Despite the two goals, the Canes weren't yet in the clear. New Jersey was flying all over the ice in the opening frame, registering 25 shot attempts in the opening 20 minutes. While they would cash in on one of them before the end of the frame, it was otherwise just the start of what would be a phenomenal outing for Raanta.
The Carolina netminder was playing in his first game since January 1 against Columbus, where he exited the contest after just one period of play. It'd been a long four weeks for the Finnish goalie, who, after working his way back from the lower-body injured he suffered against the Blue Jackets, then had an upper-body injury that also required more time to come back from. However, the evening's eventual number one star showed no signs of rust in the effort.
In the second period alone, Raanta made bailout saves on Jesper Boqvist, Jesper Bratt and Nathan Bastian keeping his team ahead in the 2-1 contest. As he made those saves, New Jersey only got their attack going stronger and stronger, providing the feeling that if Raanta were not playing the way he was, the Devils could very well have been ahead by multiple goals.
The 32-year-old Finn kept the second period scoreless, while his team was also unable to push another past Jon Gillies, who started to string together some strong saves of his own.
In the third Rod Brind'Amour shuffled his deck a bit, utilizing a few different line combinations to try and get his team going. Post-game he said that the team's first 40 minutes were "not very good" but the third was "great". His unit was able to lock it down, holding the visiting side to just three shots in the final frame of regulation. Raanta was able to keep all three out, hanging on to give his team a 2-1 win amid his 24-save effort.
They Said It:
Jordan Martinook sharing his thoughts on the effort of his goaltender tonight:
"I said to him after the game, that's the Rants I've seen steal a lot of games. When I was with him in Arizona, when he gets going, it's hard for pucks to get past him. That was vintage Rants right there. I was super happy for him. Obviously he's had some injuries and he's getting back to it, he's working his tail off in practice. It just shows all of his hard work and we needed him tonight. He made three breakaway saves. It's great to see and I'm happy for him that he had that game."
Antti Raanta on his performance:
"Everything since Tuesday has been preparation for today. It's been a lot of hard work. It's great to get rewarded. It's nice to make a couple big saves in the second period and then in the third we played really well. The guys helped me out a lot."
Rod Brind'Amourspeaking on the team's third period:
"The third was great, right? That's how you have to play with the lead. I don't know how many shots we gave up there, I think it was only a couple. That kind of turned the tide of the game, I thought. I think they could've had a couple there in the second. It wasn't a great first couple of periods, but I give the guys credit, because when the game was on the line, they turned it up."
What's Next?:
The Canes turn right back around and host the San Jose Sharks tomorrow evening at PNC Arena. Given the 5 p.m. puck drop, the team will not hold a morning skate.
Bonus Notes:
Worth A Click:
Seeing Green: Whalers Night Commitment & Preparation
Whalers Night: How The Franchise Turned Its History To An Annual, Can't-Miss Event
