It was a game unlike any other for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Six players in the COVID-19 protocol. Limited to 16 skaters. Jack Drury making his NHL debut, and scoring first NHL goal.
And all while the six players and a staff member were making the long trek from Vancouver and St. Paul, Minnesota, flown back to Raleigh on a private flight arranged by Canes owner Tom Dundon.
While the Canes contingent were in the air, those playing at PNC Arena were caught up in a tight game with the Detroit Red Wings. The Hurricanes won 5-3 as Nino Niderreiter scored twice — just missing a third — and goalie Frederik Andersen stayed calm and made some big stops in the frantic final minutes with the Red Wings pressing.
The Canes flight arrived at RDU at 8:44 p.m., just as the second period was ending. It was tied 3-3 at that point, although the Wings (14-13-3) had the better of the play in the second, trying the score on a Tyler Bertuzzi goal.
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Niederreiter gave the Canes (20-7-1) just the start it wanted in the third, beating Alex Nedeljkovic was a short-side bullet of a shot 18 seconds into the period for a 4-3 lead. Niederreiter’s first of the night came on a short shot on a first-period power play and he came close to a third goal — and hats flying — after the Wings emptied the net in the final minutes for an extra attacker.
It was a week of COVID attrition for both teams. The Canes were without five forwards, including captain Jordan Staal and their top scorer, Sebastian Aho. The Red Wings placed forwards Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen on the COVID protocol list.
There also were those returning from the COVID list — defenseman Brett Pesce and Tony DeAngelo for the Canes and defenseman Marc Staal for the Wings.
DeAngelo scored in the first, breaking in on the back side to collect a hard carom off the end boards.
Then there was Nedeljkovic. The former Canes goalie, traded to Detroit after last season, was making his first return to PNC Arena, where he played so well as a rookie.
Drury, 21, said Thursday morning that he wanted to savor the moment in his debut There was a lot to savor as the Canes rookie had a big night and was named the game’s first star.
He took his solo lap on the ice, now a routine for rookies in their debut, before the game. -- brief but nice. He put in his first shift in the NHL.
Then, late in the first period came the moment that will be indelible as long as he plays hockey.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi took the puck into the Detroit zone along the left wall, fought off a hit and found Drury breaking down the center of the ice. Drury took a shot that Nedeljkovic stopped but quickly followed up the rebound.
Just like that, he had his first NHL goal and soon was being hugged on the bench by Stefan Noesen, who kissed his helmet. It also gave the Canes a 3-2 lead in a period that was uneven and at times choppy, with both teams groping to find some rhythm.
