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CAROLINA HURRICANES

NEWS CLIPPINGS • February 16, 2019

McElhinney making the most of a dream delayed, but not deferred

By Luke DeCock

Edmonton Oilers’ Colby Cave (12) and Carolina Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin (74) battle in front of goaltender Curtis McElhinney (35) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Feb. 15, 2019, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker) Associated Press

Raleigh

Setting aside for the moment the one-sided trade that brought Nino Niederreiter and his eight goals in 12 games to town, no contributor to the Carolina Hurricanes’ current run is more unlikely than Curtis McElhinney, who waited 14 years and 11 NHL seasons on seven different teams for this chance.

His time has finally come, the 35-year-old career backup nearing the inevitable end of his career, establishing himself as every bit the option as Petr Mrazek in net in a partnership of equals. And not where he expected to be, either: Caught in a roster crunch in Toronto, McElhinney ended up on waivers at the same time Scott Darling’s injury at the end of the preseason left the Hurricanes searching for help.

Over the next five months, the stopgap option became the first option. McElhinney arrived at the last minute, and now it’s hard to imagine the Hurricanes without him – or where they would be without him.

“He’s been our brick, our wall back there,” Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce said. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him and Mrazek. They’ve both been phenomenal, both of them. They’ve really led the way for us. Carried us even, in some games.”

That’s been true for months now, but sometimes it takes a game like Friday’s 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers, the Hurricanes’ 15th win in the past 21 games, to really drive the point home. There haven’t been many nights this season when the Hurricanes have needed their goalie to flat-out save them on a night where they were just plain flat, but this was one. And at a dangerous time, with no margin for error in the playoff chase and, hey, it’s just Connor McDavid on the other side of the ice.

McElhinney allowed a goal on the first shot he faced – one of three in the first 136 seconds – then stopped the next 40 on

a night where McDavid and Leon Draisatl were dynamic and the Hurricanes … were not.

“It’s been nice to get this opportunity here,” McElhinney said. “You don’t always pick the places you end up going to. You just land somewhere. I’ve done it a few times. The last two times it’s worked out pretty good, in Toronto and now here to get the opportunity to play some games.”

The Hurricanes have somehow held McDavid to one goal and five points in six career meetings, and he was scoreless on Friday but certainly not quiet. Pesce and Justin Faulk drew most of the assignment, and Pesce finished the job with a breakup of a Zack Kassian-to-McDavid two-on-one late that indirectly led to Niederreiter’s empty-netter at the other end.

“A guy like that, he’s going to get chances no matter what you do,” Pesce said. “If you can just limit him to a few, it’s a job well done in my eyes.”

As for jobs well done, it’s hard to look past the trade that brought Niederreiter from the Wild in exchange for the useless Victor Rask, who had one goal in 10 games for Minnesota before he got hurt stepping on a puck. Sounds about right.

But the waiver claim of McElhinney was equally larcenous, and potentially even more critical given Darling’s eventual demotion and the month Mrazek missed to injury. Mrazek’s numbers aren’t quite as good as McElhinney’s, but he’s been every bit as reliable, and it’s actually not hard to imagine where the Hurricanes would be without them: This is the kind of game-in, game-out, first-do-no-harm goaltending the Hurricanes have lacked since Cam Ward was in his prime.

McElhinney’s body is has some hard miles on it and only has so many games left in it, but he’s leaving it all on the ice. There’s no reason to hold anything back now.

“The last couple of years, I’ve been feeling successful, there’s just never been an opportunity to play a whole lot of games,” McElhinney said. “Here, it’s been a good chance for me. It’s been fun. It’s tough to put into words. I guess sometimes, you wait a while for things.”

He always envisioned a role like this. He never envisioned waiting this long for it, or it being this rewarding. And as rewarding as it has been for McElhinney, it has been doubly so for the Hurricanes.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Canes return home, turn back McDavid, Oilers

By Chip Alexander

Raleigh

As the games begin to count down in the NHL season, there will be times when a team’s mental and physical toughness will be tested. Games become a test of wills.

So it was Friday as the Carolina Hurricanes faced off against the Edmonton Oilers at PNC Arena. The Canes won 3-1, getting two goals from Nino Niederreiter and another sparkling game from goalie Curtis McElhinney, who had 40 saves.

The Canes (30-22-6), returning from a 4-1 road trip that was their best since 1998, began the game three points out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference. They’re now 15-5-1 since New Year’s Eve -- the most wins and points in the NHL in that 21-game stretch -- but still chasing the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets, with no room for slippage. “I think everybody knows exactly what kind of position we’re in,” Niederreiter said. “Everybody needs to get points to make the playoffs and I feel like we’re right there. We need a big push to get there and every game matters a lot, so we’ve got to make sure we win the close ones.

“It’s coming down to playoff hockey and who wants it more, and we need to make sure we find ways to battle out games like tonight. It definitely wasn’t our best hockey we’ve played, but we found a way to win and that’s what matters.”

McElhinney was the Canes’ best player much of the game. He allowed an early goal to Leon Draisaitl as the Oilers converted on a two-on-one rush but was calm and steady after it on a night when the Canes were outshot 41-27, when the Oilers’ Connor McDavid again demonstrated why he’s the league’s most explosive player.

“He’s not hard to spot out there,” McElhinney said. “He’s flying 100 miles an hour and you can see him coming from 200 feet away. He’s special, just a combination of skills and speed. He’s a treat to watch.”

The game’s start was blistering, exciting. Niederreiter scored his first just 37 seconds into the game. Less than a minute later, Draisaitl tied the score for the Oilers (24-28-5) with his 34th of the season, but Lucas Wallmark quickly gave the Canes the lead again off a Teuvo Teravainen pass.

After three goals in the first 2:16, both goalies settled in and the game settled down.

McElhinney had to be sharp, especially with McDavid on the move and active. The Oilers’ Mikko Koskinen, a giant in net at 6-7, didn’t face as much work as McElhinney but made

some timely saves before Neiderreiter scored his second at 16:23 of the third, again off a Sebastian Aho assist.

Neiderreiter now has eight goals in 12 games since the Jan. 17 trade from the Minnesota Wild -- four against the Oilers. The transition has been seamless and the Swiss-born winger has fit in well on Aho’s line with captain Justin Williams.

“Nino has been lights-out since he arrived,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

Why so good, so soon?

“At the end of the day you always want to be the best player you can be and sometimes a change helps and sometimes it doesn’t,” Niederreiter said. “In my case it definitely helped a lot.”

McDavid was not much of a factor in the Jan. 20 game in Edmonton, when the Canes won 7-4 and Niederreiter and Wallmark each scored twice. No. 97 was a handful Friday, although the Canes’ defensive pairing of Calvin de Haan and Trevor van Riemsdyk did their best in containing him and held him without a point.

“I think we did a pretty good job, especially the penalty kill,” said McElhinney, who has won his last four starts and eight of his last nine. “We were able to slow him down coming through the neutral zone and across our blue line, which I thought was huge. You try to control him as best you can but he’s still going to create opportunities.”

Things turned chippy late in the second. The Oilers’ Kris Russell flattened Niederreiter with a cross-check behind the Edmonton net, but there was no call. An angry Niederreiter jumped back up and slammed into the Oilers’ Oscar Klefbom along the boards. After all the bodies were separated, Niederreiter was headed to the penalty box for a boarding penalty.

McElhinney and the Canes got the job done on the ensuing penalty kill -- Edmonton was 0-3 on the power play in the game -- although there was another skirmish, this one in front of the Canes’ net. Roughing penalties were called on Carolina’s Jordan Martinook and the Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

McElhinney snuffed out one late chance on that Oilers’ power play, stopping a shot in tight by forward Ty Rattie, who once spent time with the Canes. McElhinney’s sharp play continued in the third as he stopped a point-blank shot by Colby Cave with about 14 minutes left in regulation, then denied McDavid from the slot with 5:25 left.

“We just battled, hung in there and our goaltender was great tonight,” Brind’Amour said.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


McElhinney, Niederreiter lead Hurricanes to 3-1 win over Oilers

Carolina's goaltender had 40 saves and the Swiss forward had his third multigoal game since being acquired

Cory Lavalette

RALEIGH — The opening minutes of the Carolina Hurricanes’ game against the Edmonton Oilers seemed to indicate the 14,340 fans at PNC Arena were in for a track meet.

But after the two teams exchanged three goals in the first 2:16, the rest of the way was a goaltenders’ duel.

Curtis McElhinney bested Mikko Koskinen, stopping 40 shots, and Nino Niederreiter had his third two-goal game since coming to Carolina to give the Hurricanes a 3-1 win and two crucial points in the standings.

“We just battled. We hung in there, and our goaltender was great tonight and that was probably the difference in the game,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

The start was frantic.

First, Niederreiter jumped in the slot and buried a shot past Koskinen (24 saves) to make it 1-0 just 37 seconds in.

Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl answered less than a minute later, tapping in a Zach Kassian pass on a 2-on-1 rush to tie the game at 1:32

But Carolina wasn’t done, and Lucas Wallmark one-timed a Teuvo Teravainen pass from the wing for his seventh goal of the season and a 2-1 lead in a frantic handful of shifts.

After that, PNC Arena Wade Minter traded in his trademark goal calls for the dulcet tones of his penalty announcements. Four penalties were called in the second period, including matching minors on Carolina’s Jordan Martinook and Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins following a post-whistle scrum late in an increasingly chippy the middle frame.

Most of the puck action was in front of McElhinney, who — after allowing the Draisaitl goal on the first shot he faced — made several tough saves in tight to keep Carolina ahead.

“I think we’re just kind of getting critical plays at critical times right now,” McElhinney said of the Hurricanes’ 7-2-1 run in the last 10 games. “Obviously, we know what the situation is, and it’s going to take a lot for us to get in the playoffs. But the

guys have been rolling since before the break, and we came out of it pretty hot. It’s just a matter of gas pedal to the floor.”

That hot streak coincides almost perfectly with Niederreiter’s arrival. The Swiss power forward, acquired straight up from Minnesota for Victor Rask on Jan. 17, has scored nearly as many times (eight) in his 12 games with the Hurricanes as he did in his first 46 games with the Wild (nine).

His latest came with less than four minutes left in the game, when he took a perfectly feathered pass from Sebastian Aho on a 2-on-1 rush and fainted a backhand only to go back to his forehand and ride the puck up Koskinen’s stick and in for the final nail in the coffin.

After taking two penalties in the second period — including a boarding infraction when he drove Oilers defenseman Oskar Klembom head-first into the boards out of frustration after being on the receiving end of a similar hit moments earlier and not getting a call — Niederreiter was glad to be able to finish off the team’s win.

“That happens sometimes in hockey,” Niederreiter said of his hit on Klembof. “At the end of the day, you don’t want to hurt anyone on the ice. It happens sometimes, but I’m glad I had a chance to get it back and put a goal in.”

The win puts Carolina at 30-22-6 for 66 points — one behind Columbus and Pittsburgh, who hold the third-place spot in the Metropolitan Division and final wild-card spot, respectively, in the Eastern Conference.

“I feel like everybody knows exactly what kind of position we’re in,” Niederreiter said. “Everybody needs to get points to make the playoffs, and I feel like we’re right there. We need a big push to get there, and I think every single game matters a lot. So we gotta make sure we win the close wins.”

Notes: The Hurricanes won the faceoff battle 41-28 Friday, something that has happened rarely since Jordan Staal went down with a concussion. Wallmark led the way by winning 14 of 18. … Aho and Justin Williams each had two assists. … While he was a threat all night, Connor McDavid was kept off the scoresheet. He now has one goal and four assists in six career games against the Hurricanes. Carolina is one of only three teams to have held McDavid to less than a point per game average against them thus far in his career. Nashville (nine points in 10 games) and the Islanders (four points in six games) are the others.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Preview: Stars vs. Hurricanes

Canes, Stars to meet twice in the span of a week

by Michael Smith

Winners of five of their last six games, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Dallas Stars in the tail end of a back-to-back at home.

Led by Nino Niederreiter's two goals and Curtis McElhinney's 40 saves, the Hurricanes topped the Edmonton Oilers, 3-1, on Friday night.

Finding a Way

The Hurricanes didn't play their best hockey on Friday night. They weren't even the better team. But, they found a way to get the win.

And that's what matters most.

"Every single game matters a lot, so we've got to make sure we even win the close ones," Niederreiter said. "They had a great push. They have some phenomenal players on their roster, but at the end of the day, we got the win."

"It just didn't feel like we quite could get to what we needed to do. I give them a lot of credit. The other team played really hard. They were kind of dictating more of the play for most of the night," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We just battled and hung in there. Our goaltender was great tonight, and that was probably the difference in the game."

Niederreiter scored the first goal of the game just 37 seconds in. He then scored the last goal of the game with 3:37 to play in regulation. Those goals - his seventh and eighth in 12 games with the Canes - bookended a stellar performance in net from McElhinney, who earned his fourth consecutive win.

"We're just getting critical plays at critical times right now," McElhinney said. "We know what the situation is. It's going to take a lot for us to get in the playoffs, but the guys have been rolling since before the break, and we came out of it pretty hot, so it's just a matter of gas pedal to the floor."

Climbing the Ranks

With 24 games remaining in the regular season, the Hurricanes find themselves a point below the playoff cut line in the Eastern Conference.

It's an ever-changing, oft-sifting target, but if the Hurricanes keep winning, they'll find themselves on the right side of it in the end.

"It's coming down to playoff hockey and who wants it more," Niederreiter said. "We've got to make sure we find a way to

battle out games like tonight. It definitely wasn't our best hockey we've played, but we found a way to win. That's what matters."

"They're hard-working, honest guys who play for each other," Brind'Amour said. "That's special."

The Opposition

Saturday's tilt marks the fifth straight game the Stars have played away from Dallas, a stretch in which they've recorded a 1-2-1 record. After shutting out the Florida Panthers, 3-0, on Tuesday, the Stars were whipped, 6-0, by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. With a 29-23-5 record and 63 points, the Stars occupy the first wild card position in the Western Conference.

AT THE RINK

Last night was fun. Let's do it again, shall we?

The College Colors spotlight is on East Carolina University tonight, and there's still time to take advantage of this special offer, which includes a discounted ticket and a beanie.

WORTH A CLICK

News

Recap:Canes Hang On to Top Oilers

Jordan Staal Searches for Normalcy

Videos

Highlights: CAR 3, EDM 1

Storm Surge: Feb. 15 vs. EDM

Brind'Amour's Postgame Speech: Feb. 15 vs. EDM

Postgame Quotes: Feb. 15 vs. EDM

Gameday Links

Buy Tickets

College Colors: East Carolina

Auction Items

First Goal Contest presented by Kayem

WATCH, LISTEN & STREAM

Watch: FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports app

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes app, Hurricanes.com/Listen

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Recap: Canes Hang On to Top Oilers

Niederreiter scores twice, McElhinney makes 40 saves

by Michael Smith

Backed by Curtis McElhinney in net, the Carolina Hurricanes held on to defeat the Edmonton Oilers, 3-1, on Friday night at PNC Arena.

Nino Niederreiter netted two goals for the second time against Edmonton this season, and McElhinney made 40 saves in his fourth consecutive win.

Here are five takeaways from tonight's game.

One

The Hurricanes were not the better team on the ice tonight. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour even said so.

"We were not the better team," he said.

See?

But the important part is the result, and the Canes found a way to come away with their fifth win in their last six games.

"Every single game matters a lot, so we've got to make sure we even win the close ones," Niederreiter said. "They had a great push. They have some phenomenal players on their roster, but at the end of the day, we got the win."

"It just didn't feel like we quite could get to what we needed to do. I give them a lot of credit. The other team played really hard. They were kind of dictating more of the play for most of the night," Brind'Amour said. "We just battled and hung in there. Our goaltender was great tonight, and that was probably the difference in the game."

Two

McElhinney was indeed great tonight, and his first-star effort stole the Canes two points.

His collection of 40 saves didn't feature any particular showstoppers, but there were plenty of timely stops and the usual batch of cool, calm and collected saves. In the second period, Connor McDavid motored around Brett Pesce, but McElhinney's blocker turned away McDavid's scoring opportunity.

McElhinney was also the Canes' best penalty killer, as he turned away all six shots he saw while his team was a man down. He even tossed in a pair of shorthanded saves on McDavid and Alex Chiasson in the first period.

"You need goaltending in this league. Everybody knows it," Brind'Amour said. "Especially on nights like tonight when we weren't at our best."

For his part, the Canes' 35-year-old netminder relishes the opportunity to play in meaningful games down the stretch of the regular season.

"I don't think there's anything better," McElhinney said. "It feels awesome.

Three

If you were late getting in your seat or late flipping to the game on television, first of all, shame. Second of all, you might have missed 75 percent of the offense in the game.

The first 136 seconds of the game featured three goals, and it felt like we might be in store for another 11-goal, high-scoring affair, as was the case in Edmonton on Jan. 20.

Niederreiter, who scored two goals in his second game with the Canes in Edmonton, opened the scoring just 37 seconds into the game. From behind the net, Justin Williams centered the puck to Sebastian Aho, who one-touched it over to Niederreiter for the finish.

"Nino has been lights out since he arrived," Brind'Amour said. "It's been a big, big boost for our group."

The Oilers answered quickly to even the score with the game just 92 seconds old. On a 2-on-1 rush, Leon Draisaitl executed a give-and-go with Zack Kassian to make it a 1-1 game.

The Hurricanes weren't done, though. Just 44 seconds later, the Canes had numbers up the ice. Skating down the left wing, Micheal Ferland dished to Teuvo Teravainen in the middle, and he found Lucas Wallmark, who banged in a top-shelf one-timer.

Four

After that offensive explosion in the game's opening minutes, the following 3,247 seconds featured exactly zero goals.

While Edmonton pushed and controlled the pace of play, McElhinney was the difference for the Hurricanes until they could stretch their lead to two goals late in the third period.

With the help of Aho, Williams won a board battle high in the defensive zone. Aho then raced down the ice on a 2-on-1 rush with Niederreiter to his left. Aho backhanded a perfect pass through a defending Adam Larsson and the reaching stick of McDavid, and Niederreiter got just enough of his shot to tap it through Mikko Koskinen.

"That's a great play by Willy to get the puck out and a terrific pass by Aho," Niederreiter said. "I had a chance to bury that."

"That was a huge goal at that point in the game," McElhinney said. "We're just getting critical plays at critical times right now."

The goal was Niederreiter's eighth in 12 games with the Hurricanes. Prior to being traded from Minnesota on Jan. 17, Niederreiter had nine goals in 46 games with the Wild.

"You want to be the best player you can be. Sometimes a change helps. Sometimes it doesn't," Niederreiter said. "In my case, it definitely helped a lot."

"I think everybody knew he was a talented player. For whatever reason, sometimes you get stuck in ruts in organizations. It happens to everybody. We've all been through it," Brind'Amour said. "He just needed a little change of scenery, I think, and we've got a good mix with him playing with Seabass and Willy."

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Five

The win improves the Hurricanes to 15-5-1 (31 points) since New Year's Eve, and the team is now within a point of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 24 games remaining.

"It's coming down to playoff hockey and who wants it more," Niederreiter said. "We've got to make sure we find a way to battle out games like tonight. It definitely wasn't our best hockey we've played, but we found a way to win. That's what matters."

"We know what the situation is," McElhinney said. "It's going to take a lot for us to get in the playoffs, but the guys have been rolling since before the break, and we came out of it pretty hot, so it's just a matter of gas pedal to the floor."

Up Next

The Hurricanes host the Dallas Stars in a later-than-usual 8 p.m. faceoff on Saturday.

McElhinney makes 40 saves for Hurricanes, stays perfect against Oilers

Goalie is 7-0-0 vs. Edmonton in NHL career; Niederreiter scores twice for Carolina

by Kurt Dusterberg

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Nino Niederreiter scored two goals to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers at PNC Arena on Friday.

Curtis McElhinney made 40 saves for the Hurricanes (30-22-6), who moved within one point of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference with their seventh win in nine games.

McElhinney improved to 7-0-0 against Edmonton in his NHL career.

"You need goaltending, especially on nights like tonight where we weren't at our best," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "It was one of those games where we didn't get to our game at all."

Leon Draisaitl scored his 10th goal in the past nine games for the Oilers (24-28-5), who have lost three in a row and are 1-7-2 in the past 10. Mikko Koskinen made 24 saves.

"We come and we play the right way, and we're doing the right things," Oilers center Connor McDavid said. "We just can't seem to find a bounce. We're having a lot of shots and creating chances, but that only gets you so far."

Carolina took a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the first period when Sebastian Aho set up Niederreiter in the slot with a touch pass. Aho had two assists to set an NHL career high with 66 points.

Draisaitl tied it 1-1 at 1:32 with his 34th goal of the season on a give-and-go off a 2-on-1 with Zack Kassian.

"We needed to calm it down a bit," Niederreiter said. "We knew we had to get pucks in deep and outwork Edmonton. They had a great push, but at the end of the day we got the win."

Teuvo Teravainen set up Lucas Wallmark for a one-timer in the right circle for a 2-1 Carolina lead at 2:16.

"We're getting down early in games, or we're chasing the game halfway through, and that takes a lot of energy out of you," Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock said. "I think if we got a lead we might be able to be even better."

Niederreiter scored from the slot to make it 3-1 at 16:23 of the third period. He has eight goals in 12 games with the Hurricanes, who acquired him in a trade with the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 17 for center Victor Rask.

"I think everyone knew [Niederreiter] was a talented player," Brind'Amour said. "For whatever reason, sometimes you get stuck in ruts. He just needed a little change of scenery. Obviously we've got a good mix with him playing with [Aho and Justin Williams]."

They said it

"They're usually the team outshooting [opponents] by 10 or 15 shots. It just goes to show that we were a desperate hockey club today, but you don't get the result. That's the unfortunate part." -- Oilers forward Milan Lucic on Edmonton outshooting Carolina 41-27

"Personally, I think we've been in every game and really been the better team a lot of nights. I like our group. I've said it since Day 1, they're hard-working, honest guys. They play for each other, so that's special." -- Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour

Need to know

CAROLINA HURRICANES


McDavid had his eight-game point streak end. … Oilers forward Alex Chiasson had a game-high eight shots. … Brind'Amour became the fastest coach in franchise history to reach 30 wins (58 games), surpassing Peter Laviolette (65 games in 2005-06). … McElhinney is 8-1-0 in his past nine starts. … Carolina has scored in the opening minute of the game six times this season (5-0-1). … Aho has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in his past 15 games. … Teravainen

has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in his past 11 games.

What's next

Oilers: At the New York Islanders (Barclays Center) on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SNW, SNP, MSG+, NHL.TV)

Hurricanes: Host the Dallas Stars on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; FS-CR, FS-SW, NHL.TV)

Hurricanes hit home run with latest victory celebration

Foegele digs in, goes deep off Hamilton in nod to MLB

by Dan O'Leary

Warren Foegele smacks the ball out of the park as the Hurricanes' Storm Surge turns to the diamond after their 3-1 victory against the Oilers

Let's play ball!

With Major League Baseball teams beginning to report for spring training, the Carolina Hurricanes went with an homage to the game in their latest postgame celebration.

It began, as always with the Skol Clap, but then Hurricanes forward Warren Foegele dug in against defenseman Dougie Hamilton.

Stormy, the mascot, was catching. And whatever ptich he called for was hit a long, long way for a walk-off home run.

Foegele then skated around the "bases" and popped off his helmet and was mobbed by his teammates, complete with water bottle shower.

Niederreiter leads Carolina past Edmonton, 3-1

By JOEDY McCREARY

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nino Niederreiter kept scoring goals for his new team. Curtis McElhinney kept up his mastery of the Edmonton Oilers.

They pushed the Carolina Hurricanes closer to playoff position.

Niederreiter scored two goals, McElhinney stopped the final 40 shots he faced, and the Hurricanes beat the Oilers 3-1 on Friday night.

“Every single game matters a lot,” Niederreiter said, “so we’ve got to make sure we even win the close ones.”

Lucas Wallmark also scored and Sebastian Aho had two assists for the Hurricanes, who have won 15 of 21 since Dec. 31 for the best record in the NHL in that span. Carolina, which has not made the postseason in a decade, moved a point behind idle Pittsburgh for the final wild-card playoff spot in the East.

“I think we’re just getting critical plays at critical times right now,” McElhinney said. “We know what the situation is, and it’s going to take a lot for us to get into the playoffs, but the guys have been rolling since before the break, and we came out of it pretty hot. So it’s just a matter of gas pedal to the floor.”

Leon Draisaitl scored his team-leading 34th goal on the Oilers’ first shot, and Mikko Koskinen made 24 saves while losing his sixth straight decision. Edmonton is 1-7-2 in its last 10 and was held to two or fewer goals in six of those games, all regulation losses.

“We’re generating chances. We’re making plays,” captain Connor McDavid said. “We’re just not finding a way to score.”

The well-traveled McElhinney improved to 7-0-0 against Edmonton — his best career record against any opponent.

With the Hurricanes largely unable to dictate play — Edmonton was outshooting them 29-14 after two periods — he single-handedly kept them in this one, with his best saves coming on a point-blank attempt by Colby Cave with about 13 1/2 minutes left and a stop on McDavid with about 5 minutes remaining to keep it a one-goal game.

Niederreiter then gave Carolina a two-goal lead with 3:37 left by taking a feed from Aho and slipping a knuckler past Koskinen. Since he was acquired from Minnesota on Jan. 17, he has eight goals in 12 games after scoring nine in 46 games with the Wild.

“At the end of the day, you want to be the best player you can be, and sometimes a change helps,” Niederreiter said. “Sometimes it doesn’t, and in my case, it definitely helped a lot.”

CAROLINA HURRICANES


It was a successful start to what could be a pivotal stretch for the Hurricanes. They played themselves back into the playoff conversation while polishing off the club’s best five-game road trip since 1998, and of their next seven opponents, six began Friday night’s games behind them in the standings.

Defense was optional early in this one, with the teams combining for three goals in the first 2 minutes, 16 seconds of the game. Goals from Niederreiter and Wallmark sandwiched Draisaitl’s slick goal on a give-and-go, before things tightened up the rest of the way.

“They get the second one, and that’s the way the game goes the rest of the night,” McDavid said. “It’s funny how it works sometimes.”

NOTES: Draisaitl and McDavid have combined to score 65 of the Oilers’ 158 goals. ... Aho, who assisted on both of Neiderreiter’s goals, has a career-high 66 points.... Tempers flared late in the second when Niederreiter, after being hit by Kris Russell, took a run at Oscar Klefbom that sparked a brief melee. Niederreiter received a 2-minute boarding penalty.

UP NEXT

Oilers: Complete a three-game road trip Saturday night by visiting the New York Islanders.

Hurricanes: Wrap up a back-to-back set of home games Saturday night against Dallas.

Hurricanes set a new standard with post-game 'bat flip' celebration

Stan Temming

Whether you’re a fan of the elaborate choreography that goes into the Carolina Hurricanes’ win celebrations or you hate them as much as Brian Burke, we can probably agree that the team’s latest post-game performance was their best yet.

The Hurricanes have made it worthwhile to stick around following wins at home this season with their awesome “Storm Surges” for the crowd to enjoy. While the slow, “viking clap” has been a staple during these spectacles, each ending has been pleasantly different.

Following a convincing 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers at PNC Arena to put themselves within one point of the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference, Hurricanes

forward Warren Foegele was the centre of attention following the clap led by Dougie Hamilton.

With all eyes on him, the 22-year-old’s performance definitely wasn’t a swing and a miss.

Stormy, Carolina’s mascot that was playing catcher, clearly called a bad pitch for Hamilton to throw as that imaginary ball came straight down the pipe.

Foegele got all of it, did a fantastic impression of Jose Bautista’s famous bat flip and touched all the imaginary bases before celebrating his walk-off home run with the rest of his team.

We can only hope that the Hurricanes, who are now 15-5-1 in 2019, can find a way to sneak into the postseason. Who knows what they’d have planned following a victory once the stakes are raised a little higher.

Niederreiter scores twice, sparks controversy in Hurricanes’ win over Oilers

The Swiss winger put together another huge game and ruffled some feather in the process.

By Brett Finger

A wild opening led to a bit of a grind-fest in the Hurricanes’ return to PNC Arena on Friday night, but an unbelievable outing from veteran backstop Curtis McElhinney rose above the chaos and played the primary role in a big win for the Canes over the Edmonton Oilers.

Hopefully, you got to your seats in time for the opening puck drop.

All of 37 seconds into the first period, it was Nino Niederreiter who netted the icebreaker and his seventh in 11 games.

It was yet another highly-cerebral series of plays from Justin Williams and Sebastian Aho that led to the goal. The first line kept chugging along against the Oilers.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Less than a minute later, though, Leon Draisaitl got the road team on the board. Edmonton capitalized with a mental lapse from Justin Faulk and the ensuing two-on-one ended up behind McElhinney.

That’s all they would get, though.

Less than a minutes later (again), the Hurricanes reclaimed their lead. Micheal Ferland carried the puck into the zone, got the puck to Teuvo Teravainen in the slot, and the Finn made a slick move and found Lucas Wallmark, who slammed home his seventh of the year to make it 2-1.

From there, things slowed down dramatically, especially for the Canes’ offense. The Oilers started pushing back in a big way, and a long breakaway for Alex Chiasson could’ve took the wind out of Carolina’s sails, but McElhinney made a huge save and the Canes eventually took their 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Edmonton ran away with the scoring chances in the second period, and a spree of power plays certainly didn’t hurt their cause.

Niederreiter took a pair of penalties - the first one was a bit of a phantom hold on Connor McDavid. The Canes killed it off, but then the fireworks went off when the former Wild took a borderline cross-check and a painful fall into the boards and then decided to retaliate in a way that he should be pretty embarrassed of. He took a clear, retaliatory run at Oscar Klefbom (who wasn’t the player that even hit him in the first place) and got sent to the box for boarding.

A few moments later, overflowing emotions got Jordan Martinook and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in trouble. They went at each other a bit after the whistle and got matching roughing penalties for their rambunctious behavior.

After all of that, though, no goals were scored in the middle frame despite Edmonton having a staggering 17-5 shot

advantage in the second period and 29-14 through 40 minutes.

The Hurricanes showed a bit more pushback in the third period, but the Oilers kept getting grade-a’s. McElhinney just had an absurdly great effort, though. Highlight reel saves galore and a calm and collected presence the entire way. It never felt like he was about to let up the game-tying goal. His play has been one of the biggest revelations in all of hockey, let alone for just the Canes.

A huge goal from Niederreiter late in the third period put everyone at ease and the Canes secured a huge 3-1 win on home ice.

With the win, the Hurricanes are winners of five of their last six games, seven of their last nine, and own an NHL-best 15-4-1 record since New Year’s Eve. McElhinney was the first star and stopped 40 of 41 shots in the win, Aho’s two assists got him to a career-high 66 points on the year (and it’s only game 58...), and Niederreiter kept his unreal scoring tear going.

By and large, the Canes did a great job of containing Connor McDavid. Surprisingly, we saw a lot of Calvin de Haan and Trevor van Riemsdyk on the ice against Edmonton’s generational superstar, and they did an extremely impressive job in the shutdown role.

Carolina is now 30-22-6 (66 points) this season and are, again, just one point out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. A Canes win tomorrow over the Stars coupled by a Penguins loss against the Flames would propel Carolina into the eighth seed.

As important as Friday’s game was, Saturday’s game two of the back-to-back is just as important.

We’ll see if they can put together a winning effort at PNC Arena. Friday was a great start to their big weekend.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Edmonton Oilers: Lineups and Game Discussion

The Canes kick off a homestand with a matchup against McDavid and the Oilers.

By Andy House

The Carolina Hurricanes will welcome Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers for their annual visit to PNC Arena on Friday night. The Canes look to creep closer to a playoff position in the Eastern Conference as they begin a stretch of eight consecutive games against teams behind them in the NHL standings, including five at home.

Carolina Hurricanes (29-22-6) vs. Edmonton Oilers (24-27-5)

Friday, Feb. 15, 2019 - 7:30 PM ET

PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC

TV: Fox Sports Carolinas Radio: 99.9 The Fan

SBN Opponent: The Copper & Blue

The Canes received some good news yesterday as Jordan Staal returned to the practice ice for the first time in 2019, however it is unclear when he will be able to return to the

lineup. For the tilt on Friday (the first of a back-to-back), the Canes will roll out a familiar lineup with Curtis McElhinney remaining in net following his win on Tuesday, with McElhinney sporting a piece of headwear.

The lineup should look like this:

Nino Niederreiter - Sebastian Aho - Justin Williams

Micheal Ferland - Lucas Wallmark - Teuvo Teravainen

Andrei Svechnikov - Jordan Martinook - Brock McGinn

Warren Foegele - Greg McKegg - Saku Maenalanen

Jaccob Slavin - Dougie Hamilton

Brett Pesce - Justin Faulk

Calvin de Haan - Trevor van Riemsdyk

Curtis McElhinney

Petr Mrazek

Expected Scratch: Jordan Staal (IR upper-body)

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The Edmonton Oilers enter PNC Arena still on the outskirts of the Western Conference wildcard picture, despite a record below .500. At 1-6-2 in their last nine games, their hopes appear to be fading as the deadline approaches. But with a roster that contains perhaps the most explosive player in the league in Connor McDavid, they remain a team that cannot be counted out in the watered down Western Conference wildcard race.

Coach Ken Hitchcock talked after the team’s morning skate on Friday and discussed what he sees in the Canes this season, particularly on their blueline and the necessity for the Oilers to get pucks behind the Carolina defense:

The Oilers are expected to come out with the following lines:

Leon Draisaitl - Connor McDavid - Zack Kassian

Jujhar Khaira - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jesse Puljujarvi

Milan Lucic - Brad Malone - Alex Chiasson

Tobias Rieder - Colby Cave - Ty Rattie

Oscar Klefbom - Adam Larsson

Darnell Nurse - Kris Russell

Alex Petrovic - Kevin Gravel

Mikko Koskinen

Cam Talbot

McElhinney, Niederreiter lead Hurricanes over Oilers

Andrew Schnittker

Sometimes, you have to get one from your goalie. That was certainly the case for the Carolina Hurricanes Friday night, who was not the better team on the PNC Arena ice but defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-1, largely thanks to 40 saves from Curtis McElhinney, for their fifth win in six games.

Forward Nino Niederreiter scored two goals for the Hurricanes (30-22-6) and is now at eight goals and 12 points in 12 games since joining the team in a trade for forward Victor Rask. Forward Sebastian Aho assisted on both of Niederreiter’s goals to set a new single-season career high in points with 66, and forward Lucas Wallmark also scored against the Oilers (24-28-5).

“I haven’t felt like that all year,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It didn’t feel like we could quite get to what we wanted to do. I give the other team credit; they were playing really well and dictating most of the play. We hung in there and our goaltender was great.”

McElhinney, who has had a stellar season with Carolina since joining the team via waivers late in training camp, put up his best game of the season, stopping 40 of 41 shots and stealing a win for his team. Every time the Canes needed a big stop, McElhinney was there to make it. His .920 save percentage on the season is tied for eighth in the NHL and he continues to answer the call as the games get bigger and bigger.

“It’s great,” McElhinney said. “Obviously I got the opportunity to be in a playoff atmosphere the last couple years in Toronto. I played some critical games down the stretch. I don’t think there’s anything better. For me to be given the reins right now to kind of run with it and play some games, it feels awesome.”

It was a hectic start to this game, as both teams combined for three goals in the first 2:16 of the first period.

The Canes wasted little time jumping in front; forward Aho made a perfect cross-ice feed to Niederreiter, who snapped a shot home from the left circle to make it 1-0 37 seconds in.

“At the end of the day, you want to be the best player you can be,” Niederreiter said. “Sometimes a change helps and sometimes it doesn’t. In my case, it definitely helped a lot.”

The lead was short-lived, however, as Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl finished off a give-and-go with forward Zack Kassian on a two-on-one rush just 55 seconds later.

The wild start continued from there; Wallmark one-timed home a slick feed from forward Teuvo Teravainen to put Carolina up 2-1 just 44 seconds after Draisaitl’s goal.

With the Canes on an early power play shortly after the scoring barrage, it was the Oilers who got the best scoring chances, but McElhinney came up with two shorthanded stops to keep his team in front.

McElhinney again came up big with six minutes and change left in the second period with a point-blank stop on Oilers forward Alex Chiasson, who was left all alone in front of the net.

Following the early scoring burst, the Oilers were the clear better team, but McElhinney kept the Canes in front with big save after big save.

“You need goaltending,” Brind’Amour said. “Especially on nights like tonight where we weren’t at our best. It was one of those games where I feel like we didn’t get to our game at all, which is why goaltending is so important.”

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The Aho-Niederreiter connection gave the Canes some insurance with 3:37 to play; Niedrreiter finished off a two-on-one rush for the pair with a double-tap goal to make it 3-1.

“[My linemates] make terrific plays,” Niederreiter said. “On the second goal, it was a great play by [forward Justin Williams] to get the puck out and then a terrific pass by Aho, and I had a chance to bury it.”

The win moves the Canes, who are the hottest team in the league since the calendar flipped to 2019, within one point of both the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Eastern Conference’s

final wild-card spot and the Columbus Blue Jackets for third place in the Metropolitan Division. All three teams will be in action Saturday, with the Canes hosting the Dallas Stars.

“I think we’re just getting critical plays at critical times right now,” McElhinney said. “We know what the situation is. It’s going to take a lot for us to get into the playoffs, but the guys have been rolling since before the break and we came out of it pretty hot. It’s just a matter of gas pedal to the floor.”

Hurricanes jump out of gate early, ride out 3-1 win over Oilers

Carolina outshot, but not outscored by Edmonton

Peter Koutroumpis

RALEIGH, N.C. – The game was more or less over in two minutes and 16 seconds.

Goaltender Curtis McElhinney was the first star with his 40-save performance that led the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night.

Forward Nino Niederreiter provided the offense, scoring twice – in the first and third periods – while Lucas Wallmark tallied his seventh goal of the season as the Hurricanes generated 27 shots throughout.

“It’s one of the only games I can remember when we never really got to our game at all,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

“There were spurts, but that’s why goaltending is so important.”

Jumping out early

Carolina got out to a 2-1 lead following the opening puck drop, and that’s all they eventually needed to earn another win, their fifth in their last six games.

Niederreiter scored 37 seconds in.

Leon Draisaitl was the only one who answered for the Oilers at the 1:32 mark.

Wallmark then scored 44 seconds later.

Game over despite Edmonton outshooting Carolina by a 14-shot differential.

Making stops

McElhinney made exceptional saves at even strength and during three Oiler power plays.

At the other end, Edmonton netminder Mikko Koskinen regrouped after his weak start, but didn’t get any more offensive support in the losing cause.

After such an explosive start it became a waning puck battle of attrition.

“Pucks didn’t go in, I think we stopped getting to the net,” Brind’Amour pointed out while trying to explain the sudden halt of explosive scoring from both sides.

“We didn’t get a shot until after the 11-minute mark on into the second (period). Now we were in the penalty box. That, to me, was also a big part of the game. Some good kills. We got fortunate with some good saves. That was probably the difference in the game.”

Keeping ‘him’ in check

Keeping the NHL’s third-leading scorer, Connor McDavid, off the score sheet was a key factor not to be overlooked.

Logging just over 25 minutes of playing time, McDavid couldn’t get any of his four shot attempts past McElhinney.

“They brought a lot of speed there in the first period,” the goalkeeper said following his fourth consecutive win in as many starts.

“It was a little overwhelming for the first little bit, but as the game wore on, we started to do a better job mitigating that.”

Stormin’, surgin’

With a baseball-themed Storm Surge celebration, the Hurricanes faithful comprising the majority of the 14,340 in attendance witnessed another win for their team.

It was number 30 on the season, a bench mark that made Brind’Amour the fastest head coach in franchise history to reach it.

The Hurricanes currently sit at 30-22-6 overall and pushed closer to a wildcard playoff spot, sitting one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I think everyone knows what kind of position we’re in,” Niederreiter said.

“Everybody needs to get points and make the playoffs. We’re right there and we need a big push to get there. Every game matters a lot, so we gotta make sure we win the close ones.”

“I think we’re getting critical plays at critical times right now,” McElhinney added.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


“Obviously we know what the situation is, and its gonna take a lot for us to get into the playoffs. But the guys have been

rollin’ since before the (All-Star) break, and we came out of it pretty hot, so it’s just a matter of gas pedal to the floor.”

Ferland Fatigue Fading Among Hurricanes Fans

By Mark Shiver

The Carolina Hurricanes have been in the media spotlight for some time. The focus for a while had been on the trade of Micheal Ferland. The assumption and speculation were rampant, with each new day bringing with it the expectation of an announcement that he has been shipped out.

A Hurricanes fan texted me a while back and said, “I have Ferland fatigue.” I understood exactly what he meant: “Enough already. Either trade him or sign him, but please stop talking about the impending trade that is not materializing.”

But lately, the “any day now” talk about trading him has cooled a bit in the past few days, and Ferland fatigue is fading.

The Ferland Chronicles

Of course one had to have been totally devoid of any hockey news to know that the past few months have been a lot about Ferland for the Hurricanes. Part of the big trade in the offseason with the Calgary Flames, Ferland came to the ‘Canes in the shadow of defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Ferland was essentially a nice piece of the overall trade puzzle, but not by any means the marquis name.

That has changed. He has risen through the ranks of Hurricanes player popularity like a rocket. He is well-loved by the fans and is making a real difference. The success the team has had – especially during times that were particularly difficult this season – can largely be attributed to his tough, physical style of play and his determined attitude.

Ferland has 15 goals and 16 assists so far this season. He is fourth on the team in points behind Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and team captain Justin Williams.

Ferland Talk

In late January, the talk of moving Ferland reached a crescendo. Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell addressed the situation with WTVD television in Raleigh.

Waddell said the team definitely wants to sign Ferland but has to do what makes sense for the team financially based on where they are in the development process. The word was that he and his agent were seeking a significant amount in a new deal.

Brett Finger at Canes Country wrote a piece a few weeks ago that detailed the upcoming salaries that the team is

projected to sign and the resulting cap space they would have to deal with and asked, “Are the Hurricanes really going to commit upwards of $6 million annually to Micheal Ferland (some reports suggest he wants even more than that) over a long term deal? Will they feel comfortable spending half of their cap space for next season on him?”

Since the team has already signed Teravainen and traded for Nino Niederreiter, accounting for nearly $11 million per season in salary, the ceiling for huge deals is not very high. After all, if anyone on the team is going to get a whopper of a deal it will be Aho. This leaves Ferland looking like he will have to go elsewhere to get paid what he thinks he is worth.

Ferland Fatigue Dies Down

Since Austin Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs signed his huge deal on Feb. 5 – five years for $58.17 million, it seems that the rabid talk that Ferland was about to be traded has died down. It may be as Greg Wyshynski wrote at ESPN.com that there is a ripple effect that will naturally come from Matthews’ deal. Could it be that Ferland’s group has had to regroup a bit, knowing that they are not going to get anywhere near that kind of money? Is it possible that they are looking now at staying with the Hurricanes?

There are those in the hockey media who do not think so and are convinced that Ferland is gone from the Hurricanes.

This week, Scott Burnside wrote on The Athletic, “How about this? GM Don Waddell gets a package that includes a first-round pick for Micheal Ferland and then turns that into a top-six scoring forward (like Mark Stone or Matt Duchene or Mats Zuccarello) and the team makes the playoffs for the first time since 2009. OK, probably not going to happen, at least the addition part, although Ferland is clearly on the way out, and Waddell needs to get a good return given how well the players he sent to Calgary in that deal are performing.” (From “NHL Trade Deadline: What to expect from all 31 teams” – Scott Burnside” – The Athletic – 2/13/19).

The assumption continues that Ferland is out the door. An assumption that fans have grown tired of hearing. I still hope that the Hurricanes can come to terms with him. It can be argued that he is a huge part why they are within legitimate striking distance of the playoffs. They have had great success of late, and are fighting for a spot. If there is any way to keep him in a Hurricanes sweater, the team would be well-served to make it happen.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Checkers Stomp Springfield 4-1

Written by Kate Swartwout The first period proved to be a high-energy frame with several strong offensive chances for the Checkers, including one by defenseman Haydn Fleury as he broke up a zone entry attempt by Springfield’s power-play unit and sprung himself on a shorthanded breakaway that was deftly handled by Thunderbird goaltender Samuel Montembeault. Shortly after, a beautiful passing sequence between the top line of Aleksi Saarela, Martin Necas and Andrew Poturalski hit off the post and appeared to cross the goal line, but after a video review it was determined to be a no-goal.

With just over 10 minutes remaining in the first period the Checkers broke through with a power-play goal by Nick Schilkey to take a 1-0 lead and give the forward his tenth tally of the season. Charlotte goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic continued to stand tall, saving all seven shots he faced to maintain the clean sheet going into the second period. The Checkers continued their offensive momentum with back-to-back goals in the middle frame. Zach Nastasiuk fired a bullet into the top corner on a late-developing 2-on-1 chance for his third goal of the season, and then just 41 seconds later Julien Gauthier used his big, net-front presence to bury a rebound following a no-look pass from Schilkey in the slot. The third period provided a fitting end to a competitive division rivalry with a heavyweight fight between Dan Renouf

and Thunderbirds’ forward Bobby Farnham. With less than three minutes remaining in the game Dryden Hunt tapped in Springfield’s only goal after a save by Nedeljkovic and a fortunate bounce off the post. To provide the proverbial dagger, though, Steven Lorentz buried an empty-netter to lift the Checkers to a 4-1 win.

NOTES

Tonight snapped a three-game winless streak for the Checkers, tied for their longest of the season … Tonight was the second time the Checkers have scored at least three goals in their seven games … With a goal and an assist Nick Schilkey now has five points (3g, 2a) in two games this season against Springfield … Tonight was Patrick Brown’s fifth multi-point game of the season and his first multi-assist game … Alex Nedeljkovic extended his AHL wins lead and has now allowed two or fewer goals in each of his last six starts … Dan Renouf dropped the gloves with Bobby Farnham for his seventh fighting major of the year and now ranks third in the AHL in both penalty minutes and major penalties … The Checkers have now won five straight three-in-three games … Spencer Smallman missed the game due to injury … Zack Stortini, Dennis Robertson and Bobby Sanguinetti were healthy extras

UP NEXT

The Checkers will be back in action tomorrow in Providence to take on the third-place Bruins.

TODAY’S LINKS https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article226370830.html

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article226363625.html http://nsjonline.com/article/2019/02/mcelhinney-niederreiter-lead-hurricanes-to-3-1-win-over-oilers/

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/gameday-preview-dallas-stars-carolina-hurricanes/c-304866124 https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-canes-hang-on-to-top-oilers/c-304866120

https://www.nhl.com/news/edmonton-oilers-carolina-hurricanes-game-recap/c-304870966 https://www.nhl.com/news/hurricanes-hit-home-run-with-latest-victory-celebration/c-304880918

https://apnews.com/89a2f85d2f4843ada425a7d475dc5aab https://sports.yahoo.com/hurricanes-set-new-standard-post-game-bat-flip-celebration-043623475.html

https://www.canescountry.com/2019/2/15/18226991/nino-niederreiter-scores-twice-sparks-controversy-carolina-hurricanes-win-edmonton-oilers-aho http://www.technicianonline.com/sports/article_511e4074-31a1-11e9-8fad-03250997bb26.html

http://trianglesportsnet.com/carolina-hockey-network/hurricanes-jump-out-of-gate-early-ride-out-3-1-win-over-oilers/ https://thehockeywriters.com/carolina-hurricanes-ferland-contract-deadline/

http://gocheckers.com/game-recaps/checkers-stomp-springfield-4-1

CAROLINA HURRICANES


1131000 Carolina Hurricanes

McElhinney making the most of a dream delayed, but not deferred

BY LUKE DECOCK FEBRUARY 15, 2019 11:27 PM

RALEIGH-Setting aside for the moment the one-sided trade that brought Nino Niederreiter and his eight goals in 12 games to town, no contributor to the Carolina Hurricanes’ current run is more unlikely than Curtis McElhinney, who waited 14 years and 11 NHL seasons on seven different teams for this chance.

His time has finally come, the 35-year-old career backup nearing the inevitable end of his career, establishing himself as every bit the option as Petr Mrazek in net in a partnership of equals. And not where he expected to be, either: Caught in a roster crunch in Toronto, McElhinney ended up on waivers at the same time Scott Darling’s injury at the end of the preseason left the Hurricanes searching for help.

Over the next five months, the stopgap option became the first option. McElhinney arrived at the last minute, and now it’s hard to imagine the Hurricanes without him – or where they would be without him.

“He’s been our brick, our wall back there,” Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce said. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him and Mrazek. They’ve both been phenomenal, both of them. They’ve really led the way for us. Carried us even, in some games.”

That’s been true for months now, but sometimes it takes a game like Friday’s 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers, the Hurricanes’ 15th win in the past 21 games, to really drive the point home. There haven’t been many nights this season when the Hurricanes have needed their goalie to flat-out save them on a night where they were just plain flat, but this was one. And at a dangerous time, with no margin for error in the playoff chase and, hey, it’s just Connor McDavid on the other side of the ice.

McElhinney allowed a goal on the first shot he faced – one of three in the first 136 seconds – then stopped the next 40 on a night where McDavid and Leon Draisatl were dynamic and the Hurricanes … were not.

“It’s been nice to get this opportunity here,” McElhinney said. “You don’t always pick the places you end up going to. You just land somewhere. I’ve done it a few times. The last two times it’s worked out pretty good, in Toronto and now here to get the opportunity to play some games.”

The Hurricanes have somehow held McDavid to one goal and five points in six career meetings, and he was scoreless on Friday but certainly not quiet. Pesce and Justin Faulk drew most of the assignment, and Pesce finished the job with a breakup of a Zack Kassian-to-McDavid two-on-one late that indirectly led to Niederreiter’s empty-netter at the other end.

“A guy like that, he’s going to get chances no matter what you do,” Pesce said. “If you can just limit him to a few, it’s a job well done in my eyes.”

As for jobs well done, it’s hard to look past the trade that brought Niederreiter from the Wild in exchange for the useless Victor Rask, who had one goal in 10 games for Minnesota before he got hurt stepping on a puck. Sounds about right.

But the waiver claim of McElhinney was equally larcenous, and potentially even more critical given Darling’s eventual demotion and the month Mrazek missed to injury. Mrazek’s numbers aren’t quite as good as McElhinney’s, but he’s been every bit as reliable, and it’s actually not hard to imagine where the Hurricanes would be without them: This is the kind of game-in, game-out, first-do-no-harm goaltending the Hurricanes have lacked since Cam Ward was in his prime.

McElhinney’s body is has some hard miles on it and only has so many games left in it, but he’s leaving it all on the ice. There’s no reason to hold anything back now.

“The last couple of years, I’ve been feeling successful, there’s just never been an opportunity to play a whole lot of games,” McElhinney said. “Here, it’s been a good chance for me. It’s been fun. It’s tough to put into words. I guess sometimes, you wait a while for things.”

He always envisioned a role like this. He never envisioned waiting this long for it, or it being this rewarding. And as rewarding as it has been for McElhinney, it has been doubly so for the Hurricanes.

News Observer LOADED: 02.16.2019


Canes return home, turn back McDavid, Oilers

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

RALEIGH- As the games begin to count down in the NHL season, there will be times when a team’s mental and physical toughness will be tested. Games become a test of wills.

So it was Friday as the Carolina Hurricanes faced off against the Edmonton Oilers at PNC Arena. The Canes won 3-1, getting two goals from Nino Niederreiter and another sparkling game from goalie Curtis McElhinney, who had 40 saves.

The Canes (30-22-6), returning from a 4-1 road trip that was their best since 1998, began the game three points out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference. They’re now 15-5-1 since New Year’s Eve -- the most wins and points in the NHL in that 21-game stretch -- but still chasing the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets, with no room for slippage.

“I think everybody knows exactly what kind of position we’re in,” Niederreiter said. “Everybody needs to get points to make the playoffs and I feel like we’re right there. We need a big push to get

CAROLINA HURRICANES


there and every game matters a lot, so we’ve got to make sure we win the close ones.

“It’s coming down to playoff hockey and who wants it more, and we need to make sure we find ways to battle out games like tonight. It definitely wasn’t our best hockey we’ve played, but we found a way to win and that’s what matters.”

McElhinney was the Canes’ best player much of the game. He allowed an early goal to Leon Draisaitl as the Oilers converted on a two-on-one rush but was calm and steady after it on a night when the Canes were outshot 41-27, when the Oilers’ Connor McDavid again demonstrated why he’s the league’s most explosive player.

“He’s not hard to spot out there,” McElhinney said. “He’s flying 100 miles an hour and you can see him coming from 200 feet away. He’s special, just a combination of skills and speed. He’s a treat to watch.”

The game’s start was blistering, exciting. Niederreiter scored his first just 37 seconds into the game. Less than a minute later, Draisaitl tied the score for the Oilers (24-28-5) with his 34th of the season, but Lucas Wallmark quickly gave the Canes the lead again off a Teuvo Teravainen pass.

After three goals in the first 2:16, both goalies settled in and the game settled down.

McElhinney had to be sharp, especially with McDavid on the move and active. The Oilers’ Mikko Koskinen, a giant in net at 6-7, didn’t face as much work as McElhinney but made some timely saves before Neiderreiter scored his second at 16:23 of the third, again off a Sebastian Aho assist.

Neiderreiter now has eight goals in 12 games since the Jan. 17 trade from the Minnesota Wild -- four against the Oilers. The transition has been seamless and the Swiss-born winger has fit in well on Aho’s line with captain Justin Williams.

“Nino has been lights-out since he arrived,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

Why so good, so soon?

“At the end of the day you always want to be the best player you can be and sometimes a change helps and sometimes it doesn’t,” Niederreiter said. “In my case it definitely helped a lot.”

McDavid was not much of a factor in the Jan. 20 game in Edmonton, when the Canes won 7-4 and Niederreiter and Wallmark each scored twice. No. 97 was a handful Friday, although the Canes’ defensive pairing of Calvin de Haan and Trevor van Riemsdyk did their best in containing him and held him without a point.

“I think we did a pretty good job, especially the penalty kill,” said McElhinney, who has won his last four starts and eight of his last nine. “We were able to slow him down coming through the neutral zone and across our blue line, which I thought was huge. You try to control him as best you can but he’s still going to create opportunities.”

Things turned chippy late in the second. The Oilers’ Kris Russell flattened Niederreiter with a cross-check behind the Edmonton net, but there was no call. An angry Niederreiter jumped back up and slammed into the Oilers’ Oscar Klefbom along the boards. After all the bodies were separated, Niederreiter was headed to the penalty box for a boarding penalty.

McElhinney and the Canes got the job done on the ensuing penalty kill -- Edmonton was 0-3 on the power play in the game -- although there was another skirmish, this one in front of the Canes’ net. Roughing penalties were called on Carolina’s Jordan Martinook and the Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

McElhinney snuffed out one late chance on that Oilers’ power play, stopping a shot in tight by forward Ty Rattie, who once spent time

with the Canes. McElhinney’s sharp play continued in the third as he stopped a point-blank shot by Colby Cave with about 14 minutes left in regulation, then denied McDavid from the slot with 5:25 left.

“We just battled, hung in there and our goaltender was great tonight,” Brind’Amour said.

News Observer LOADED: 02.16.2019


Ferland Fatigue Fading Among Hurricanes Fans

By Mark Shiver February 15th, 2019

The Carolina Hurricanes have been in the media spotlight for some time. The focus for a while had been on the trade of Micheal Ferland. The assumption and speculation were rampant, with each new day bringing with it the expectation of an announcement that he has been shipped out.

A Hurricanes fan texted me a while back and said, “I have Ferland fatigue.” I understood exactly what he meant: “Enough already. Either trade him or sign him, but please stop talking about the impending trade that is not materializing.”

Micheal Ferland Carolina Hurricanes

But lately, the “any day now” talk about trading him has cooled a bit in the past few days, and Ferland fatigue is fading.

The Ferland Chronicles

Of course one had to have been totally devoid of any hockey news to know that the past few months have been a lot about Ferland for the Hurricanes. Part of the big trade in the offseason with the Calgary Flames, Ferland came to the ‘Canes in the shadow of defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Ferland was essentially a nice piece of the overall trade puzzle, but not by any means the marquis name.

That has changed. He has risen through the ranks of Hurricanes player popularity like a rocket. He is well-loved by the fans and is making a real difference. The success the team has had – especially during times that were particularly difficult this season – can largely be attributed to his tough, physical style of play and his determined attitude.

Ferland has 15 goals and 16 assists so far this season. He is fourth on the team in points behind Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and team captain Justin Williams.

Ferland Talk

In late January, the talk of moving Ferland reached a crescendo. Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell addressed the situation with WTVD television in Raleigh.

With the #NHL trade deadline just over a month away @NHLCanes fans are clinging to hope that Micheal Ferland will stay. Hear what Don Waddell had to say about @ferdaddy27 #ABC11 @ABC11_WTVD pic.twitter.com/a4ygchKnzE

— Bridget Condon (@BridgetABC11) January 17, 2019

Waddell said the team definitely wants to sign Ferland but has to do what makes sense for the team financially based on where they are in the development process. The word was that he and his agent were seeking a significant amount in a new deal.

Brett Finger at Canes Country wrote a piece a few weeks ago that detailed the upcoming salaries that the team is projected to sign and

CAROLINA HURRICANES


the resulting cap space they would have to deal with and asked, “Are the Hurricanes really going to commit upwards of $6 million annually to Micheal Ferland (some reports suggest he wants even more than that) over a long term deal? Will they feel comfortable spending half of their cap space for next season on him?”

Since the team has already signed Teravainen and traded for Nino Niederreiter, accounting for nearly $11 million per season in salary, the ceiling for huge deals is not very high. After all, if anyone on the team is going to get a whopper of a deal it will be Aho. This leaves Ferland looking like he will have to go elsewhere to get paid what he thinks he is worth.

Ferland Fatigue Dies Down

Since Austin Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs signed his huge deal on Feb. 5 – five years for $58.17 million, it seems that the rabid talk that Ferland was about to be traded has died down. It may be as Greg Wyshynski wrote at ESPN.com that there is a ripple effect that will naturally come from Matthews’ deal. Could it be that Ferland’s group has had to regroup a bit, knowing that they are not going to get anywhere near that kind of money? Is it possible that they are looking now at staying with the Hurricanes?

How likely is it the #Canes make the playoffs? What to make of the Micheal Ferland contract situation? Kicking a puck? And how's Ridge Rock?

All of this and more in this week's edition of #Tweetmail.

�https://t.co/wk9j5KZbuf

— Michael Smith (@MSmithCanes) February 13, 2019

There are those in the hockey media who do not think so and are convinced that Ferland is gone from the Hurricanes.

This week, Scott Burnside wrote on The Athletic, “How about this? GM Don Waddell gets a package that includes a first-round pick for Micheal Ferland and then turns that into a top-six scoring forward (like Mark Stone or Matt Duchene or Mats Zuccarello) and the team makes the playoffs for the first time since 2009. OK, probably not going to happen, at least the addition part, although Ferland is clearly on the way out, and Waddell needs to get a good return given how well the players he sent to Calgary in that deal are performing.” (From “NHL Trade Deadline: What to expect from all 31 teams” – Scott Burnside” – The Athletic – 2/13/19).

The assumption continues that Ferland is out the door. An assumption that fans have grown tired of hearing. I still hope that the Hurricanes can come to terms with him. It can be argued that he is a huge part why they are within legitimate striking distance of the playoffs. They have had great success of late, and are fighting for a spot. If there is any way to keep him in a Hurricanes sweater, the team would be well-served to make it happen.

The Hockey Writers LOADED: 02.16.2019

1131070 NHL

Cardboard come to life: Tracking down the colorful stories of hockey players long-forgotten

Geoff Baker

A hockey-card collection quickly becomes a cherished family you can’t speak to; faces frozen in time and memory as they stare wordlessly back from childhood through middle age.

Delving back into my 40-plus years collection after Seattle was awarded an NHL franchise, the familiar names and faces again jumped out and begged the question of who these men were. Not

Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr or Gordie Howe, whose stories are known. More the obscure journeymen, who, through collecting their cards, became as familiar as those superstars.

It was time to seek out their stories.

My search, for time purposes and regardless of outcome, was limited to four cards culled from hundreds. They best depicted long-forgotten players I knew nothing about, yet are as instantly recognizable to me now as when first viewing them decades ago.

1954-55 Parkhurst card of New York Rangers center Nick Mickoski (Courtesy of Geoff Baker)

One was the collection’s oldest: a Parkhurst card from 1954-55 of New York Rangers center Nick Mickoski. Also, a 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee (OPC) card of California Golden Seals defenseman Dick Mattiussi, whose smile always seemed somewhat fatherly. There’s a 1973-74 OPC of Kansas City Scouts winger Doug Horbul, his flowing locks, receding hairline and purple uniform standing out.

Finally, a 1977-78 OPC of forward Mike Lampman of the Washington Capitals, whose mustached headshot still resonates. But it was the back of Lampman’s card that launched our conversation: showing his 30 games with the minor league Seattle Totems in 1973-74.

“I loved playing there,’’ Lampman, 67, said from Hawaii, where he’s now a bank loans officer. “The city was great, and the fans were really into hockey. I can’t wait to see how they do with the NHL.’’

Lampman lived downtown and rode the monorail to what’s now KeyArena before the Totems’ parent Vancouver Canucks traded him to D.C. His brother later moved here and lives in Kirkland, so Lampman still visits.

He’d followed a girlfriend to Hawaii after his 92-game career ended Dec. 3, 1976, while playing for the Capitals against Philadelphia.

A 1977-78 OPC card of Washington Capitals forward Mike Lampman, formerly of the Seattle Totems. (Courtesy of Geoff Baker)

“Icing rules were different then and we were racing after the puck to try to touch it and (Andre) Moose Dupont sent me flying into the boards,’’ Lampman said. “My neck was very sore. I knew it was bad. It’s funny, but the way the game was back then, the team doctor was going to clear me to play against Boston two nights later. But my chiropractor said ‘No way!’ until he had a look.’’

The diagnosis: A career-ending broken neck.

Lampman was only 26. But the injury would heal, and he’d earned his economics degree playing for the University of Denver.

“It was hard,’’ he said. “But I’ve made my peace with it. I was fortunate and wound up doing OK for myself.’’

Lampman cherishes his NHL tenure, including two final Capitals seasons under coach and current Camas, Wash., resident Tom McVie — “Please say hi to him for me’’ — and rooming at training camp with veteran Garnett “Ace” Bailey. Years later, while an NHL scout, Bailey died in the 9/11 terror attacks when he was a passenger on a plane that struck the World Trade Center.

“He was a serious player but knew how to have fun,’’ Lampman said. “I remember training camp under Tommy (McVie) was brutally hard. Every night, Ace would smuggle beer in to the hotel room and hide it in the back of the toilet tank. When camp ended we had a huge blowout party.’’

The back of Lampman’s hockey card. (Courtesy of Geoff Baker)

Lampman sports the same mustache — albeit grayer — as on his final hockey card, which erroneously lists him born in Lakewood, Calif., despite only moving there from Hamilton, Ont., at age 12. The mistake got Lampman invited to U.S. Olympic team tryouts before he informed officials he was Canadian.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


But card mistakes happen.

Scouts winger Horbul’s card correctly spells his name in front but has “Horbol’’ on the back. Hailing from the same Saskatchewan town as Hall of Famer Elmer Lach, Horbul’s NHL career lasted just four games that season.

The back of Doug Horbul’s hockey card, which misspells his last name as “Horbol.” (Courtesy of Geoff Baker)

But Horbul proved a solid minor-leaguer and even shared an agent with Lampman. That agent, Richard Sorkin, was later imprisoned for bilking $600,000 from hockey clients. Lampman said he “got off lucky’’ losing $5,000, but it’s unclear whether Horbul lost money. After his pro career, Horbul, now 66, played with the senior league Trail Smoke Eaters in B.C. and lives nearby, though voicemails went unreturned.

The other un-interviewed card subject was ex-Rangers center Mickoski, who died at 74 in 2002 in his native Winnipeg. But his son, Robert, 53, happily discussed his father’s 1948 playoff debut with the Rangers at age 18 and subsequent “Broadway Nick’’ dubbing by teammates.

“They’d offered him $200 per game,’’ Mickoski’s son said. “The first thing he did was he went down Broadway and bought the best suits and some Stetsons and Cuban cigars. He really loved the scene.’’

After 705 games with the Rangers, Chicago, Detroit and Boston, “Broadway Nick” finished with the minor pro Western Hockey League’s San Francisco Seals — losing the 1962-63 scoring title by two points to Seattle Totems legend Guyle Fielder. But Mickoski’s Seals downed the Totems in that year’s seven-game final.

Mickoski returned to Winnipeg to coach a junior squad. Its owner, Ben Hatskin, planned a Winnipeg franchise for the World Hockey Association (WHA) launch in 1972 but needed a marquee player.

“My dad tells him ‘It’s got to be Bobby Hull,’ ’’ Mickoski’s son said. “Hatskin goes ‘Do you really think he’d come here?’ “

“Broadway Nick” had played with Blackhawks star Hull in Chicago. They secretly met up, and Mickoski relayed that Hatskin would pay Hull a record $1 million signing bonus. Hull would later agree and became player-coach of the new Winnipeg Jets, with Mickoski his assistant coach their first two WHA seasons.

A 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee (OPC) card of California Golden Seals defenseman Dick Mattiussi. (Courtesy of Geoff Baker)

The final card researched was of Golden Seals defenseman Mattiussi, nicknamed “Blackie Carbon” during a 200-game career with Pittsburgh and California.

“It’s because I had jet black hair,’’ said Mattiussi, 80, whose card confirms it. “I guess now, I’d be ‘Whitey Carbon.’’’

He’d played in the minors in Cleveland with Bill Masterton in 1962-63 and they and their wives became friends. Later, with the NHL expansion Minnesota North Stars in 1968, Masterton died after hitting his head during a game.

“It was just a fluke thing and so, so sad,’’ Mattiussi said of Masterton, for whom an annual NHL sportsmanship trophy is named. “He was a very nice guy, and we were pretty close.’’

Mattiussi, post-NHL, played for the Boston Bruins’ minor league Rochester affiliate where he and coach Don Cherry were neighbors. They drove to games and dined out together.

Cherry was named Bruins coach in 1974-75. Mattiussi became Rochester’s coach and lived two years in Cherry’s vacant house.

“He was a bit of a patriot,’’ Mattiussi recalled. “He had pictures of all these old generals.’’

The irascible, opinionated Cherry — sporting colorful suit jackets — later became a famed Hockey Night in Canada television commentator still going today at age 85. But Mattiussi lost touch after leaving Rochester over “philosophical differences’’ following two coaching seasons.

Now retired from a security supervisor’s job at a paper mill and living in Gretzky’s hometown of Brampton, Ont., Mattiussi long doubted anyone remembered his NHL career. Then, he began receiving phone calls about — of all things — his hockey cards.

“People — maybe collectors — were calling from as far away as Russia asking if I could sign my card for them,’’ he said, laughing. “I guess that’s one way to be remembered.’’

Onetime Capitals and Totems forward Lampman agrees. He collected cards in his youth and still has a full Topps NHL set from 1961-62.

“It brings the past back to life,’’ he said.

And sometimes, can help long dormant stories finally be told.

Seattle Times LOADED: 02.16.2019

1131018 Dallas Stars

Stars forward Joel L'Esperance earns first NHL call-up as Denis Gurianov is sent to AHL

Matthew DeFranks

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Stars swapped young forwards on their NHL roster, sending Denis Gurianov to AHL affiliate Texas before recalling Joel L'Esperance for the first time in his career. L'Esperance leads the AHL with 27 goals in 49 games this season.

L'Esperance is in his first full season of professional hockey after spending four seasons in college at Michigan Tech. The 23-year-old center was an AHL All-Star who brings a physical game that pairs well with his 6-foot-2, 201-pound frame. His 11 power-play goals are tied for second in the AHL.

He was an undrafted free agent whose addition was helped since he attended the same college as assistant general manager Scott White. L'Esperance figures to make his NHL debut Saturday against Carolina.

Gurianov goes back to Cedar Park after an eight-game stint in which he registered just one assist and 12 shots on goal. He displayed his speed at times, but lacked finish. Gurianov, 21, has one goal in 19 NHL games this season.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 02.16.2019

1131019 Dallas Stars

Wine, hotel rooms, and 'a zebra': How in-season trades impact Dallas Stars and NHL players lives

Matthew DeFranks

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Connor Carrick gave away a lot of wine.

When the Stars acquired the defenseman just before the season from Toronto, Carrick and his wife, Lexi, had to do what so many

CAROLINA HURRICANES


NHL players will have to do in the next 10 days before the league's trade deadline: Move, and move quickly. For Carrick, it was the second trade of his career but also a reminder of how quickly things can change in the world's best hockey league.

Like how your wine supply can evaporate because of customs regulations on alcohol crossing the border from Canada to the United States. Or how apartment-hunting for the correct term lease becomes more difficult in a new city. Or simply how a new franchise operates days before you have to play your first game for it.

It's a dance a bevy of players will have to navigate before the end of the month, with sellers dumping tradeable assets and buyers picking up pieces for playoff pushes and postseason runs. But with every on-ice transaction, a family is uprooted, a lifestyle disrupted, and a career path altered. Sometimes, a change of scenery is needed. Sometimes, it's a worthwhile learning experience.

"Sometimes you have to go through the dark times to get to the white times," goaltender Anton Khudobin said. "It's like a zebra."

The Stars have traded for four players this season: Carrick, Taylor Fedun (from Buffalo), Andrew Cogliano (from Anaheim) and Jamie Oleksiak (from Pittsburgh).

A handful of other Stars have been traded during seasons, including Khudobin (from Minnesota to Boston in 2011), defenseman Roman Polak (from Toronto to San Jose in 2016), goalie Ben Bishop (twice at the trade deadline), and Martin Hanzal (from Arizona to Minnesota in 2017).

How players react, and how they go about adjusting to their new city and team largely depends on what stage of life they are in. Typically, the team is split into two sections: the young guys looking for apartments (in Dallas, the Uptown area is popular), and the veterans with families looking for houses (University Park and Highland Park are go-tos).

In November, Fedun had to leave his wife in Rochester, N.Y., where she was a nursing student and Fedun was an AHL defenseman. Oleksiak, while familiar with the Dallas area from his previous playing days with the Stars, has to solve the puzzle of apartment lease length with just a couple of months left in the season, plus the possibility of playoffs.

Cogliano had a pair of extenuating circumstances when the Stars traded Devin Shore to Anaheim for him in January. One, the All-Star break was coming up, allowing him some time to get settled in Dallas. Two, his wife is pregnant and should give birth to the couple's first daughter next week.

"My wife's having a baby, so I want her to bring the baby home and feel comfortable and have a nice place," Cogliano said. "I think that was just the first step. It's not ideal finding a four-month rental."

In the NHL, some players involved with trades actually live in the same place as the player for whom they were traded. Last year, Florida's Jamie McGinn lived in Jason Demers' place in Fort Lauderdale after a training camp trade. But that requires similar lifestyles and salaries.

Cogliano said he never discussed the possibility with Shore. Instead, he, like many Stars, used real estate agent Julie Provenzano to find a home outside Highland Park. But the Carricks did their work on their own to land a place in Uptown, with Connor saying Lexi "did 99.999 percent of it."

The Carricks didn't have any furniture when they moved to Dallas and previously rented furnished places in Toronto and Washington. In the past, he's looked for individual condo owners that have flexible and dog-friendly leases, but only after checking on his teammates' whereabouts and their salaries.

"It's like, 'Hey, I need an eight-month lease with the possibility

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