South Raleigh News

Martin Necas scored for the Carolina Hurricanes, extending his point streak to 11 games, but Karel Vejmelka's impressive 49 saves led the Utah Hockey Club to a 4-1 victory at the Delta Center. Despite dominating the first period with a 14-8 shot advantage, the Hurricanes trailed 1-0 entering the second period.

The Hurricanes capitalized on a power play in the middle frame when Necas scored past Vejmelka. However, they couldn't convert their strong performance into more goals. Utah took control in the third period with three goals, including two quick strikes within 17 seconds.

Vejmelka's efforts were crucial as he helped his team withstand nearly 11 minutes of Hurricanes' power-play time in the final frame. Pyotr Kochetkov made 15 saves on 18 shots before leaving midway through the third period due to an incident involving Sean Walker. Spencer Martin replaced him and stopped two of three shots.

Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour acknowledged Vejmelka's performance: "Their goalie was obviously the story. We definitely had enough scoring opportunities." He also pointed out errors during a five-on-three situation: "We butchered it...You can't hold onto the puck like that."

Necas commented on Vejmelka's form: "When he gets hot, he gets hot...We've got to get a little bit more in his eyes so he doesn't see the puck."

The Hurricanes will return home to Raleigh and prepare for their next game against Ottawa on Saturday.