Monthly Performance Review: March

RALEIGH, NC. -Just one calendar month remains in the Carolina Hurricanes' 2021-22 regular season.
68 games have gone by, 14 remain.
The team was tasked with 16 games in 31 days over the course of March, finishing tied for the second-most games played by any team in the league. How'd they handle it? By taking points in 12 of them, also matching a league-high.

Previously Monthly Reviews:
October: 8-0-0
November: 7-5-1
December: 7-2-0
January: 9-2-1
February: 6-2-2

March: 8-4-4

Including quality wins over playoff-bound opponents like Pittsburgh, Colorado, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Washington, there were several examples that once again reiterated how strong of a club the Canes are.
There were trials as well as tribulations, including an 0-3-1 stretch during the middle portion and a
frustrating defeat to Dallas
despite more than tripling them in shots.
At the end of the day though, for a sixth consecutive month, there was more good than bad, concluding with the club being just points away from locking up a fourth consecutive playoff spot.

The Importance Of DeAngelo

Missing the first nine games of March due to a core injury suffered toward the end of February, Tony DeAngelo's return showed how important of a piece he is to the team's blue line and man advantage alike. Jalen Chatfield did a very admirable job while both DeAngelo and Brendan Smith were out of the lineup, proving that he can play in the NHL on a nightly basis. However, #77's offensive flare and ability to take the power play are among the elite in the league.
The Canes went 4-3-2 without DeAngelo in March and 4-1-2 with him.
The power play went 17.4% without him, 25.0% with him.
From March 1-19, the Canes scored just 41 goals over the course of nine games, an average of just 2.33 per game.
From March 20-31, the Canes scored 26 goals in five games, an average of 3.71 per night.

Deadline Day Acquisition Of Domi

As the team
approached the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline
, the only rumblings publicly heard was that the Canes may be in the market for a depth defenseman.
We'd heard time and time again Rod Brind'Amour say that he liked his group and didn't want to subtract any pieces.
Perhaps it was the play of Chatfield, giving upper management confidence in the existing options available beyond the first six or seven on the depth chart, but ultimately the team got creative to
acquire Max Domi from Columbus for a small package
highlighted by a mid-range prospect. In all, the team added a player that can contribute up and down the lineup for a very small price.
Albeit we're just five games into his tenure with the club, Domi's already produced a trio of points and shown an ability to play on multiple lines. Starting off alongside Derek Stepan and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, two players he'd played with during his time in Arizona and Montreal, the seventh-year forward also got a shot with Vincent Trocheck and Andrei Svechnikov on Thursday.
A versatile forward who has produced 28 goals in a season before, his addition undoubtedly added another weapon to the group.

Eight More Years Of KK

On the same day that the team brought Domi aboard, they also announced an
eight-year contract extension
for Kotkaniemi.
Both his coaches and teammates have
raved all season about the 21-year-old's attitude
, work ethic, and ability to learn. Quickly becoming a key piece to the organization's young core of players, both he and management secured the relationship through the end of the 2029-30 season, excited for his role in the team's future.

Pumpin' Up PNC

The Canes went 6-1-2 on home ice during the month of March, which began with a perfect four-game home stand to start things off.
There was a thrilling
come from behind victory against the Penguins
,
a blanking of the league-leading Avalanche
and later on a playoff-like
3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning
.
Allowing a league-low 1.67 goals against over those nine games, both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta recorded shutouts along the way, with Raanta making 36 stops against Colorado and Andersen turning away 32 Thursday against Montreal.

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Miscellaneous Bonus Notes

Worth A Click:
Canes To Host Military Appreciation Night
Canes Sign Noel Gunler To Entry-Level Contract
Hurricanes April Schedule
NHL Standings