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The Carolina Hurricanes didn't miss a beat in their first game back after the holiday break, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks to extend both their winning streak and point streak.
Antti Raanta was back in net for the Hurricanes, despite Pyotr Kochetkov being the expected starter heading into the evening. We know Kochetkov wasn’t at 100 percent before the break, but we should see him back anytime.
If there was any concern about the Hurricanes not being able to carry their momentum forward after the break, that was quickly put to rest. Martin Necas put the Hurricanes up under four minutes into the game, burying a rebound from a point shot to beat ex-Hurricane Petr Mrazek. Then only five minutes later, Jesper Fast was able to knock in another rebound off a Chicago defender, putting Carolina up by two. The Hurricanes dominated the opening frame, putting a ridiculous 23 shots on goal in the period, and continued to intermission up 2-0.
We didn’t see quite as much offense in the second period, with fewer chances exchanged. The Hurricanes couldn’t get a ton going, being outshot 10-7, but also didn’t give up many quality chances at all. Carolina then came out strong once again in the third period, and only five minutes in, Isaak Phillips ended up directing a dump-in right to the front of his own net and after Mrazek couldn’t hang onto it, Jordan Martinook poked in the loose puck, extending the lead to 3-0. Carolina dominated the frame, outshooting Chicago 19-7, and cruised to the win from there.
This was about as good of a return performance as you could’ve asked for from Carolina. The team came out flying early on and aside from a bit of a slower second frame, the Hurricanes dominated much of the game, outshooting Chicago 49-24 overall.
The third line continues to be dominant, with both Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook scoring in the win. I’ll have an article out tomorrow diving a bit deeper into their success.
While Antti Raanta wasn’t tested a ton, he was good when he needed to be and hopefully this was a game to help him get back on track. Raanta has struggled this year and after being so consistent with Carolina last season, so it’s key that he’s able to string together some positive games. At the same time though, Pyotr Kochetkov returning is the larger priority in net.
Paul Stastny also continues to play up the lineup with Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas, following Sebastian Aho’s return. Jack Drury has also been reassigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
I don’t see Stastny as an ideal second-line center, even for the short-term, but it was clear that Jesperi Kotkaniemi also wasn’t getting the job done. Moving Kotkaniemi down to the fourth line makes sense, but the Hurricanes should at least be exploring second-line center options at the trade deadline.
So the Hurricanes’ winning streak has now reached nine games, with the point streak hitting 15 games. They’ll wrap up their homestand on Friday, when they host the Florida Panthers.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM DECEMBER
Jordan Martinook scores hat trick, Canes down Blues for third straight win
Hurricanes beat Kings for fourth straight win
Hurricanes’ four-game winning streak snapped in overtime loss to Ducks
Hurricanes continue impressive road trip with shutout win over Islanders
Pyotr Kochetkov looks like Hurricanes' long-term solution in net
Hurricanes continue to build momentum following successful road trip
Hurricanes beat Penguins in key Metropolitan clash for fifth straight win
Hurricanes take down Devils for top spot in Metropolitan Division
Stefan Noesen proving to be important piece for Hurricanes
Canes earn another victory over Penguins, extend win streak to seven games
Hurricanes survive Flyers' late surge, enter break on 14-game point streak
Four Hurricanes prospects participating in World Juniors 
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