NHL Breaking News – Carolina Hurricanes win 2-1 against Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers, one of the three winless teams before the preseason, were looking to stamp their authority against the Carolina Hurricanes in the 77th game of the NHL preseason. The match took place on Friday at the RBC Centre, the home
of the Carolina Hurricanes. It was a unique match where the goal keepers dominated the proceedings right from the start.
First period
The Carolina Hurricanes were able come up with a goal attempt as early as the 23 second of the game that was stopped by the Atlanta Thrashers goal keeper Ondrej Pavelec. Neither team dominated play but there was an urgency to score.
The Hurricanes and the Thrashers both wanted to establish an early lead so they took the game to the offense. The only thing that proved to be the biggest obstacle in the teams scoring was the goal keepers. There were massive shots from all around the field
that just didn’t stop. But the goalies were able to deal with it and keep the score at 0-0. The period provided us with some great ice hockey with splendid plays and spectacular shots but none was able to find the back of the net.
At the end of the period, the Atlanta Thrashers were able to make 10 goal attempts compared to the 12 attempts made by the Carolina Hurricanes. Surprisingly, neither team was able to score as they went into the break.
Second period
The second period was no different except that both teams were able to form good, tight defences. The backline moved ahead in order to keep the deeper area clear of opposition.
Most of the game was played in the centre with shots coming from long ranges as the defence of both teams suffocated the offence. At times, the frustration of both teams could be seen from a rash shot or poor passing.
However, the Carolina Hurricanes was able to break the deadlock in the 16th minute from a long range (59 feet) Brandon Sutter shot. This put the home team in the lead at 1-0. The Atlanta Thrashers were able to break past the home team’s defence
but on many occasions, it was Cam Ward, the Hurricanes goalie who stood in their way.
Both teams were able to pile up 8 shots during the course of the period but it was the Carolina Hurricanes who scored once.
Third period
As soon as the third period began, the Carolina Hurricanes made long range shots and displayed excellent passing. Coupled with this was the strong backline that wasn’t allowing the Atlanta Thrashers to go through.
The first half of the period was a totally Carolina Hurricanes dominated period where they came up with regular goal attempts that could have easily converted to goals. This time, it was the Atlanta Thrashers goal keeper Ondrej Pavelec, who made some spectacular
saves. The Atlanta Thrashers were hoping that they could settle the score with only a 1 goal deficit.
The second half of the period witnessed the Atlanta Thrashers shifting gears and they started to make frequent goal attempts. They came up with excellent pieces of play on a regular basis that saw them almost score in the 15th minute. But a superb
save by Cam Ward kept the Carolina Hurricanes in the lead.
As the period was coming to an end, the Atlanta Thrashers, helped by a lapse in concentration of the Carolina Hurricanes, scored in the 19th minute to level the score. The goal was scored by Nik Antropov from a 31 feet wrist off.
The period concluded as the game went into overtime.
The Atlanta Thrashers managed to make 2 goal attempts but Cam Ward blocked them off. The Carolina Hurricanes then scored in the 2nd minute to emerge victorious with a score of 2-1. The goal came from a deflected 14 feet shot by Brandon Sutter.
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