RALEIGH, N.C. — For those wondering how the Carolina Hurricanes would fare after the NHL trade deadline, here’s their response:
Two games, two wins, 12 goals.
And two of those goals are from one of their new additions, defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.
Beating the Arizona Coyotes on Friday was one thing, The Coyotes are one of the worst teams in the league and played that way.
But the way the Hurricanes took care of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday at PNC Arena, winning 6-0 behind Teuvo Teravainen’s hat trick and Frederik Andersen’s shutout, was as impressive as it was decisive.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a goal and career-high four assists for Carolina (41-12-8), which scored four power-play goals.
Andrei Svechnikov had the game’s first goal and the Canes led 2-0 after the first as Teravainen scored on the power play. Teravainen scored again in the second for a 3-0 lead and Gostisbehere received a big cheer with his power-play goal in the period.
The biggest cheer was saved for Teravainen. His third goal, in the third period, had hats flying on the ice after he followed up a rebound for a 5-0 lead.
Andersen had 14 saves in improving to 15-6-0 this season.. It was his first shutout of the season and 24th of his career.
It was a big day for Teravainen. It was his second career hat trick – his first was in 2017. The Finnish winger also passed 400 career points in the game.
Gostisbehere finished with two assists to go with his goal for a three-point game. Martin Necas finished with three assists.
The Lightning (37-21-5) was held to four shots in the opening period. Tampa Bay had none in the second – none. — and its four through 40 minutes were the fewest through two periods in an NHL game this season.
Gostisbehere was obtained Wednesday from the Coyotes with the intent of pumping up the Canes’ power play as well as adding an experienced D-man. He then scored on the power play Friday against the Coyotes as the Canes romped to a 6-1 road victory.
Make it two for two. Gostisbehere, again quarterbacking Carolina’s second power-play unit, unleashed a heavy shot Sunday that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy for a power-play goal.
The Canes’ win Sunday came a day after Lightning coach Jon Cooper benched his top line of Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov in the third period of a 5-3 loss at Buffalo.
The three Tampa Bay stars did play Sunday but the Lightning was lethargic until the third period, after falling behind 4-0.
It was a tough day for the Lightning, now 0-4-1 in the last five. Defenseman Victor Hedman was injured, leaving the game after a check from Svechnikov. Kucherov had to leave after taking an inadvertent puck in the face from Svechnikov, who was looking to dump the puck.
Svechnikov’s goal, his 22nd, came after his initial shot was blocked, the forward collecting the puck quickly and beating Vasilevskiy with a shortside shot.
The puck was in and out of the net so quickly that at first few knew if Svechnikov had scored or if the puck skipped off the crossbar. But Svechnikov knew, immediately raising his stick.
Andersen had little work until the third. The Lightning’s Brandon Hagel hit the post in the second period with the Canes leading 3-0.
The Canes’ other acquisition before the deadline, forward Jesse Puljujarvi, has not played. He is scheduled to join the Canes in Montreal on Monday.
