RALEIGH, NC — The Columbus Blue Jackets lost their first regular-season game with Johnny Gaudreau4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Wednesday.
It was the season opener for each team.
Gaudreau signed a seven-year, $68.25 million contract ($9.75 million average annual value) on July 13 after nine seasons with the Calgary Flames. The forward had two shots on goal in 20:11 of ice time.
Martin Necas had a goal and two assists, and Frederik Andersen made 31 saves for the Hurricanes, who scored four consecutive goals after falling behind.
“Last season I had a little tough start,” Necas said. “This season, I tried to build myself in the summer to be a different player this year. Obviously, it’s good to have this kind of start, and especially to win for the boys.”
Video: CBJ@CAR: Necas cleans up in front to extend lead
Patrick Laine scored for the Blue Jackets but left midway through the second period with an upper-body injury. Daniel Tarasov made 39 saves in place of Elvis Merzlikinswho was scratched with an illness.
“We scored early there, (we) were building something and then we lost [Laine],” said Columbus coach Brad Larsen, who did not have an update on Laine. “There were some moments there. We were fine through two (periods).”
Laine made it 1-0 at 11 seconds of the second when the forward scored from the right face-off circle on a wrist shot over Andersen’s blocker.
Seth Jarvis tied it 1-1 at 5:12 after he gathered Jack Roslovic‘s blind pass from behind the Columbus net and quickly lifted a backhand inside the left post.
Cole Sillinger had a power-play goal overturned for Columbus at 12:37 when Carolina challenged for offside.
Brady Skjei‘s one-timer off a pass from Necas put the Hurricanes ahead 2-1 with 1:30 left. The goal came 12 seconds after Andersen stopped the Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth at the top of the goal crease.
“He put it right on a tee for me. I just tried to hit the net,” Skjei said. “That one save before my goal, [Danforth] was wide open, and he made a huge save there, so that was probably the turning point in the game.”
Video: CBJ@CAR: Skjei hammers pass home to put Canes ahead
Gaudreau agreed that Skjei’s goal shifted the momentum.
“We played hard in the first, took the lead in the second and they scored a big goal there at the end of the second to make it 2-1,” he said. “It’s tough giving up goals in the last two minutes of a period. That was a big one for them. Other than that, I thought our start was good, but not good enough.”
Necas pushed the lead to 3-1 at 6:29 of the third period. Derek Stepan chipped the rebound of his own shot to Necas, who slipped the puck past Tarasov from the left circle.
“We know there is so much more there,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Necas. “For him to just feel good about his game is going to be huge. We’ve got a lot of these guys that are coming into their own, and he’s just one of them. We need them to keep getting better.”
Video: CBJ@CAR: Jarvis scores in 2nd period
Andrei Svechnikov extended it to 4-1 at 9:18 on a sharp-angled shot from the left boards.
“I thought our third period started looking a little more like how we’re trying to do it,” Brind’Amour said. “We were able to at least, I don’t want to say take over the game, but certainly put it home.”
It was Andersen’s first regular-season game since he sustained a lower-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche on April 16. He missed all 14 games for Carolina in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“I’m just happy to work my way back and [be] healthy enough to play,” Andersen said. “Obviously, it’s fun to be out there playing again. We wanted to take a good first step, and I thought we played really well.”
NOTES: Defenseman Erik Gudbranson had one shot, one hit and two blocked shots in 20:59 in his Blue Jackets debut after signing a four-year, $16 million contract ($4 million AAV) on July 13. … Sillinger was the only Columbus player without a shot on goal. … Three players made their regular-season debut for the Hurricanes: Defenseman Brent Burns, who was traded from the San Jose Sharks on July 13, had six shots in 22:33; forward Paul Stastny, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract Aug. 23, had an assist and two hits in 15:35; and forward Ondrej Kase, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract July 13, had one hit in 11:02. … Svechnikov has scored in three straight season openers. … Andersen is 10-3-3 in 16 games against Columbus.
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