With NHL history in sight, Hurricanes say their win streak is ‘not really that big a deal’
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said he didn’t know and didn’t want to know.
Asked Friday about the NHL record for most wins to start a season, Staal didn’t care to guess, saying simply, “We’re just going to try to keep winning.”
The Hurricanes are 9-0 and the only team in the NHL without a loss. The NHL record is 10 opening wins, first set by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1993-94, and matched by the Buffalo Sabres in 2006-07.
The Canes can join the Leafs and Sabres with a win Saturday against Florida. But it’s a road game, against a Panthers team that leads the Atlantic Division, won its first eight games and is 9-0-1 — the league’s second-best record — after a 5-4 overtime win Thursday against the Washington Capitals.
Few players had better games against the Panthers last season than Canes center Vincent Trocheck. Traded to the Canes by the Panthers in February 2020, he had six goals and three assists in eight Central Division games against Florida in the 2021 pandemic season.
Now, a piece of NHL history is on the line, and an unbeaten record.
“To get the competitive juices going, this is why you play hockey,” Trocheck said Friday. “To play against a team that’s one of the best in the league and challenge us a little bit is awesome, a lot of fun. It’ll be a fun game.”
The Canes will be missing defenseman Brett Pesce and forward Nino Niederreiter, both out with lower-body injuries. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Friday that Pesce, injured Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks after he crashed into the boards, was “week-to-week.”
Niederreiter was hurt Oct. 29 against Chicago and missed the past two games. Brind’Amour said Niederreiter was “feeling well and doing better” but would miss the road trip and games against Florida and Tampa Bay.
Rookie forward Seth Jarvis has jumped into the lineup to replace Niederreiter and has a goal and assist in his first two NHL games. Defenseman Brendan Smith, obtained in the offseason, will get his first start with the Canes on Saturday -- Smith was paired with Ian Cole in practice Friday as Tony DeAngelo took over Pesce’s spot opposite Brady Skjei.
The 9-0 start is something not discussed in the locker room or among the players, Staal said.
“It is a cliche but it’s really one game at a time and we’re trying to just bank points,” he said. “It’s a good thing obviously but it’s not talked about.”
Brind’Amour, for one, did know the answer for the most-wins question.
“I may have seen this and may be cheating but I thought it was 10,” he said. “Am I right?”
Told he was correct, Brind’Amour said, “Whatever, no one cares, right? At the end of the day that’s not really that big a deal.”
Carolina Hurricanes winning streak
1: Hurricanes 6, NY Islanders 3
PNC Arena, Oct. 14
Opening night for the Canes, with the N.C. State Fair opeing up across the street. It was festive and fun for the sellout crowd as Andrei Svechnov had two goals and an assist and goalie Frederik Andersen won his first start with his new team with 25 saves.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour: “They would probably say they gave up too much and I thought we gave up a little too much. But it was an exciting game.”
2: Hurricanes 3, Nashville Predators 2
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Oct. 16
The Canes’ first road game. Andersen stepped it up with 38 saves and Svechnikov gave the Canes a 2-1 lead with six minutes left in regulation. Teuvo Teravainen’s empty-net goal was the difference when Filip Forsberg scored a late goal for Nashville.
Brind’Amour: “I haven’t seen a lot of games in the three years I’ve been doing this where clearly the goaltender was the reason we won or we needed him to. We didn’t play a very good game in front of him, but he came up huge.”
3: Hurricanes 4, Montreal Canadiens 1
Bell Centre, Montreal, Oct. 21
Habs fans booed Kesperi Kotkaniemi every time the forward touched the puck. All he did was smile and score a goal. Sebastian Aho also scored twice. Kotkaniemi came to the Canes after Montreal did not match an offer sheet by Carolina to the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NHL draft.
Brind’Amour: “I think he expected that kind of reaction. It’s just the way it is. So he answered that the best way he could.”
4: Hurricanes 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 1
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Oct. 23
The Canes won a third road game as Vincent Trocheck scored twice and Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast each added goals. Andersen ran his record to 4-0 with 27 saves in a complete-game team win. The Nationwide Arena cannon was quiet much of the night.
Columbus coach Brad Larsen: “They make you make plays. You have to be on your game against them, you can’t give them anything free. There’s not a lot of holes in that team.”
5: Hurricanes 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
PNC Arena, Oct. 25
This time it was Andersen’s turn to face his former team, but on his new home ice, and he had 24 saves. Svechnikov and Aho each scored again and the game-winning goal came from fourth-line winger Steven Lorentz.
Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe: “Despite the fact we competed at a higher level that was required in the game, it’s still not to the level necessary to be able to compete with a team like that. That’s the hardest game we’ve played this season by a wide margin.”
6: Hurricanes 3, Boston Bruins 0
PNC Arena, Oct. 28
Payback time, at least a little, as the Canes set a franchise record with their 6-0 start to the season. The Bruins dispatched Carolina from the 2019 and 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. Andersen had 33 saves and also registered an assist while the Canes were 5-5 on the penalty kill.
Frederik Andersen: “I’m just happy to be winning. That’s our goal every night and that’s what matters.”
7: Hurricanes 6, Chicago Blackhawks 3
PNC Arena, Oct. 29.
Goalie Antti Raanta made his first start for the Canes but it was defenseman Tony DeAngelo who shook things up. DeAngelo had a goal, assist and a fight with Reese Johnson for the so-called “Gordie Howe hat trick.” The Canes scored four goals in the second period.
Brind’Amour: “It wasn’t a very fun game to coach. It didn’t have any flow, but we had done enough damage to get ahead and kind of just get through it.”
8: Hurricanes 2, Arizona Coyotes 1
PNC Arena, Oct. 31
It was a Halloween matinee as the Canes ended an unbeaten October. Andersen, later named the NHL’s third star of the month, earned his seventh win. Forward Seth Jarvis made his NHL debut and assisted on Brett Pesce’s power-play goal with 2:27 left in regulation that was the winner.
Pesce: “Right now, we’re oozing confidence. We believe we can win every game we’re in. That’s a big factor.”
9: Hurricanes 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3
United Center, Nov. 3
The Canes opened November with a comeback win. With the Canes trailing 3-1 in the second period, Jarvis scored his first NHL goal, beating Marc-Andre Fleury. Jesper Fast tied the score 17 seconds into the third and Martin Necas gave the Canes the lead three minutes later as Andersen won again.
Seth Jarvis: “It’s nice to get one, especially against Marc-Andre Fleury. I grew up watching him and idolizing him, so to get one against him means a little bit more.”
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 3:15 PM with the headline "With NHL history in sight, Hurricanes say their win streak is ‘not really that big a deal’."
