Recap: Tokarski, Canes Shut Out Canucks

RALEIGH, N.C. - Dustin Tokarski made 14 saves to record his third career shutout while Jordan Staal (1G, 1A) and Andrei Svechnikov (1G) extended their point streaks, helping the Carolina Hurricanes blank the Vancouver Canucks 2-0 at Lenovo Center on Friday.

GAME SUMMARY | BOX SCORE | UPCOMING HOME GAMES

Fresh off his fourth career hat trick on Thursday, Staal opened the scoring in Friday's relatively low-event game with a seeing-eye shot from the slot at 14:41 of the first period. Svechnikov followed up early in the second, putting in the hard work below the goal line before cutting to the front of the net and tucking a shot into the top corner at 1:37 of the frame.

Carolina conceded a pair of power plays in the third period but the league's second-ranked penalty kill continued to hold the Canucks off the board. Vancouver's 14 shots are the least allowed in a game by the Hurricanes this season.

Tokarski's shutout is his first since March 18, 2022, when he posted a 24-save effort for Buffalo in a 1-0 win in Calgary.

Stats & Standouts

• The Hurricanes' offense led the way on Thursday, but tonight was all about the team's defensive effort. Per Natural Stat Trick, the Canucks actually out-chanced the Canes 51-39 in all situations but were held to just 14 shots on net - the lowest total Carolina has conceded in a game this season. Credit Dustin Tokarski for keeping the puck out of the net, though he'd be the first one to point to the Canes' season-high 27 blocked shots as another key contributor to tonight's win.
• Friday's win won't go down as Tokarski's busiest night between the pipes, but the 35-year-old remains steady when called upon. He's won three straight starts for the Canes and is 4-1-0 on the year, with a respectable .902 SV% and impressive 2.00 GAA. Tack on his first shutout in nearly three years, and "Ticker" is writing a heck of a story in Raleigh.
• Jordan Staal scored for the third straight game, tying the third-longest goal-scoring streak of his career, and has points in four straight games (5G, 3A). With his first-period tally, the Canes' captain also tied his head coach for 11th on the franchise's all-time goal-scoring list with 174 apiece.
• It feels odd to use "vintage" when talking about 24-year-old Andrei Svechnikov, but tonight's tally was 100% vintage Svech. The relentless work below the goal line, the quickness to spin away from his checker, the strength to cut to the front of the net and the skill to finish with a flourish - that was #37 at his finest as he stretched his point streak to four games (2G, 2A).

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour describing the victory...

"It was a weird game. Not a lot going on and once we got ahead, we were fine with that. I think it's a lot of hockey and that's a product of poor scheduling if you ask me. You jam all of these games in and you could tell the tank was on E. We dug in and then a couple of plays were the difference in the game. Obviously, Svech had that great play, that individual effort and our penalty killers blocked some shots."

Jordan Staal further elaborating on the team having 28 blocked shots tonight...

"(Jordan Martinook) was eating some and our D-corps was great. We had some great [penalty] kills, I think that's the reason why we ate so many. I think our PK was big, just not giving them any momentum and obviously (Dustin Tokarski) finished off the rest."

Jordan Staal showing love to Tokarski...

"He's solid. He's pretty calm back there. You can have a good feeling about him. He eats pucks when he needs to and he's been there for us. He's been really good."

Dustin Tokarski on what made his third career shutout possible...

"Five shots a period and an unbelievable penalty kill. I just needed to stay focused and do my job. The guys took care of the rest... It's fun playing behind this group. They give it their all. They sacrifice their bodies. They're on the forecheck and puck possession all day. When the other team gets a power play, the guys are unbelievable out there. It was a lot of fun tonight."

What's Next?

The Hurricanes return to action on Sunday for a historic affair at Lenovo Center, as Eric Staal is inducted into the team's hall of fame and his No. 12 is raised to the rafters. Click here for more information about the Eric Staal Celebration Weekend.

Next Game: Sunday, Jan. 12 vs. Anaheim | 5:00 pm | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights