Simply, the difference in the game was Jacob Markstrom.
"That was a pretty good goalie performance. That's one of the better ones I've seen," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We put up a ton of opportunities and just couldn't find a way to put it in."
Julien Gauthier, in search of his first career NHL goal, made a power move to the net in the first period, but Markstrom made a better glove save. In the second, he came up with another big glove save on Dougie Hamilton's one-timer opportunity. Sebastian Aho had a scoring chance denied by Markstrom's glove in the third period, and then Brett Pesce couldn't convert on a breakaway chance.
A total of 43 shots, including 22 in the second period alone, but no goals. It was just that kind of night.
"We hit a hot goalie. He was the difference in the game," Brind'Amour said. "He was phenomenal. You tip your hat and move on."
3. The Goal That Wasn't
Sebastian Aho should have given the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead in the second period on a delayed penalty sequence. Not "should have" as in "he missed a golden opportunity to do so" but rather "should have" as in "the wrong call was made on the ice."
A one-time bid from Ryan Dzingel ended in a shattered stick. His shot turned into an unintended seam pass, the puck hopping over the sticks of Antoine Roussel and Jordie Benn and finding Aho, who scooped it into the net.
Referee Michael Markovic mistakenly blew the play dead, even though Vancouver had not established possession of the puck. That's not a reviewable play, either, so the call on the ice was the final word.
"They said it was their mistake," Staal said. "It's a fast game."
"I think they jumped the gun there blowing the whistle," Brind'Amour said. "It's unfortunate. It cost us a point."
Puck did lie, though, because the Canes didn't convert on the ensuing power play.
4. Penalty Kill Remains Hot
The Hurricanes own the second-best penalty kill in the league, and they needed it in the first period. The Canes were whistled for three straight penalties, which "took away momentum off the start," according to Staal.
But the penalty kill, firing at 86% on the season, came up big and allowed the Canes to settle into the game.
"The guys dig in," Brind'Amour said. "That was huge early on to keep us in the game, for sure. They had three in a row, so it could have been a different game had they scored there. The whole game could have turned. Special teams were huge."
The Canes still out-shot the Canucks, 8-5, in the opening frame. Still, the totality of the first 20 minutes was fairly even hockey.
5. Mrazek Sharp, As Well
Petr Mrazek's sharp performance was overshadowed by his counterpart at the opposite end of the ice, but he turned away all 24 shots he faced in regulation. The first shot on goal Mrazek faced in the game was a grade-A scoring chance for the Canucks, as Bo Horvat raced in alone. Mrazek got a piece of the shot with his blocker.
