The Carolina Hurricanes played the best hockey anyone could have asked from them during their Finland trip. And it did not go unnoticed.
Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle sounded off following Carolina’s two epic performances in Finland.
Via Kurt Dusterberg of NHL.com, Eberle said of the Hurricanes:
“They kind of picked us apart in the D-zone in the way that they are connected and the way that they play as a team. It’s something that we strive to get to. I think that’s the bar for me, in my opinion.”
Eberle has more than enough evidence to back up his admission, given what Carolina did to Seattle for 120 minutes.
Here is one fun fact: Carolina allowed 26 shots on goal against Seattle. No, that isn’t 26 shots on goal from Saturday, but the entire two-game series. On Thursday, Carolina allowed 13 shots with Brandon Bussi in the net.
Saturday afternoon came, and the Hurricanes allowed another 13 shots, this time with Pyotr Kochetkov as the starting goaltender. Their 26 shots allowed across six periods equal an astounding 4.3 shots against per period. That is one of the best defensive statistics fans will read all season.
Kraken Captain Had Nothing But Praise For The Hurricanes
“Picked us apart” might be an understatement from Eberle. Carolina did more than that over their 9-2 aggregate score in both games. Strong defensive play set up Carolina every time they skated into the offensive zone. The result? 67 shots on goal, including 37 on Saturday.
In both matchups, Carolina outshot Seattle 67 to 26. They got off more than twice the number of shots that the Kraken managed. And it isn’t like Seattle is rebuilding in the way the Vancouver Canucks are.
Seattle entered the Global Series 9-6-1, with 57 goals for and 57 against, good for 3.6 per game. That made them a rather high-octane team in the offensive zone, even if they had their struggles defensively.
Carolina skated into Finland and quickly stifled the Kraken’s high-scoring offense. Once they took control in the defensive zone, it was an offensive clinic for six periods.
For Eberle and the Kraken, it’s all about taking the next step. They already proved they can enjoy consistent play in the offensive zone, but that didn’t happen against the best team in the NHL. That is, to an extent, where Eberle seemed to be going with his postgame comments.
Seattle Left A Blueprint For How Not To Play Against Carolina
Given the way Carolina tore Seattle apart for two games, future opponents will use these matchups as a blueprint for what not to do against the Hurricanes. Even the best teams have weaknesses, but literally few teams have exploited those weaknesses during the first quarter of Carolina’s season.
Better yet for Carolina? They will also bring momentum into a matchup with another high-octane group, the Montreal Canadiens, on Thursday, Nov. 19.
If Montreal commits the same mistakes the Kraken made that led to Carolina playing its best hockey of the season, the Hurricanes will keep rolling. That will be something to watch when the puck drops on Thursday night.
Hurricanes Get Telling Admission from Kraken Captain After Finland Sweep