North Raleigh Today

The Carolina Hurricanes faced a challenging game against the Minnesota Wild, resulting in a 2-1 loss at Xcel Energy Center. Despite dominating much of the match, the Hurricanes were unable to secure a win.

In the first period, Carolina outshot Minnesota 15 to 7 but ended up trailing 1-0 after an early goal by the Wild. The Hurricanes increased their efforts in the second period and even earned a penalty shot through Jackson Blake, yet they could not get past Filip Gustavsson.

Minnesota extended their lead early in the third period when Vinnie Hinostroza scored after a shot bounced off Frederik Andersen's back. Sebastian Aho managed to score for Carolina with less than three minutes remaining, but it was not enough to push the game into overtime.

Frederik Andersen recorded 22 saves on 24 shots during the game. Juha Jaaska returned to play after missing Tuesday's game, replacing rookie defenseman Scott Morrow. Coach Rod Brind'Amour made adjustments to his lines, including moving Seth Jarvis alongside Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen.

Jackson Blake had his first career penalty shot attempt during this game but was unable to convert it into a goal. Brent Burns matched his season-high with eight shots on goal as Carolina totaled 38 shots throughout the match.

Coach Rod Brind'Amour commented on the team's performance: "That's the way it's gone for us lately. You can't fault the effort... We definitely had enough opportunities to get more than one goal."

Jackson Blake acknowledged Minnesota's strengths: "They're one of the best teams in the league... They do such a good job of boxing us out."

Brind'Amour also addressed special teams issues: "Our power play stinks... We've got to find a way to score some goals."

Jaccob Slavin echoed these sentiments: “Tonight we had our chances... Our kill did a good job, but power play, we’ve got to bear down there and get some goals.”

Looking ahead, Jackson Blake emphasized improvement: "We've just got to find a way, get better tomorrow and look toward Utah on Saturday."

The Hurricanes are set for practice in Raleigh before facing Utah Hockey Club on Saturday.