Orlov’s first multi-goal game of the season leads the Hurricanes offensive clinic in Ottawa.
By Spencer Knight – @stormsurge_pod / stormsurgepod.com
March 18, 2024
Ottawa – A 2 goal, 2 assist performance from Dmitry Orlov lead the way for the Canes as they pummeled the Senators 7-2 on Sunday night. This is the second straight Sunday where they Canes scored a touchdown over a Canadian opponent.
Pretty Tight Game
Through the first two periods, it was a pretty tight game. In the first period, Brendan Lemieux exits the penalty box and finds Orlov on a break away to open up the scoring. But just a few minutes later, Thomas Chabot answers back to tie the game at 1
Then early in the second, Evgeny Kuznetsov scores on the power play to reestablish the lead. Again Ottawa answered with Tim Stutzle absolutely walking Jalen Chatfield and beating Andersen with the shot. Finally late in the period, Aho found Jarvis for a silky smooth goal to regain the lead once again.
Blowing it Open
Lead by the blue line, the Canes blew the game wide open in the third. About 5 minutes in, Jalen Chatfield netted his 7th of the season, followed 3 minutes later by his partner scoring his 2nd of the game. Just 2 minutes after that, Jake Guentzel scores his first as a Hurricane, securing his second consecutive multi-point game. Brendan Lemieux caps off the night by redirecting a point shot from Brent Burns past the goaltender for his second point of the game.
In total, 12 skaters recorded a point and 6 recorded multiple. The third pairing of Orlov and Chatfield combined for 6 points on the night. Andersen was stellar in net, allowing just 2 goals on 32 shots for a .938 save percentage.
Just How Dominant?
After the game, Rod Brind’Amour said “It was a pretty tight game, It didn’t feel like a 7-2 game, it was a lot tighter than that.” The analytics support that, as MoneyPuck.com gave the Senators a 54.5% score on the “Deserve to Win O’Meter.” Andersen provided excellent crease coverage with 1.2 saves above expected. Meanwhile, Anton Forsberg had a rough game with -4.27 saves above expected.
The numbers from Natural Stat Trick are a little nicer, crediting Forsberg with just -3.92 saves above expected, but either way a rough night for the Ottawa goaltender. Though the Hurricanes drove possession, with a 56.3% CF%, Ottawa’s chances were more dangerous. 8 out of the 32 (25%) shots Andersen faced were high danger chances, while only 5 of the 38 (13%) shots Forsberg faced were high danger. Andersen saved all 8 of these shots, and Forsberg allowed goals on 2 of these.
Key Performers
It should come as no surprise that Dmitry Orlov was the best player on the ice for the Hurricanes. His 2 goals in the game account for 40% of his season total, and his 4 points in the game are the most by a Hurricanes defenseman this season. His advanced numbers looked great too, as he lead the team with an individual Corsi of 9 (total shots, on goal + missed the net + blocked). He also trailed only Necas and Jarvis in individual expected goals with 0.33. He and Chatfield lead the team in on ice expected goal differential at just under 1 each. Essentially he was expected to have a +1 and instead he had a +4.
Though he wasn’t the most dangerous forward this game, Sebastian Aho was an elite playmaker, posting 3 assists on the night. All 3 assists were primary assists, directly setting up the eventual goal scorer. His line with Guentzel and Jarvis was definitely the most dangerous at 5 on 5 play. Look for that line and the Svechnikov, Kuznetsov, Necas lines to remain intact going forward.
Up Next
The Canes are on Long Island Tuesday night visiting the New York Islanders. Last time they visited, they earned a 4-3 win after trailing 3-0 in the 2nd period (sound familiar?). They have also faced the Islanders twice at home, losing each meeting 5-4, one of which was in overtime. Since the last meeting, the Islanders have made a coaching change, with Patrick Roy now the man behind the bench. Though unlikely, this is possibly a preview of a first round playoff series, and also a replay of last year’s first round.
Need More Canes Content?
Find our latest podcast episode here.
Read more written content here.
