Jack Drury’s two assists and Pyotr Kochetkov’s 30-save performance secured a 5-1 win for the Carolina Hurricanes over the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night inside Mullett Arena.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Teuvo Teravainen, Michael Bunting, Jordan Martinook, Seth Jarvis and Jalen Chatfield all scored for the ‘Canes (31-17-5).
Dylan Guenther was only the player to score for the Coyotes (23-26-4) who have lost eight-straight games. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves before Matt Villalta stopped four shots in relief.
‘Canes Storm into Tempe
Former Coyote in Martinook scored just 16 seconds in after scooping a loose puck in front of and around Vejmelka to hand the Hurricanes lead, 1-0.
Being in the right place at the right time, Chatfield was the recipient of a scuffed wraparound attempt by Martin Nečas in which the puck fell onto his tape perfectly. With Vejmelka scrambling to get back into position in his crease, Chatfield shot over the ‘Yotes netminder for Carolina to go up 2-0 4:50 into the first period.
Guenther would then respond by firing a wrist shot past the blocker of Kochetkov to trail by one, 2-1.
“The way we started the game was unfortunate,” Coyotes head coach André Tourigny said. “We need to be more detailed, and that’s on me. That’s my responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
With the highlight of the night, Jarvis tried to find some space before quickly spinning and ripping the puck top-shelf, beating Vejmelka for a 3-1 ‘Canes lead at 6:28 of the second.
Jarvy's in a silly goofy scoring mood pic.twitter.com/xFTIUgAekV
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) February 17, 2024
The Hurricanes tacked on another to make it 4-1 after Vejemlka stopped an initial shot by Drury. Vejmelka tried to find the puck, but it happened to slip between his legs until Teravanien tapped it in with 2:44 remaining in the middle period.
Vejmelka’s night would be over after Bunting, another former Coyote, went five hole to widen the margin to 5-1 at 4:37 in the third frame.
That final goal spurred Tourigny to give a new player his first shot in the NHL.
Being recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners this morning, goaltender Matt Villalta came in to replace Vejmelka and wrap up the game.
“Not the result we were looking for, but on a personal note, it’s something very special, and definitely a cool moment despite the loss,” Villalta said after making his NHL debut. “I’m just very thankful and fortunate for everyone who’s helped me this far to get to this point. I just tried to soak it all in as much as I could but stay in the moment at the same time.”
Next Games
Coyotes: Away at Colorado Avalanche (33-18-4) on Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. MST
Hurricanes: Away at Vegas Golden Knights (31-16-6) on Feb. 17 at 8:30 p.m. MST
Arizona Coyotes announce brand-new streaming service, ‘Coyotes Central’
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Arizona Coyotes, Cardinals and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
