Recap: Hurricanes Top Preds in Shootout

The Carolina Hurricanes closed out their four-game homestand with a 4-3 shootout win against the defending Western Conference champion Nashville Predators.
Josh Jooris, Victor Rask and Justin Williams netted goals for the Hurricanes in regulation, and Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen scored in the shootout.
Here are five takeaways from this afternoon's game.

One
Let's first look at the big picture of this one, a big win over a team that came into today's game with a four-game winning streak and a 9-2-0 record in the month of November. The Canes, meanwhile, were looking to slow a two-game skid to finish off a homestand and did just that.
"I thought it was a high-end game. I think it might have been the best game we've been involved in all year between both teams. I think they're a real good team, and we're a real good team when we play properly. I thought we did that today. Both teams looked like they were dialed in. I thought it was very competitive. I thought we were physical, which helps us," head coach Bill Peters said. "A lot of good things here in the last two games."
"Every game is big, but you don't want to slide too far and get in too big of a hole," Jordan Staal said. "It was nice to get on the right side of it this time."
"That was a big game, really big, especially finishing up our homestand here and going on the road," Williams said. "It was a fun game to watch, certainly from the bench. It was intense. The guys were into it. They were engaged."

Two
This was an evenly-played, back-and-forth contest. Each team scored a goal in each of the three periods, forcing extra hockey for the sixth time this season. The Canes are now 2-2 in the skills competition this season, with Finns Aho and Teravainen scoring on their countryman, Juuse Saros, to seal the victory.
"I said to Seabass, 'Do you own this guy?' And he said, 'Yeah, I do,'" Peters recalled. "Turbo has been so hot. He's been outstanding offensively. His compete level has improved from last year to this year, and that's what allows him to be successful. His skill is undeniable."
At the other end of the ice in the shootout, Scott Darling went into the splits to force Kyle Turris' shot wide and then made a save on Filip Forsberg's wrister.

Three
Since returning to the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch for two games, Rask has been solid. He didn't directly factor in on the scoresheet against Toronto on Friday, but he was a plus-3 and generated four shots on goal.
Today, Rask scored a goal in the second period to tie the game at two and recorded the secondary assist on William's power-play goal in the third period.
"I felt good last game and this game," Rask said. "Happy to score one tonight."
Rask's goal was the result of a simple play - he went to the net, was in position for a rebound and banged it home.

"He's gone through some ups and downs this season, so it was nice for him to get one. Hopefully he continues to do that for us," Staal said. "He's been playing better since he's been back in the lineup and doing a lot of good things. It was nice to see him get rewarded."
"We need that out of him. We need that each and every night," Peters said. "That's part of being a pro. He's a big part of what we do, and we need it."
Four
The Hurricanes fourth line of Joakim Nordstrom, Marcus Kruger and Jooris didn't see much ice time in the third period when the benches shortened, but they each contributed in crucial ways throughout the game.
Jooris opened the scoring just 3:37 into the game, when he put his shoulder down on a breakaway and slid the puck through Saros for his third goal of the season.

In overtime, Kruger and Nordstrom were tasked with killing off a 4-on-3 man disadvantage. Nordstrom twice dropped to a knee to block the booming shot of P.K. Subban.
"That's my job out there," Nordstrom said. "It hurts way more to see a puck go in the back of the net than get hit by it, so it's an easy choice for me."
"We had big plays from big guys. Nothing bigger was Nordstrom blocking those two bombs on the penalty kill. I think we rallied around that," Williams said. "I'll keep it G-rated here, but he had a set of kahunas on him getting in front of those shots, not one but another one coming back-to-back."
"The penalty kill was unbelievable with those guys blocking shots - Nordy and Krugs. That goes a long way. That's how you win games," Peters said. "I've got an unbelievable respect for guys who play that role."
Five
The Canes have scored four power-play goals in their last four games. Williams had the man-advantage tally tonight, as he batted a puck out of midair before collecting the rebound and scoring the goal that gave his team a 3-2 lead in the third period.

"Getting some greasy, dirty goals. We need more of those," Peters said.
Up Next
The Hurricanes head back to Columbus for the second time in two-and-a-half weeks for a Tuesday night match-up against the Blue Jackets.