In Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes’ Nino Niederreiter‘s second goal of the game ended up being the difference maker in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. 
“Last year, there was a lot of overthinking and trying to do too much instead of laying back and playing the way you want to play,” Niederreiter said. “I’m glad to find that jam again.”
The strike came in the third period as part of the Canes’ response to a Chicago rally that tied the game, 2-2, i the middle frame.
“We had a great game tonight,” Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I thought we could have had 10 goals. We were on it, and I don’t think we gave up a ton. They’re such a dynamic team, where they can all of a sudden out of nothing spring something. James had to make some big saves.”
James Reimer made 26 saves in the win.
Patrick Kane scored a goal and had three points in the loss.
“It was a big challenge, they’re a really good team,” Chicago head coach Jeremy Colliton said. “They probably were better than us the first two periods, but I thought we hung in there, showed some resiliency to stay in the game, and gave ourselves a chance to make a couple of plays to be in a tie game.”
Ian Mitchell also scored for the Blackhawks who knotted the game up in the second period.
Niederreiter scored in the first period and Vincent Trocheck added a goal in the second to stake the Canes to a 2-0 lead.
Martin Necas had a strike for the Canes, who improved to 11-3-1.
“I think [Necas’] confidence has really grown, and you can see it in the way he’s playing,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s been really solid.”
Jaccob Slavin scored an empty-net goal for the Canes to give them a 5-2 lead.
Chicago’s Carl Soderberg added a tip-in goal with under a minute in the game for the 5-3 final.
“In the third period, we just didn’t quite reach their level,” he said. “They were just stronger on the puck, they were stronger in battles, more clean with their puck plays, and it kind of led to a bunch of penalties for us. When you don’t clear the puck on the penalty kill, you really make it hard on yourself, and they have two really dangerous units.”
Kevin Lankinen made 33 saves in the loss.
Carolina dressed in their Hartford Whalers retro jerseys.
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