RALEIGH, N.C. — No one knew what to expect out of the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
The Canes were playing their first game in 10 days. They were missing five regulars, all on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list and unavailable. They were playing the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2020 Stanley Cup champion.
For a long time at PNC Arena, neither team could score as Canes goalie Petr Mrazek and the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy matched each other with sparkling saves. It took overtime to decide it before the Canes won, 1-0, on a goal by Martin Necas at 1:12 of the OT.
Necas took a pass from Jordan Staal breaking to the net and finally beat Vasileskiy for the winner. Mrazek finished with 32 saves in his second shutout of the season for the Canes (3-1-0).
The Canes, scheduled to play their first four games on the road, last had a game Jan. 18 at Nashville, winning 4-2. But then came four straight postponements as Jaccob Slavin, Teuvo Teravainen, Jesper Fast, Warren Foegele and Jordan Martinook joined Staal on the COVID list.
Staal was back and set up Necas for the winner. The Canes must wait on the rest, who have been in quarantine.
Through the first 40 minutes, both teams had good scoring chances. Neither scored.
Mrazek, who faced seven shots in the first period, had 13 come his way in the second as the Lightning piled up some long shifts in the Carolina zone. Mrazek made a hustling stop on a Pat Maroon shot in tight and several other sharps in the period, which had some sloppy moments.
The Canes found some energy and made a push in the final few minutes of the second. Brock McGinn, in front of the Tampa net, drew a slashing penalty on Victor Hedman as the period ended and the Canes started the third on the power play.
