CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • February 4, 2021 Remember when the Carolina Hurricanes struggled to win games in shootouts? No longer. By Chip Alexander Brock McGinn. With the players back Tuesday, it was on Staal’s line with Warren Foegele. Five observations from the Carolina Hurricanes’ 4-3 shootout win Tuesday over the Chicago Blackhawks: Here’s why he’s the coach and everybody else second- guessers: the Staal line clicked for two first-period goals as ▪ There was a time, and not that long ago, when putting Svechnikov and Foegele scored off Staal passes. “Hurricanes” and “shootout” in the same sentence usually Svechnikov did get some time with Aho late but the initial ended with “loss.” No longer. The Canes were 5-0 in move was the right one. shootouts last season and now have won the last two games in shootouts as Reimer stopped five of six shooters including ▪ And, yes, Svechnikov had the thought of another lacrosse Jamie Benn of Dallas and Patrick Kane of Chicago. shot flash through his mind in overtime. He had the puck behind the Chicago net and ... Kane’s approach with the puck was so slow it appeared to be in freeze-frames. Reimer waited out the Blackhawks star, “I was going too fast,” he said on the postgame media call. “It then gloved the backhand shot. Big stop, another win. was a good opportunity. The D wasn’t there and I tried it but I couldn’t put the puck on the stick that time. The ice was ▪ Petr Mrazek announced on Instagram Tuesday that he pretty bad, so maybe next time.” planned to have surgery in Vail, Colorado, ending a few days of suspense. Video of Mrazek Saturday against Dallas ▪ The Canes and the Blackhawks were too loose with the revealed the thumb injury and Canes coach Rod puck, almost nonchalant, at times in overtime. Puck Brind’Amour said Tuesday the goalie will out for a long time. possession is everything in 3-on-3 overtimes and the Canes Mrazek had the surgery Wednesday, the team announced, weren’t as careful and strong with the puck as they need to although it is not known how long he will be sidelined. be with victory and a point on the line. As Svechnikov said, “We’ve got to handle the puck more in overtime.” The talk in training camp was with the NHL’s condensed 56- game schedule and a lot of back-to-backs, two good goalies Brind’Amour’s strategy of starting Staal in the OT for the would be a necessity, not a luxury. The Canes had Mrazek opening draw, then quickly being replaced by Aho, also and Reimer. Now, it’s Reimer and Alex Nedeljkovic. The backfired this time as Staal lost the faceoff to David Kampf. goalie they call “Ned” is the “next man up,” one of Vincent Trocheck won the next draw for the Canes and was Brind’Amour’s favorite expressions. 15-5 in the circle Tuesday. ▪ It was easy to second-guess Brind’Amour’s decision to put Hurricanes at Blackhawks Andrei Svechnikov on Jordan Staal’s line Tuesday. With four players missing and on the NHL COVID-19 protocol list, When: 8 p.m., Thursday Brind’Amour had the winger on Sebastian Aho’s line with Watch: Fox Sports Carolinas Hurricanes investing $215,000 in growth of girls youth hockey By Chip Alexander “Any way you can include people to enjoy our sport, I think it’s fabulous,” Brind’Amour said. The Carolina Hurricanes are making a sizable investment in a girls youth hockey program, announcing Wednesday that Don Waddell, president and general manager of the $215,000 would be spent as part of the NHL Industry Growth Hurricanes, said expanding access to youth hockey was a Fund. priority for the organization. Alyssa Gagliardi, the Hurricanes’ Girls’ and Women’s Hockey “Girls’ hockey in the area has been expanding rapidly in Specialist, will direct the program, which begins in March. recent years, and we want to do everything we can to support that growth and retention,” Waddell said in a “I think it’s great,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said on a statement. media call Wednesday. “Let’s face it, we’re a sport that attracts everybody. We have a lot of young women and older The team said Canes Girls Youth Hockey will be the next women who love the game of hockey and I think it’s great step for its First Goal program, a starting point for youth we’re including them.” hockey players in the Triangle. The program will further the on- and off-ice development of girls ages 6-12 who have Brind’Amour noted that his youngest son, Brooks, plays on a previously played at the Learn to Play or Recreational levels. youth hockey team with Jade Williams, the daughter of former Canes captain Justin Williams and said she was a “Making the game of hockey inclusive for everyone has “phenomenal” player. always been at the forefront of the Hurricanes organization,” Gagliardi said in a statement. “The opportunity to create a CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • February 4, 2021 program for young girls at the introductory and recreational “The goal of the Canes Girls Youth Hockey program is to levels of hockey to play with peers and develop not only provide an all-girls environment to continue to foster the love hockey skills, but skills such as teamwork and self- of the game, build friendships and help ensure young girls confidence, is a game-changer for future generations. have female role models to look up to in the sport.” Preview: Hurricanes at Blackhawks Canes aim to extend winning streak to six games "We got the job done tonight. It wasn't pretty or the way we wanted to play," Staal said. "We found a way to win tonight By Michael Smith and keep the ball rolling here. We've got a group that's CHICAGO - The Carolina Hurricanes can extend their committed and talented and finding ways to win. I thought winning streak to six games when they rematch the Chicago Reims played a heck of a game to keep us in it. We'll take Blackhawks to round out the first third of a six-game road the two points, for sure." swing. News to Know The Match-Up Mrazek Undergoes Surgery: Petr Mrazek underwent surgery Carolina Hurricanes (6-1-0, 12 points) at Chicago on his right thumb, and a recovery timetable is still to be Blackhawks (3-4-4, 10 points) determined by the Canes. The netminder, who recorded two shutouts in his first three starts of the season, was injured on Thursday, Feb. 4, 8 p.m. Jan. 30. James Reimer has since collected three straight Watch: FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports GO victories to improve to 16-2-2 in his last 22 regular-season appearances. While Mrazek is on the mend, Reimer will Listen: 99.9 FM The Fan, Hurricanes.com/Listen, Hurricanes carry the load in net alongside Alex Nedeljkovic, who is likely app to see his first start of the season within the next three games. The Last Meeting Numbers to Know Jordan Staal recorded a pair of assists while Andrei Svechnikov and Vincent Trocheck each tallied their team- 4: Staal has recorded points in four straight games (1g, 5a) leading fifth goals of the season in a 3-3 regulation draw with since returning to the lineup. the Chicago Blackhawks. Extra hockey was required for the third time in the Canes' last four games, and a shootout then 4: The franchise record for longest shootout winning streak decided the final score for the second game in a row. James was four games, set back in 2006. The Canes have currently Reimer turned aside all three shots he faced, while won eight shootouts in a row. Svechnikov netted the winning goal in the third round of the shootout, marking the Canes' eighth straight shootout win. CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • February 4, 2021 Super 16: Lightning reclaim No. 1, Canadiens climb power rankings Flyers, Hurricanes rise; Jets, Penguins fall 28 goals against the Canucks and have scored at least five goals in each game. By Dan Rosen 3. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (5-1-1) The Montreal Canadiens keep scoring goals and surging up the NHL.com Super 16 power rankings. Total points: 183 Last week: No. 1 The Canadiens, who lead the NHL with 4.40 goals per game, moved up two spots to No. 2 this week. They were ranked The Golden Knights haven't played since Jan. 26. They had No. 8 two weeks ago in the first Super 16 of the season and three games postponed because three coaches and No. 15 in the preseason Super 16. defenseman Alex Pietrangelo were being isolated in connection with the NHL COVID-19 protocol. Vegas is Montreal was ranked No. 1 by five of the 14 participating scheduled to host the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. staff members this week. 4. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (6-1-3) The Tampa Bay Lightning moved up to retake the top spot in the Super 16 from the Vegas Golden Knights, who didn't play Total points: 158 and dropped two spots to No. 3. Last week: No. 3 The Philadelphia Flyers (No. 10) moved up two spots, and The Capitals had a nine-game point streak (6-0-3), their best the Carolina Hurricanes (No. 11) moved up three. The start to a season, end Monday when they lost 5-3 to the Winnipeg Jets (No.