Recap: Svechnikov, Canes Douse Flames

Andrei Svechnikov scored two third-period goals, including what will probably be the goal of the year, to propel the Carolina Hurricanes past the Calgary Flames, 2-1.
Svechnikov's two-goal game was his second in a row, and Petr Mrazek chipped in with 28 saves on 29 shots to win his 11th consecutive regular-season start at home.
Here are five takeaways from a fun Tuesday night in Raleigh.

1. A Fight From Start to Finish
For nearly 50 minutes of Tuesday's game, it seemed like the Hurricanes would come away with a tough-luck loss against a goaltender in David Rittich who seemed to be turning away each and every chance he saw.
Then, Svechnikov happened, and the Canes turned the tide into two points in a cross-conference match-up.
"I loved our game, to be honest with you, from start to finish. I loved everything about it. We had some gaffes, but that's a good team over there," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "I love the way we came out to start and hung in there when we didn't get a goal. We were all around it, it felt like, especially in the second and third when we took over the game."

The Canes fought through early first-period adversity when they fell behind 1-0 after an otherwise solid start. That hole nearly became 2-0, but a heady coach's challenge for offside staved off a greater deficit.
From there, it was a matter of trying to find a way past Rittich - and Svechnikov almost made it look easy.
"I couldn't have been happier tonight with the result and the way we played," Brind'Amour.
2. OMG SVECH
Yep, Andrei Svechnikov did that. He scored the lacrosse-style goal. In an real-life National Hockey League hockey game.
Unbelievable.

It's only October 29, but that's the goal of the year. Shut it down.
"Not surprised at all. He's the guy that would do it, and he's capable of doing it," Dougie Hamilton said. "Unreal to see it go in."
"I'm not shocked because he does it every time [in practice]. It's not a fluke," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "It's nice to see a kid who puts in some time to do something can actually do it in a game."
Svechnikov has indeed practiced it - just this morning, in fact, I saw him score the exact same goal - but never pulled it off in a game before. It's never even been successful in the NHL, period.
Until now.
"Everyone was just excited, so happy," he said. "It was emotional. It was great."
"I think we were all pretty excited but laughing at the same time," Hamilton said. "I think he was pretty shocked too. He was smiling and laughing for a couple minutes after that. So happy he scored that."

Not only was the goal stupendously amazing, but it was also exactly what the Canes needed exactly when they needed it. They had struggled to solve Rittich all night, and the Flames goaltender had not too long before turned away the Canes' leading goal scorer, Erik Haula, on a 2-on-1 rush.
"That's everything," Brind'Amour said. "That's almost what we needed to happen to get a goal. It wasn't going to happen any other way. Their goalie played great tonight, and ours did too."
He did it. Svechnikov actually did it.
"The talent is there. Now, just the confidence. That's a huge thing for a young kid to know you can actually make these plays and do these things," Brind'Amour said. "Once you put that in your back pocket, the sky is the limit."
3. A More Conventional Hockey Goal
Svechnikov wasn't finished.
Matthew Tkachuk was whistled for roughing Trevor van Riemsdyk, and on the ensuing power play, Svechnikov walked with the puck at the top of the left circle and snapped off a quick shot that beat Rittich with Erik Haula screening in front.

Ho hum compared to the first that he scored, but important all the same.
"You've got to put pucks at the net on the power play," Brind'Amour said. "He's got a good weapon there. If it's open, he's going to take it."
Svechnikov, who has back-to-back two-goal games, now has five goals and 12 points on the season.
"Last game was big when he scored a couple of goals. When that happens finally in a season, you're buzzing. He kept it going tonight," Hamilton said. "A lot of fun to be around him. Happy he's scoring right now."
4. Locking It Down
Backed by Mrazek in net, the Hurricanes locked the game down in the third period. The Flames didn't register a shot on goal in the final frame until the 18:38 mark and settled for just three more in the final 30 seconds.
"It was a low-scoring game, but it was, in my opinion, pretty exciting," Brind'Amour said. "A lot of chances both ways."
5. Mrazek Dazzles Again
There's no place like PNC Arena for Petr Mrazek, who now owns a 25-5-1 career record in Raleigh. With 28 saves on 29 shots and the victory, Mrazek has now won 11 consecutive regular-season starts at home and 14 straight starts overall at home (playoffs included).

Some of Mrazek's best work came in the second period. He first denied Andrew Mangiapane with a sparkling glove save, and on the subsequent Flames' power play (Brock McGinn was penalized for slashing on that sequence), Mrazek made a sharp skate save on Tkachuk. He didn't get all of the one-time attempt, but he got enough of the puck to where it was going to cross the goal line had Mrazek not kicked it away with his left skate.

Up Next
The Hurricanes host the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils on Friday and Saturday, respectively, to close out this four-game homestand.