Alex Nedeljkovic of Parma, OH notched his second career National Hockey League shutout on Tuesday. The shutout was extra sweet for Nedeljkovic as he recorded it in his home state of Ohio, in a 3-0 Hurricanes win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Nedeljkovic made five saves in the first period, seven saves in the second period, and seven saves in the third period for 19 saves overall. Six Blue Jackets were tied for the team lead with two shots on goal. They were Eric Robinson of Bellmawr, NJ, Max Domi of Winnipeg, Manitoba, captain Nick Foligno of Buffalo, NY, Boone Jenner of Dorchester, Ontario, Patrik Laine of Tampere, Finland, and Jack Roslovic of Columbus, OH.
Offensively for the Hurricanes, Jesper Fast and Sebastian Aho led the Hurricanes in scoring with two points. Fast of Nassjo, Sweden, had one goal and one assist, while Aho of Rauma, Finland, had two assists. The other two goal scorers on the Hurricanes were Brady Skjei of Lakeville, MN, and Martin Necas of Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic.
On the season, Nedeljkovic now has a record of seven wins, two regulation losses, and two losses in extra time. He has a goals-against-average of 1.96, a save percentage of .930, and two shutouts. Nedeljkovic’s other shutout this season came in a 4-0 Hurricanes win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on February 20.
In one of the most remarkable stories of the 2020-21 NHL season, Nedeljkovic was put on waivers by the Hurricanes, was not claimed by anyone, returned to the Hurricanes organization, and all of a sudden, is now their number one goaltender. He has passed James Reimer and Petr Mrazek on the Hurricanes goaltending depth chart.
With the win, the Hurricanes are now in second place in the NHL’s Central Division with 45 points. They have a record of 21 wins, seven regulation losses, and three losses in extra time.
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