Martin Necas sets new Hurricanes record with bonkers 4-point game
It was a rocky summer for Martin Necas as trade rumors ran rampant around him. The Carolina Hurricanes star eventually signed a two-year contract extension with the team. However, the relationship between player and team remained tenuous. With the new season underway, though, those trade rumors seem like a distant memory.
Necas has stormed out of the gates in 2024-25 for Carolina. And his skills were front and center for the team on Sunday. Necas scored twice and added two assists for a four-point game against the St. Louis Blues. Necas is now up to 11 goals and 30 points through his first 17 games this year.
Necas also set a new franchise record with his performance. The Hurricanes forward is the fastest player to score 30 points in a season while wearing a Carolina sweater. Necas needed 17 games, which is one better than the 18 games required by Eric Staal in the 2005-06 season, according to NHL Public Relations.
Hurricanes' Martin Necas has dominated early in 2024-25
Martin Necas being good at hockey is certainly no surprise. The Hurricanes star has shown his skill on the ice time and time again. However, he had some ups and downs last season following a 71-point 2022-23 campaign. But he looks to have reached a new level in 2024-25.
In addition to his new record, Necas extended his point streak to 13 games on Sunday. "He's certainly driving the ship for us, there's no doubt about it. Pretty much on a nightly basis, so it's very, very good to see," Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said after beating the Blues, via NHL.com.
The results are breaking Carolina's way, as well. The Hurricanes have won 11 of their last 13 games with Necas driving the way offensively. He has 27 points during this span. Moreover, he is now one of three skaters in the league with 30+ points. Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 33 points, while Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov is on his heels with 31.
The Hurricanes have needed someone to score goals and drive offense for a while. Carolina has failed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in part due to a lack of finishing ability. As a result, this start to the year from Necas has to give the team confidence they finally have a top-six goal scorer to rely on.
The Hurricanes are now 13-4-0 on the young 2024-25 campaign. Carolina retakes the ice again on Wednesday when they begin a three-game road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers. It will certainly be interesting to see if Necas can turn in another dominant performance against a struggling Flyers team.
