’s no secret that he’s a super player for us in every situation so we’ve gotta get him up to his abilities and I thought tonight he was right on.”
Teuvo Teravainen broke the ice early with Carolina on the power play. Dmitry Orlov set it up for the Finnish forward who took the shot through a double screen provided by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Stefan Noesen.
The Hurricanes looked composed and sleek in the offensive zone, displaying quite a bit of chemistry.
“It was a good start," Brind'Amour said. "Second was not good, but that was because we were out of our flow. I think we were in the box about the whole first half of that period. I liked the third. Kind of got going. Overall, it was pretty good because really that was the first game that that group’s been together. Still a lot of things to work on, but fairly happy.”
The second period saw Carolina in a rut due to frequent trips to the box and it allowed Nashville to sustain all the pressure and eventually the Predators broke through, although they needed a bit of luck to get there.
Yakov Trenin turned quickly at the half-wall and just fired the puck towards the net where it hit Jordan Staal's skate in front and directed in past Andersen.
Andersen was a difference maker on the night, stopping 22 of 23 shots.
“That’s the game really," Brind'Amour said. "We had a really good first period and then the penalties and all of a sudden, they had all the action. It’s a different game if one or two of those get by [Andersen]. That’s goaltending. That’s what it does.”
However, the Canes caught a break late in the second period as Seth Jarvis was in the right spot at the right time as a loose puck squirted out to him cruising into the slot and he ripped it top corner on Kevin Lankinen.
The third period started to swing back Carolina's way and soon enough the floodgates opened.
First Martin Necas ripped a shot top corner after a neutral zone breakup by Teravainen sprung Necas and Jesperi Kotkaniemi the other way.
Then soon after, Sebastian Aho collected his own rebound and fed Bunting for an easy bury with a yawning cage.
“We knew that we had to come here and just play hard like it’s a real game," Teravainen said. "That’s the best way to get ready for the next game, so I think we did a pretty good job with that. It’s still preseason, but I think we played hard.”
While Andrei Svechnikov did not dress for a single game this preseason, Brind'Amour isn't too concerned in regards to his availability moving forward.
Now the team can put the preseason in the rearview and prepare for the start of the regular season.
“We’re excited," said captain Jordan Staal. "The group’s ready to go. We’ve been practicing hard, but it’s hard to replicate a game. It’s exciting to get back to games and get the real stuff going.”
One notable is that the Hurricanes are still waiting on the return of Andrei Svechnikov, who did not play at all in the preseason, but Brind'Amour isn't too worried about his status.
"Svech is so close," Brind'Amour said following the pre-game skate. "We're going to test him again Monday and make another evaluation. He's right around the corner."
If Svechnikov isn't ready come opening night, it shouldn't be a long wait to see him back on the ice.
The Hurricanes will open the regular season on Oct. 11 at PNC Arena against the Ottawa Senators.
