Carolina's faceoff dominance (58.6%) gave them structural control of puck possession throughout, while Utah's 18 giveaways gifted the Hurricanes the transition opportunities that built and then sealed the margin. This was a game decided by process, not moments — Carolina's systems ran cleaner in every phase.
⚡TURNING POINT
Aho's goal at 15:31 of the third restored a two-goal lead just 13 minutes after Utah had cut the deficit to one, collapsing any tactical window Utah had to sustain pressure. With 4:29 remaining, a two-goal deficit against a 52-win team was insurmountable.
🏆WHY CAR WON
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Faceoff dominance at 58.6% (41 of 70 won) created sustained offensive-zone time and denied Utah clean possession to generate sustained pressure.
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Utah's 18 giveaways — nearly double Carolina's 10 — repeatedly handed the Hurricanes transition chances that converted into the game's decisive third and fourth goals.
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Andersen conceded 1.70 goals fewer than league-average on 27 shots; in a four-goal Carolina win, that margin removed any margin for error Utah might have exploited.
📉WHY UTA LOST
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Utah's 18 giveaways were structural, not incidental — they eliminated sustained zone time and gifted Carolina's transition game its best opportunities.
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Power play efficiency of 16.7% on six opportunities left scoring chances unrealized; Carolina's 25.0% on four attempts was the more economical unit.
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Vejmelka conceded 0.10 goals above league-average on 29 shots — effectively neutral, meaning Utah's goaltending provided no buffer against its own execution failures.
Three Stars
Jordan Staal1st
CAR, C
1G 1A 2P4 shots on goalTOI 19:06+2
Staal drove production in both directions, generating offense while maintaining a plus-two differential across all situations.
Dylan Guenther2nd
UTA, R
1G 0A 1P4 shots on goalTOI 20:47
Guenther's power-play goal briefly narrowed the gap and represented Utah's most credible offensive threat of the night.
Frederik Andersen3rd
CAR, G
SV% 0.96326 savesTOI 60:00
Andersen conceded 1.70 goals fewer than league-average on 27 shots — that margin ensured Utah's sporadic chances never threatened the result.
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Carolina's faceoff engine and Utah's giveaway problem were always going to produce this scoreline — the third period just confirmed it.
