Carolina Hurricanes power past Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 in preseason opener

Some NHL regulars view preseason games as little more than a necessary evil, something to break up the drudgery of training camp.

For coaches, it’s a chance to evaluate talent during game action and make roster decisions.

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour, who despised preseason games as a player, used the Canes’ first preseason game Tuesday against Tampa Bay to take a look at several of his veterans rather than the younger guys in camp.

The Canes took a 5-1 victory at PNC Arena, scoring three power-play goals and getting 60 minutes in net from goalie Frederik Andersen in his first game since April 16.

“I thought it was good. We played hard,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s probaby how it should look, considering how the lineups were kind of based on both teams. It’s a good first step.”

Andrei Svechnikov and Paul Stastny each had power-play goals in the second period as Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Dylan Coghlan both earned a pair of assists. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis scored in the third for a 4-0 lead, Svechnikov assisting on the Jarvis goal, and Malte Stromwall added another power-play goal as Coghlan earned his third assist of the night.

Andersen was playing his first game since his injury at Colorado on April 16. An MCL tear kept him out through the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Canes bowed out in the second round to the New York Rangers.

“You talk about the rust factor and there probably was a lot of rust there,” Brind’Amour said. “As I said, just a good first step.”

Andersen had little to do in the first 10 minutes of the game, facing just one shot before the Lightning, with a minimum of veterans in the lineup, could muster some offense. Tampa Bay’s goal came in the third when Vladislav Namestnikov banged in his own rebound.

It was a much busier night for Lightning goalie Maxime Lagace. The Canes had a 15-4 shooting edge after the first and 34-13 after the second.

Svechnikov’s goal came off a big one-timer from the left circle, and Stastny tipped a heavy shot from the top by Coghlan for a 2-0 lead. Aho beat Lagace to the short side and Jarvis to the far post, then Stromwall unloaded a shot on the power play.

The Canes’ top three lines were in the game, as Aho centered Teuvo Teravainen and Jarvis; Kotkaniemi was at center with Svechnikov and Martin Necas, and Jordan Staal centered Stastny and Jesper Fast.

Stastny, a free agent signed Aug. 23, appears set to replace the departed Nino Niederreiter on the Staal line, which should be a stress-free transition given Stastny’s experience and versatility.

“He knows how to play,” Brind’Amour said. “Whatever situation you want to put him in, he gets it, he’s been there. There’s a lot of comfort in that.”

Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce were the Canes’ first defensive pairing as Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns did not dress. Brind’Amour looked at new pairings of Jalen Chatfield and Coghlan and Griffin Mendel and Anttoni Honka.

On the power play, Pesce and then Coghlan quarterbacked units. Coghlan’s cross-ice pass from the right point to Kotkaniemi led to Svechnikov’s power-play goal in the second. Stastny’s goal came off the tip of a heavy Coghlan shot from the point as Stastny went to the front of the net.

“The power play is going to be interesting because we’ve got a lot of good players who can play it,” Brind’Amour said. “Finding the right mix ... I think it’s going to be always evolving and we have a lot of good options.”

The Canes and Lightning were scheduled to play again Wednesday in Tampa, Florida, but the game was postponed because of the threat of Hurricane Ian.