RALEIGH, N.C. — There were no tailgates outside PNC Arena on Thursday. But there were fans in the building for the Carolina Hurricanes for the first time this season, making for a memorable night.
There was noise. There was energy. There was life, a sense of some normalcy during the pandemic. Masks were mandatory, the excitement level optional — and it was pretty high much of the game.
The Canes weren’t always at their best in their first home game after a five-game road trip, but they took charge in the third period for a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. And the postgame Storm Surge returned.
On a night when the Canes’ Andrei Svechnikov played against his older brother, Evgeny, for the first time, No. 37 for Carolina was clearly inspired. He scored the Canes’ first goal, on a power play, assisted on another and was fully engaged throughout the game, on the move, pushing the play.
Jordan Staal had a goal and two assists, and Martin Necas, Jesper Fast and Nino Niederreiter a goal and assist each for the Canes (16-6-1), who have won four straight. That offset a pair of goals by Filip Zadina of the Wings (7-16-3), the second on a power-play.
Necas had the most timely score of the game for the Canes. The winger tied it 2-2 late in the second period, blistering a shot, setting the tone for the Canes’ push early in the third.
Niederreiter had an empty-net goal after the Wings pulled their goalie with more than five minutes left in regulation.
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, making his seventh start, picked up his fourth victory.
Teuvo Teravainen, who has been sidelined with a concussion, was back in the lineup and on a line with Sebastian Aho and Svechnikov.
The announced attendance was 2,924 fans. That was enough to enhance the game atmosphere. It also was a start.
Staal’s goal, his eighth, came 45 seconds into the third and gave the Canes their first lead of the game. Staal was in the right place between the circles when a rebound popped out to him, and the Canes captain quickly ripped a shpt past goalie Jonathan Bernier.
Fast’s goal, his third, came at 2:50 after Staal passed to Svechnikov, who then zipped a pass to Fast breaking in for the 4-2 lead.
