Jarvis Comes Back To Spark Canes' Comeback

RALEIGH, N.C. - Entering Monday's third period down 3-1 and shorthanded for the first 1:06 of the frame, the Carolina Hurricanes needed a spark against the Dallas Stars.

Skating in his first game since sustaining an injury on Nov. 9, Seth Jarvis was ready to provide it.

The 22-year-old teamed up with Sebastian Aho to kill the remainder of that penalty, then set up the Finn a 2-on-1 to send a lightning bolt through Lenovo Center and cut the deficit to one.

That play kicked off a five-goal avalanche for the home team as they stormed back to win 6-4.

"We were obviously not going great (at that point), it wasn't terrible but certainly not up to what we were expecting," said Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour following the win. "That shift (from Jarvis and Aho) kind of just - 'alright, now we're back in it,' and then the building got going and you could just feel the bench getting kind of juiced up."

Even as he played a key role in the comeback, Jarvis was quick to deflect credit to the team's veteran core for keeping the group steady despite the scoreline.

"That third was exactly what we needed. That's a lot of credit to the older guys in here, just keeping us composed, knowing that when we find our game, we've got to trust it and good things are going to happen," he said.

Providing that kind of spark is nothing new for a player known for his infectious energy on and off the ice, but Jarvis drew some high praise from his coach after fighting through his ailment and, seemingly, a healthy dose of boredom, to bring the boost Carolina needed to kick off a big week on home ice with a victory.

"You're not really sure how the guy's going to respond, he didn't even practice. He's practiced on his own, but you don't know what he's going to bring," said Brind'Amour. "He was, I thought, the best player on the ice, even early. He's a special player, we've known that, and to do it after sitting out for a couple of weeks, that says a lot about him."

Never short on confidence, Jarvis was eager to return to action, but even he wasn't sure what he would have in the tank in his first game back.

"I felt better than I initially thought I was going to, but it was honestly just getting used to the speed again, getting used to guys flying at you after two weeks of just stickhandling through cones," said Jarvis.

Through just three NHL seasons and the start of his fourth, Jarvis has evolved into a 5-foot-10 Swiss Army knife who can thrive anywhere Brind'Amour needs him to, and his impact was on full display against Dallas. He logged 17:52 in his return to the lineup - second only to Jordan Martinook - including 2:20 on the penalty kill and 1:36 on the power play.

Jarvis' status as an all-situations stalwart may not be new, but his game continues to grow. Following the game, he spoke about trying to "bring the energy" and "drag everybody into the fight," highlighting his emerging role as a leader despite still being one of the younger members of the squad.

Perhaps three points and the second-most ice time on the team was more than even Jarvis expected in his first game back from injury, but that's the kind of impact leaders are expected to have in the NHL, and it's the kind of impact he has more often than not.

So, when Rod Brind'Amour was asked what brought the team back to life in the final frame, it wasn't a particularly difficult question to answer.

"Jarvy," he answered immediately. "...that's what kind of dragged us in tonight, Jarvy and his performance there."