Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Recap: Welcome to the Preseason

TAMPA, Florida: The Carolina Hurricanes have taken their first win of the 2024-2025 preseason, with a last-minute stunner against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena.

Lines

The Hurricanes’ forward lines entered the game as:

Robinson – Drury – Lemieux

Jost – Kotkaniemi – Gagner

Nadeau – Unger Sorum – Blake

Jaaska – Brind’Amour (yes, the son of Hurricanes legend and current head coach Rod Brind’Amour) – Grimaldi

The defensive lines remained throughout the game as:

Orlov – Heimosalmi

Smith – Legault

Seeley – Honka

Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov played the entire game in net. Kochetkov was a surprise star for the Hurricanes last season, as he ended up playing a majority of the 2023-2024 regular season due to starting goaltender Frederik Andersen being diagnosed with a blood clotting issue. (Andersen returned to play during the latter half of the season and was the playoff starter.) As the season approaches, fans (and Tampa Bay broadcast) commonly ask the question of, “Who will be the starting goaltender for the regular season?”

Kochetkov utilized this game to fight for that spot. While Andersen will likely remain the starter for the regular season due to longevity and being on the final year of his Hurricanes contract, there is a chance for the Carolina Hurricanes organization to continue their dual-goaltending rotation of Andersen/Kochetkov that worked well last spring.

The first preseason game was largely the Pyotr Kochetkov Show, with Kochetkov stopping 22 of 23 shots on goal from a talented young Tampa group. Kochetkov occasionally used the famous poke-check during saves. Hurricanes fans and broadcasting duo Tripp Tracy and Mike Maniscalco noted that Kochetkov was the “unofficial first-star” of the game for his effort and saves throughout three periods.

The first period only emphasized Kochetkov and the Hurricanes defense, with Tampa Bay’s rookie offensive talent breaking through. At 9:42 into the first period, Raleigh native and Tampa Bay PTO forward Logan Brown scored the first goal of the game, putting Tampa ahead 1-0. (Brown’s father played for the Hurricanes from 1995-1997.) Assists were credited to defenseman Declan Carlice and right-winger Lucas Edmonds.

The second period was more Hurricanes-centric on both penalties and scoring. Early in the second, Jackson Blake was sent to the penalty box for hooking. Two minutes later, Hurricanes defenseman Ronan Seeley was sent to the box for the same penalty. At 8:14, 2019 third-round pick Anttoni Honka put the Hurricanes on the board with an assist from Tyson Jost.

In true Carolina Hurricanes fashion, the third period remained tied until the final minute. At 19:15, Aleksi Heimosalmi was credited with the game-winning goal. Assists were officially released after the game as being by Jack Drury and Blake.

Drury, Kochetkov, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi were the three biggest questions of the previous roster going into the evening’s game. Kotkaniemi had a disappointing 2023-2024 season after being a former third-overall pick, causing many to wonder if he was an official “draft bust.” Drury filed for arbitration but settled for a two-year deal in July. Drury and Kotkaniemi both performed well on faceoffs, with Kotkaniemi changing his stick-handling to his right hand. The question now will focus on the three’s performances throughout the rest of preseason and how much, if at all, can translate into the regular season.

Other early questions were answered, such as powerplay concerns. The Hurricanes failed to score on a powerplay during the second period. Rookies with high expectations, particularly Bradly Naudeau, were not visible this early in preseason. Fans can expect to see more of said rookies in Chicago this season, playing for the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate of the Chicago Wolves.

The Hurricanes play their next preseason game at home in Raleigh, North Carolina, against the Florida Panthers, the reigning Stanley Cup champions.