Just 24 hours after a disappointing loss to the Florida Panthers, the Carolina Hurricanes had to leave it in the past. They completed their quick trip in Tampa Bay, facing the Lightning for the first time this season. Sebastian Aho scored twice in the third period for the second straight game, and Brandon Bussi stopped 38 shots as his win streak was brought to an end in a 4-3 shootout loss.

After being tripped and exiting in overtime, Seth Jarvis was placed on IR, forcing him out for at least a week. Jaccob Slavin was also out, though the decision was part of his recovery and not in response to the hit he took last night. Add Jordan Martinook as a scratch, and the Canes welcomed both Bradly Nadeau and Mike Reilly back into the fold. Pyotr Kochetkov and Andrei Vasilevskiy earned the starts.

If the Canes were feeling any ill effects from last night’s loss, they weren’t present in the first period. Eric Robinson got the Canes on the board quickly, finishing a pass from Jordan Staal after the captain intercepted a pass. Then, Robinson drew a penalty, leading to Jackson Blake tipping Nikolaj Ehlers’ pass home. Bradly Nadeau scored another on the power play, bringing the lead to 3-0 after 20.

For the second time in as many nights, the Canes saw a 3-0 lead disappear. The Bolts struck twice in the first 1:20 of the second period, with Gage Concalves and Brayden Point beating Kochetkov in quick succession. Late in the frame, a bad turnover by Andrei Svechnikov and a bad line change allowed Jack Finley to get behind the defense and score on a 2-on-0, leveling the game at three.

The Canes got off to another good start in the third. With the lines shuffled, Svechnikov buried one to atone for his mistake, getting help from Mark Jankowski and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. That’s where the fun ended. Ryan McDonagh scored 24 seconds later to tie it, and Jake Guentzel gave Tampa the lead three minutes after that. Guentzel added one more into the empty net for a 6-4 Bolts win.

The first period was everything the Hurricanes needed

That was as close to a dream scenario as the Hurricanes could’ve hoped for in the first period. They gave the Lightning fits to start the contest, forcing them to pay for their mistakes. Eric Robinson, getting the bump to the third line with Jordan Martinook out, was sensational. Not only was he there to open the scoring, but his speed drew the penalty that doubled the lead four minutes.

The power play has taken several strides recently, trying to find a semblance of consistency. For the second time in the last few weeks, they scored twice in the first period. Jackson Blake had the fantastic tip, and Bradly Nadeau took advantage of a bounce off a defender’s skate to score from the slot. It really felt like things were going to be a little easier tonight. I, like the team, got complacent.

For the second night in a row, their defensive identity vanished

When the Lightning scored twice in 80 seconds to open the second period, that sinking feeling started to creep back in. This is not the type of team that you want to gain life. There have been times in recent years when the Canes jumped on the Bolts early and never let them up to breathe. That was not the case on Saturday night.

The one benefit of blowing the lead as early as they did was that there was plenty of time left in the game. Scoring a go-ahead goal early in a period is only good if you can maintain the lead. They squandered Svechnikov’s goal immediately, and they never got to their game after it. The Canes were the better team for 20 minutes. It was all Tampa Bay from there.

Additional Thoughts

I refuse to sit here and throw Andrei Svechnikov under the bus for anything that has happened in the last two days. He has made two big mistakes that have cost his team. It could’ve been anyone, but that it was Svechnikov, who is always under a microscope, makes it feel like a bigger deal than it is. I liked his response in the third period, so I’m hopeful that it’s something he can build upon.

Pyotr Kochetkov’s night was a roller coaster. The first period was perfect. The second period was a bunch of tough breakdowns in front of him. The third period was mostly on him. He missed on a poke check on the tying goal, and he got antsy on Guentzel’s game-winner. In a game that didn’t have a ton of great goaltending, Kochetkov couldn’t capitalize.

These losses are not pretty, but I’m not going to overreact to two losses in December. The Canes are a deeply flawed team. Still, they’ve done wonders to separate themselves from the pack in the division for now. I understand that losing to these team specifically doesn’t bode well for what could happen in April and May. I guess it’s a good thing it’s still December.

Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes will be back at the Lenovo Center on Tuesday night, hosting the Florida Panthers for a battle that is certain to be spirited after Friday’s tilt. The Canes will return from the holiday break with three games in four nights. They’ll start at home against the Detroit Red Wings before a back-to-back against the Penguins and the Rangers finishes 2025.