Recap: Two-Goal Third Period Propels Canes Past Senators

The Carolina Hurricanes scored two goals in the third period to top the Ottawa Senators, 2-1, in the first game back from the All-Star break.
Sebastian Aho scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season to tie the game, and Victor Rask's power-play tally was the difference maker.
Here are five takeaways from tonight's game.

One
It was certainly concerning to see Aho go down with not one but two injuries - both of looked to be serious - on Jan. 14. As it turns out, they might not have been as gruesome as feared. Aho got back on the ice just 10 days later and made his triumphant return to the lineup at the outset of perhaps the most important stretch of hockey that the Hurricanes will play this season.
And, go figure - Aho immediately made an impact.
"I was really excited," Aho said. "I've been waiting for this since I got hurt."
Not even two minutes into the third period, Aho tied the game at one, a big goal at a big time. Teuvo Teravainen gained the zone before dropping the puck back to Aho, who wound, fired and scored on a shot that bounced in off the defending stick of Thomas Chabot.

"He looks like he just picked up where he left off," head coach Bill Peters said.
"That's the type of player he is. He can break a game open," Jeff Skinner said. "We were looking for that spark, and he got a big goal there for us. It's nice to have him back."
Two
Around the midpoint of the third period, All Star Noah Hanifin drew a tripping penalty on Zack Smith. On the ensuing power play, Hanifin started a breakout from his own zone, giving the puck to Justin Williams up the ice. Williams skated into the offensive zone and dished off to Rask, who scored on a quick shot blocker side on Craig Anderson to put the Hurricanes ahead, 2-1.
"Just a good play by Willy to hold on to the puck. He passed it to me, and I got a pretty clean shot," Rask said. "Luckily it went in."

Three
The Hurricanes needed a big third period after a start that was indicative of the first game coming off of a break. There wasn't a whole lot happening at either end of the ice, as both teams settled back into game action and looked to get their legs back under them.
"I thought we built a good game," Rask said. "A little rusty maybe after a couple days off. We found a way to win, so I'm happy with that."
"I didn't think we had much at all in the first, to be honest with you. I thought it was a little ragged both ways," Peters said. "I thought we started to skate better as the game went on, and I thought we started to execute better."
"You come back after a break and try to get into it. Early on there was not much going on really either way," Skinner said. "When they did get some chances, Wardo came up big for us. We tried to keep grinding away."
Ward stopped 29 of 30 shots that came his way, and the only one that snuck past him - a shot off the stick of Jean-Gabriel Pageau - took a bounce off a defender on the way to the net.

"I thought he was good and moved the puck well. I could hear him talking to guys," Peters said. "I thought he was solid."
Four
With the injury report clean, the Hurricanes iced the most healthy lineup they've had all year. Peters and his staff juggled the lines during play, looking to spark the club coming off the break, and assuming a healthy lineup moving forward, playing time will be determined as such - who's feeling it, and who can give the team the best chance to win?
"If it's not happening and somebody is playing, they're taking your spot and moving up," Peters said. "Look after yourself, get your game in order, know where you fit in, find your individual game within our team game and then we'll be fine. It's not about feelings, it's not about veterans and rookies. It's about who's getting the job done."
Five
There's no secret how big this stretch of hockey is for the Hurricanes, and they've said as much. Thursday's win in Montreal was crucial heading into the break, and remaining in the win column coming out of All-Star Weekend was especially big, considering it kicked off the start of an eight-game homestand and a stretch of 11 of 12 games at home. With the Hurricanes looking up at the playoff cut line in the Eastern Conference, these home games could easily make or break their season.
"It's a big moment in the season. Everyone is aware of where we are in the standings and in the season," Skinner said. "You have an opportunity at home to pick up some points. It's big at any point of the season, but obviously for us right now it's huge."
Tonight, the Hurricanes packed the lower bowl by upgrading fans with upper-level tickets, an idea stemming from majority owner Tom Dundon's desire to create a playoff-like atmosphere at PNC Arena.
"I thought it was good. I thought there was definitely a little more life. It's a nice sign I think," Skinner said. "We've got a lot of home games coming up here, and hopefully we can string together a for wins for them and keep them coming out."
Up Next
The Hurricanes will host back-to-back home games against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday and the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.