Rachel Barkley
When Shayne Gostisbehere was injured against the Edmonton Oilers, a separate issue arose aside from merely the fact of losing their most offensive defenseman.
Once again, they had lost a significant contributor to their power play in the top unit’s quarterback.
However, it appeared that this time, the Carolina Hurricanes’ coaching staff tried something new as they added Gostisbehere’s linemate, Alexander Nikishin, to the top power play unit as the quarterback.
The change came as Nikishin’s defensive game has grown noticeably in recent games, and it was good to see the 24-year-old rookie given an extra level of responsibility – even if experimental.
Nikishin Accomplished a Lot on the Top Unit
In Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he handled things decently. Of course, there were a few issues here and there he stands to polish up on, but it was overall a welcome addition, if even only to give him added experience on the defensive, play-making side of power play forechecking.
And it worked out in the Hurricanes’ favor on the scoresheet. With the top unit on the two-man advantage, Nikishin let fly a nifty snap shot on a magnificent play – a goal which gave the Hurricanes breathing room, and ultimately was the all-important goal to pull them through the sixty minutes as the Penguins pushed back and drove them to overtime.
Additionally, the goal also put him into the Hurricanes’ history books, as he passed Justin Faulk for the most goals by a rookie defenseman, with his ninth of the season. The franchise record had remained untouchable since it was established in the 2011-12 season.
In His Words (With Some Help)
After the game, Nikishin spoke about his experience on the top power play unit, with some help from fellow-Russian Andrei Svechnikov, who served as the translator.
“He said that we put all the mistakes on power play on him,” Svechnikov said after the game, assisting his Russian teammate, who let out a laugh after answering the question in his native tongue.
“So, he’s kind of mad a little bit.”
They discussed things a bit more, as Nikishin provided a detailed answer to the question.
“He said, obviously, it’s a joke,” he clarified via Svechnikov. “But it just feels good, you know, playing in first power play, and you gotta expect everything, because all the passes can come from anywhere and you just got to expect there and be focused there.”
Nikishin also spoke on the record he broke with the power play goal.
“It feels good to him, obviously,” Svechnikov said. “Just making the history, it’s special, and he will never forget that.”
