Category: Carolina Hurricanes

Qualifying Round Preview – New York Rangers v. Carolina Hurricanes

The return of the NHL is quickly approaching and here at TXHT we will be breaking down all of the play in and round robin series for you all before the action kicks off on August 1st. The New York Rangers, the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference, will play the Carolina Hurricanes, the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, in one of the play in best-of-five series. This is going to be a dogfight for both squads as they both have some advantages over the other but one squad does come out with a slight edge. Let’s jump in.

 

FORWARDS

The Rangers possess some superstar forwards in Artemiy Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. Those two lead the forward corps that features Ryan Strome, Chris Kreider, Pavel Buchnevich, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. Depth guys like Brenden Lemieux, Brett Howden, Jesper Fast and Julien Gauthier round their group out. Look for Vitali Kravtsov, picked 9th overall in 2018, to make a big push to make the roster. 

 

The Hurricanes features a powerhouse top line of Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. They are easily the three most talented forwards on the Hurricanes and they have great chemistry together. The forward groups rounds out with Vincent Trocheck, Jordan Staal, Nino Niederreiter, Martin Necas, Justin Williams, Ryan Dzingel, Brock McGinn and Warren Foegele. Morgan Geekie, who scored four points in two games prior to the break could provide some nice secondary scoring and be a nice surprise for the team. 

 

So who gets the edge here? It’s tough to say. While Carolina certainly has the more balanced attack, the Rangers do possess higher end forwards than the Hurricanes do. Artemiy Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are superstars. Panarin is the best overall player in this series Sebastian Aho is a superstar but his winger aren’t quite at his level. Trocheck, Necas, Niederreiter and other ensure than Carolina has a deeper forward group with more experience by the Rangers have some rookies in Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and potentially Vitali Kravtsov, who are all full of potential. Kakko especially will be looked upon to provide some scoring. Look for a nice battle between the second overall picks in 2018 and 2019 in Svechnikov and Kakko to see who will make the biggest impact. 

 

If the Hurricanes are unable to contain Panarin and Zibanejad, this series will get ugly fast. If the Rangers defense can’t deal with the balanced and consistent attacks of the Hurricanes than this will be a short series as well. Most likely, both groups of forwards will have big moments and it’s going to be an absolute dogfight. 

 

EDGE?

Ever so slightly, this edge goes to the New York Rangers. Artemiy Panarin is one of the best forwards in the entire NHL and can win MVP this year with how well he played. 95 points in 69 games. He is a bonafide gamebreaker and his play along with the goal scoring ability of Mika Zibaejad, the speed of Chris Kreider and the possible breakout of Kaapo Kakko give the Rangers the slight edge over the Hurricanes in the forward group. 

 

DEFENSE

The Rangers have a nice young budding group of defenseman but they are outmatched here by the Hurricanes combination of skill and depth. Adam Fox had a calder caliber season and Tony DeAngelo, who broke out as one of the best offensive dmen in the league are really good and Jacob Trouba provides some great stay at home work but the combination of Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, Joel Edmundson, Jake Bean, Jake Gardiner, Brady Skjei etc. push the Hurricanes over the top here. From top to bottom, the Hurricanes have the stronger defense of the two teams. 

 

At this point, the Rangers have three really good dmen, one still finding his way in Ryan Lindgren and two past their primes in Brenden Smith and Marc Staal. The Hurricanes from top to bottom just have the better depth. Hamilton was on pace for his first Norris Trophy. Slavin is one of the best in the game and has been underappreciated for years. Edmundson is a Stanley Cup champion. Bean is a great young up and comer. Gardiner has great offensive instinct and Skjei in a lesser role can be effective. 

 

EDGE

The Hurricanes and it’s not close. 

 

GOALTENDING

Igor Shesterkin, Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev. The three headed monster of the New York Rangers. All three can win games, all three can come up clutch and all three are more capable than anyone the Hurricanes have. Shesterkin is the new franchise goaltender for the Rangers and had a 10-2 record after being recalled from the American Hockey League this season. He set all kinds of records overseas and it’s his time to lead the Rangers into the future. Lundqvist, the future first ballot hall of famer, has led the Rangers for the past 15 seasons and you can look to him to jump in if Shesterkin falters. Georgiev is another fantastic young goaltender who the Rangers can also choose to lean on if they wish. 

 

Petr Mrazek, Alex Nedeljkovic, James Reimer and Anton Forsberg just don’t match up to the quality goaltending the Rangers have. All four are of course NHL caliber goalies and can steal you a game here and there but none have the type of consistency the Rangers goalies have. Nedeljkovic is the Hurricanes future in net but he isn’t there yet. 

 

EDGE

Rangers and by a lot.

 

CAR-NYR.png

 

PREDICTION:

This is going to be an incredibly close series. The firepower of the Rangers meets the imposing defense of the Hurricanes. After taking in all the facts about both teams, the way they play and the history between them: The New York Rangers take this series in five games and advance.

 

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Stanley Cup Preview – Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes made the Eastern Conference Finals last season, ultimately falling to the Boston Bruins but they have indeed arrived. They feature a balanced attack, a defense corps that ranks among the best in the NHL and goaltending, that although can be shaky, can get hot at times. Let’s jump right in. 

 

FORWARDS

It starts with their dynamite top line of Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Svechnikov has established himself as one of the rising stars of the NHL. After a dynamite rookie season where he scored 20 goals in 82 games, Svechnikov scored 24 in 68 this year and it was beginning to look like he just might be able to scratch 30 if the season hadn’t been stopped. You may remember him from how mich they showed his lacrosse goal this season on highlight reels. He’s only 20 years old and one of Carolina’s most skillful forwards. Svechnikov ranked 3rd in points on the team this year with 61. 

 

Teravainen, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks a few seasons ago, has blossomed in Carolina. Teravainen was a 30-40 point forward in Chicago but has since turned into a 60-70 point player in Carolina with the potential for 80 if things fall right for him. He’s only 25 years old and had 63 points this season which was good enough for 2nd on the Hurricanes in points. 

 

Finally, we get to Sebastian Aho. He drives that top line and has turned himself into the Hurricane’s number one center. Aho, who was drafted 35th overall in 2015, has become one of the premier forwards in the NHL. Aho is the centerpiece of the Hurricanes offense and will looks to continue to lead their top line and forward corps at the play in/playoffs continue. Aho, Teravainen and Svechnikov thrive off each other. Aho became an 80 point guy last year so look for him to continue his ascension. He’s only 22 years old. 

 

The Hurricanes powerful top line isn’t the only thing going for them. The other members of their forward corps are nothing to laugh at. Nino Niederreiter, a speedy winger with good hands who the Hurricanes acquired from the Minnesota Wild has proven to be quite the acquisition for the Hurricanes and he provides nice secondary scoring. Prized rookie Martin Necas will also look to make a bigger impact as his NHL career grows. Vincent Trocheck, acquired from the Florida Panthers, slots in just below Aho to form a deadly one-two center punch. Jordan Staal, while not the player he once was, is still a very solid dependable center as well. Justin Williams, Ryan Dzingel and Warren Foegele round out the forward corps but one wild card is youngster Morgan Geekie. Geekie, 21, scored four points, including two goals, in two games before the season pause. He could provide some nice secondary scoring. Here’s a preview of their forward lines for the play in/playoffs: 

 

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Teuvo Teravainen

Nino Niederreiter – Vincent Trocheck – Martin Necas

Brock McGinn – Jordan Staal – Justin Williams

Ryan Dzingel – Morgan Geekie – Warren Foegele

 

DEFENSE

This is where the Hurricanes biggest strength lies. They have one of the top defense corps in the National Hockey League and for the play in round, they get their best defenseman back from injury making them even more deadly. The Hurricanes are bringing 10 defensemen with them to the play in tournament. Those include: Dougie Hamilton (who had 40 points in 47 games before an injury), Joel Edmundson (former Stanley Cup Champion), Haydn Fleury (promising rookie), Jake Gardiner (talented offensive dman they acquired in the offseason), Jake Bean (one of the best defenseman in the AHL), Brett Pesce (who may not play due to injury but is one of the most underrated dmen in the entire league), Brady Skjei (acquired from the Rangers for a first round pick for depth), Jaccob Slavin (one of the best young dmen in the league), Trevor van Riemsdyk (a great depth guy) and Sami Vatanen (acquired from the NJ Devils for depth). 

 

We can count Pesce and possibly even Vatanen out, even if the latter did skate with the team in July so far. Which leaves eight guys fighting for six spots on the blueline. This is a good problem to have as the Hurricanes will get the best of the best out of their defenseman as the battle to make the team rages on in training camp. My prediction is that Hamiton, Edmundson, Slavin, Bean, Gardiner and Skjei will make the team with Fleury and Vatanen serving as injury replacements. 

 

Hamilton was on the way to his first Norris trophy season and it will be great to see what he can bring to the table during some playoff action. Edmundson has won a cup and knows what it takes to get there. Bean was one of the best defenseman in the AHL and could be a spark on the Hurricanes defense to give them yet another weapon. Gardiner has great offensive instincts, he just needs to cut down on the mistakes and Brady Skjei will make a good second or third pairing guy as long as he can cut down on the mistakes. The Hurricanes defense will be a challenge for any team to get by. Here is a preview of their defense pairings: 

 

Jaccob Slavin – Dougie Hamilton 

Joel Edmundson – Jake Bean

Brady Skjei – Jake Gardiner

 

GOALTENDING

This is where the Hurricanes falter a bit. They have serviceable goaltending but none of them are the most consistent. Petr Mrazek can steal a game here and there but isn’t the most consistent. James Reimer is cut from the same cloth, he’s reliable sometimes but other times he can be a trainwreck. Alex Nedeljkovic will be joining the team and the rookie has shown great flashes of potential but nothing too consistent so far at the NHL level. Anton Forsberg rounds out their goaltending depth but he’s nothing more than a backup at this point. Who starts is anyone’s guess but at the end of the day, look for Mrazek to start with Nedeljkovic backing him up. 

 

Final Thoughts

Armed with a balanced attack that features a deadly top line, a defense corps that ranks among the best in the league and goaltending, that although shaky can steal a game here and there, makes the Hurricanes one of the most intriguing teams in the play in/playoffs. Will they get back to the Eastern Conference Finals? Time will tell.

 

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Game Recap: New Jersey Devils @ Carolina Hurricanes 2/14/20

New Jersey Devils (21-26-10 52pts) vs Carolina Hurricanes (33-21-3 69pts)

Game Recap:

Happy Valentines Day Devils fans! Tonight your New Jersey Devils head south for one game as they take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Unfortunately for the Devils things didn’t go as good as their victory against the Red Wings last night. Carolina got on the board quickly as Nino Niedereiter slapped one behind Devils goalie Louis Domingue. Mirco Mueller tied the fame for the Devils as he jumped into the play and put the puck in on a feed from Travis Zajac in front of the net. Being tied didn’t last long as Warren Forgle scored his eleventh goal of the season. To give the Canes a 2-1 lead heading into the second period.

Carolina expanded onto their lead as they got a goal from Andrei Svechnikov in the second period. Svechnikov is really coming into his own during his sophomore season and scored his twenty-third on the season. Martin Necas and Joel Edmonson would score in the third period as well. New Jersey did get their second goal of the game as Joey Anderson got his first goal of the season. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils by a final score of 5-2. New Jersey is back in action on Sunday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets and are hopeful Nico Hischier will make his return to the lineup then.

Lineups:

New Jersey Devils

Carolina Hurricanes

Game Highlights

Final Stats: NJ- CAR-

Shots: 37 31

Hits: 8 17

Power Play: 0/4 0/2

Faceoffs: 43.8% 56.2%

Storm Chasers: Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals (30-11-5) vs Carolina Hurricanes (27-16-2)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov12-2-12.25 / .921 / 0
Carolina HurricanesPetr Mrazek17-10-22.64 / .905 / 3

The second of a three-game homestand will see the Washington Capitals facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2nd time in 10 days, and the third time in three weeks. This will be the fourth and final meeting between these two teams, this regular season. The Capitals defeated the Hurricanes in a close 4-3 victory back on January 3rd. Power forward Tom Wilson will also be playing his 500th career NHL game as the Caps take on the Hurricanes. 

The Washington Capitals suffered an ugly defeat on Saturday night, as they lost to the New Jersey Devils, 5-1. Washington donned their alternates, which may or may not be bad luck. Retooled power play units were the only ones to tally a goal, and weakness up and down the lineup continue to expose themselves. Goaltending continues to suffer, and the Caps’ special teams are not where they need to be. Once again, the Capitals gave up the first goal of the game to Nico Hischier, as he scored his 11th of the season. The only goal of the first period, as Washington was unable to convert on the first power play of the game. The middle frame saw four goals. The Capitals successfully kept the Devils off the scoreboard during their singular power play. Unfortunately, it is not enough to simply kill off a penalty. It only took a few seconds for Nikita Gusev to score upon the expiration of that power play. On the Capitals second power play, Blake Coleman scored shorthanded, improving New Jerseys’ lead to 3-0. Jakub Vrana, newly added to the Capitals’ power play, was able to spoil goaltender Louis Domingue’s shutout hopes, with his 20th of the season. The power play goal marked his first PPG of the season. Four minutes later, Hischier scored his second of the game, renewing the Devils’ three-goal lead. Many speculated if the Capitals would elect to swap out Braden Holtby, who allowed four goals on eight shots in the second, and start the third period with Ilya Samsonov in net. That, however, did not occur. The third period was uneventful, and head coach Todd Reirden elected to pull Braden Holtby with just about five minutes remaining in the game. Miles Wood sealed the win with an empty-net goal shortly thereafter. The Capitals out-shot the Devils 32 to 26, but Louis Domingue, who had just one win heading into Saturdays game, was just a little too good for the Caps. Braden Holtby ended the night with a .810 save percentage. His last .900 performance was back on December 21st versus Tampa Bay. Since then, Holtby has just one win. Ilya Samsonov will likely get the start for the Capitals.

Conversely, the Carolina Hurricanes won their last game, a 2-0 shutout over the LA Kings. Just short of the five-minute mark of the first period, Nino Neiderreiter scored his sixth of the season, giving Carolina an early lead. Carolina’s 10th ranked penalty kill kept the Kings from converting on either of their two power plays. Although they were shutout, the Kings did not allow the Hurricanes power play to convert on their man-advantage, either. Tuevo Teravainen potted an empty-net goal with just four seconds remaining in the game to seal Carolina’s 27th win of the season. On the road, Carolina is 12-8-2, and is just 4-8-1 versus the Metropolitan division. With the All-Star break looming, it is worth noting that defenseman Dougie Hamilton will be representing the Hurricanes and the Metro division at the All-Star Game this year. Hamilton leads the Hurricanes with 26 assists, and ranks 3rd among all defensemen in the league for points (40). Only Roman Josi and Washington’s John Carlson has more (46 and 54, respectively). James Reimer tallied his fourth shutout of the season with his stunning 41-save performance, though Petr Mrazek is expected to start versus the Capitals.

For Washington, Richard Panik received 20 stitches to repair a facial injury, which was the result of a high-stick to the face versus the Devils. He is expected to play. The Carolina Hurricanes are currently playing with a completely healthy roster.

Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.

References:

ESPN. (2020). 2019-20 NHL Hockey Stats and League Leaders. Retrieved from http://proxy.espn.com/nhl/statistics/team?stat=special-teams&sort=powerPlayGoalsAgainst&split=33.

NHL.com (2020). Dougie Hamilton News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/dougie-hamilton-8476462.

TheScore. (2020). Carolina Hurricanes News and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/12.

TheScore. (2020). Washington Capitals News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/15.

Game Recap – 1/3/2020 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals (27-9-5 59pts) v. Carolina Hurricanes (24-14-2 50pts)

 

Game Recap:

To kick off the new year, and a new decade, the Washington Capitals kick off the second half of the season on the road in Carolina as they look for their first victory over the Hurricanes since Game Five of the first round of last season’s playoffs.

 

In the first period we wouldn’t see any goals, but we would see the Hurricanes get two powerplay opportunities, including a 4 on 3 powerplay, however, the Capitals would shut them down with their penalty kill. The Hurricanes would out shoot the Capitals 18 to 7, and control most of the play.

 

In the second period the Capitals would come alive as they would work harder on getting pucks on net, and they would break the scoreless tie with a Richard Panik backhander that would take a bounce off the Carolina defender and into the gaping net to take the 1-0 lead. Then on their first powerplay the Capitals would strike again as John Carlson would freeze the defense and Petr Mrazek with a filthy fake and pass to Evgeny Kuznetsov who would would just tap it in to give the Capitals the 2-0 lead.

 

Then in the third period Jordan Staal would score 39 seconds into the period to get Carolina on the board, but shortly after the Capitals would retake the two goal lead with a powerplay tally from Lars Eller, and a little over two minutes later take the 4-1 lead with Jakub Vrana’s 16th of the season. However, the Hurricanes would strike on back to back powerplays as Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Dzingel would both strike to bring the Hurricanes within one of the Capitals. The capitals would get a late powerplay, vut they were not able to capitalize on it, but they were able to hold on take the 4-3 victory to kick off the second half of the season.

 

Lineups:

Washington Capitals:

Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — T.J. Oshie

Carl Hagelin — Lars Eller — Richard Panik

Brendan Leipsic — Nic Dowd — Garnet Hathaway

Jonas Siegenthaler — John Carlson

Dmitry Orlov — Nick Jensen

Michal Kempny — Radko Gudas

Ilya Samsonov

Braden Holtby

Scratched: Travis Boyd

Injured: Christian Djoos (upper body)

 

Carolina Hurricanes:

Nino Niederreiter — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

Andrei Svechnikov — Jordan Staal — Warren Foegele

Ryan Dzingel — Erik Haula — Martin Necas

Brock McGinn — Lucas Wallmark — Jordan Martinook

Jaccob Slavin — Dougie Hamilton

Jake Gardiner — Brett Pesce

Haydn Fleury — Joel Edmundson

Petr Mrazek

James Reimer

Scratched: Trevor van Riemsdyk

Injured: None

 

First Period:

WAS Penalty – 7:14 – Jonas Siegenthaler 2 minutes for Delay of Game

CAR Penalty – 11:26 – Nino Niederreiter 2 minutes for Goalie Interference

WAS Penalty – 11:26 – Ilya Samsonov (Vrana) 2 minutes for Embellishment

WAS Penalty – 12:16 – Lars Eller 2 minutes for Interference

WAS Penalty – 20:00 – Nic Dowd 10 minute Misconduct

 

End of 1st

01-03 at CAR.png

 

Second Period:

WAS Goal – 2:58 – Richard Panik (5) from Lars Eller (14)

CAR Penalty – 4:17 – Sebastian Aho 2 minutes for Interference

WAS PPG – 5:07 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (16) from John Carlson (38) and Nicklas Backstrom (23)

WAS Penalty – 8:12 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minutes for Slashing

CAR Penalty – 13:43 – Sebastian Aho 2 minutes for Interference

WAS Penalty – 16:18 – Tom Wilson 2 minutes for Slashing

 

End of 2nd

01-03 at CAR-2.png

 

Third Period:

CAR Goal – :39 – Jordan Staal (6) from Brett Pesce (10) and Andrei Svechnikov (22)

CAR Penalty – :53 – Erik Haula 2 minutes for Slashing

WAS PPG – 2:29 – Lars Eller (9) from Alex Ovechkin (16) and Dmitry Orlov (17)

WAS Goal – 4:51 – Jakub Vrana (16) from Evgeny Kuznetsov (23) and TJ Oshie (14)

WAS Penalty – 6:27 – Carl Hagelin 2 minutes for Hooking

CAR PPG – 6:35 – Teuvo Teravainen (8) from Sebastian Aho (14) and Andrei Svechnikov (23)

WAS Penalty – 10:59 – TJ Oshie 2 minutes for Cross Checking

CAR PPG – 12:35 – Ryan Dzingel (8) from Martin Necas (14) and Jake Gardiner (7)

CAR Penalty – 17:16 – Dougie Hamilton 2 minutes for Roughing

 

End of 3rd

01-03 at CAR-3.png

 

Next Up:

Washington (28-9-5 61pts) v. San Jose (18-21-3 39pts)

Carolina (24-15-2 50pts) v. Tampa Bay (22-13-4 48pts)

Hindsight is 20/20: Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals (27-9-5) vs Carolina Hurricanes (24-14-2)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov10-2-12.28 / .918 / 0
Carolina HurricanesPetr Mrazek16-8-22.67 / .903 / 2
Goaltender Matchup

The Washington Capitals have themselves a little rematch with the Carolina Hurricanes to kick off 2020. The Capitals are just 5-5-0 in their last 10, and have dropped three of their last four. Will hindsight serve them well, and help to earn them their first win of the decade?

For a New Year’s Eve matinee, the Capitals lost 4-3, after allowing two early goals by Barry Trotz’s Islanders. Caps penalty killers were tested early on, as Dmitry Orlov was called for hooking at the 4:43 mark of the first. Washington kept the Isles off the board, but Casey Cizikas gave New York a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the period. A weird deflection that Holtby, even with Lasik, was unable to track. Brock Nelson would add to that lead with his 14th of the season, three minutes later. Nelson’s shot was taken from beyond the face off circles, and lightly screened. However, for a veteran goaltender, it should have been a routine save. Fourteen seconds later, Evgeny Kuznetsov cut the Islanders lead in half with his 14th of the year. A gnarly tip-in from Tom Wilson would tie the goal at the 14:17 mark of the first, giving Caps fans hope that their team would be able to make a successful comeback. That hope grew as Kuznetsov scored his 2nd of the game, 44 seconds into the second period. Unfortunately, Cizikas would also score his second of the game just short of the five-minute mark of the middle frame, once again tying the game, 3-3. Similar to Nelson’s goal, Cizikas’s second came from beyond the faceoff circles. Tom Kuhnhackl scored the ultimate game-winner at the 12:34 mark, and despite a power play shortly thereafter, and a second with just 60 seconds left in the game, Washington would ultimately concede, 4-3. For just the second time this season, the Capitals lost two consecutive games in regulation, thus failing to secure even one point. Poor puck handling, too many turnovers, and failed clearing attempts ultimately led to the New Year’s Eve loss. Although Washingtons’ penalty kill continues to shine, having killed off both Islanders power plays, veteran goaltender Braden Holtby has allowed far too many loose and easy goals lately. 17 in his last three starts, to be exact (NHL). As predicted, Ilya Samsonov will get the start for the Capitals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARe-5wYctK8

The Carolina Hurricanes, just two games removed from their last meeting with Washington, defeated the Montreal Canadiens, also on New Year’s Eve. The Canes won eight of 13 games in the month of December, and currently sit 4th in the Metro division. Less than two minutes into the match, Sebastian Aho tallied his 23rd goal of the season on the Canes power play (Lehkonen, tripping). Not even two minutes later, Max Domi would tie the game, 1-1. Carolina was called for ‘too many men’ short of the 18-minute mark, but Montreals’ power play would not convert. Seven and a half minutes into the second period, Erik Haula scored the eventual game-winner, with his 11th of the season. Haula boasts six points in his last four games, including an assist versus the Capitals just six days ago (HockeyReference). Jordan Martinook went off for slashing midway through the second period, and the Habs would receive another power play late in the third (Dzingel, high-sticking). Carolina’s 11th ranked penalty kill has allowed just 12 power play goals in 61 chances on home ice (ESPN). The Hurricanes power play however, has 15 goals on home ice, and Washington has allowed as many power play goals against, on the road. Teuvo Teravainen is playing at a-point-per-game with 40 points in as many games, and has tallied points in nine of his last 11 games. Montreal elected to pull goaltender Charlie Lindgren, for the extra attacker, but Ryan Dzingel would pot an empty-netter, sealing a 3-1 win for the Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek is expected to start against Washington.

Christian Djoos is still listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. His status is to be determined.

Coverage of the game begins at 6:30pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 7:00pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:30pm.

References:

ESPN. (2020). 2019-20 NHL Hockey Stats and League Leaders. Retrieved from http://proxy.espn.com/nhl/statistics/team?stat=special-teams&sort=powerPlayGoalsAgainst&split=33.

HockeyReference. (2020). Erik Haula Stats. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/h/haulaer01.html.

NHL.com. (2020). Braden Holtby Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/braden-holtby-8474651.

TheScore. (2020). Carolina Hurricanes News and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/12.

Game Recap – 12/28/2019 – Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals (27-7-5 59pts) v. Carolina Hurricanes (22-14-2 46pts)

 

Game Recap:

In the second game of their back to back the Washington Capitals head to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes, and in the first period the Capitals would open up the game with penalty woes as they would give the Hurricanes the two man advantage right away. For the Hurricanes they would not be able to execute on the first penalty of the 5 on 3, but with powerplay time still remaining Linus Wallmark would net his eighth of the season to take the 1-0 lead.

 

Then in the second period Warren Foegele would score eight seconds into the period to grow their lead to two. Shortly after Nic Dowd would score to get the Capitals on the board, but Dougie Hamilton would strike to take back the two goal lead for the Hurricanes. The Capitals would get a pair of powerplay opportunities which on the first one Alex Ovechkin would strike for his 24th of the season, but on the second one Warren Foegele would score while shorthanded to tally his second of the game for the Hurricanes.

 

Then in the third period the Capitals would get another powerplay opportunity, and Evgeny Kuznetsov would strike to bring the Capitals back within one, but Martin Necas would strike to regain the two goal lead. Then late in the period Andrei Svechnikov would net the empty netter to give the Hurricanes the 6-3 lead. Radko Gudas would strike for the Capitals, but they would fall 6-4.

 

Lineups:

Washington Capitals:

Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Travis Boyd

Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — T.J. Oshie

Carl Hagelin — Lars Eller — Richard Panik

Brendan Leipsic — Nic Dowd — Garnet Hathaway

Jonas Siegenthaler — John Carlson

Dmitry Orlov — Nick Jensen

Christian Djoos — Radko Gudas

Braden Holtby

Ilya Samsonov

Scratched: Tom Wilson

Injured: Michal Kempny (illness)

 

 

 

 

 

Carolina Hurricanes:

Andrei Svechnikov — Jordan Staal — Warren Foegele

Nino Niederreiter — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

Ryan Dzingel — Erik Haula — Martin Necas

Brock McGinn — Lucas Wallmark — Jordan Martinook

Jaccob Slavin — Dougie Hamilton

Joel Edmundson — Brett Pesce

Jake Gardiner — Trevor van Riemsdyk

Petr Mrazek

James Reimer

Scratched: Haydn Fleury

Injured: None

 

 

 

 

 

First Period:

WAS Penalty – 8:30 – Travis Boyd 2 minutes for Holding

WAS Penalty – 9:35 – Nick Jensen 2 minutes for Tripping

CAR PPG – 10:38 – Linus Wallmark (8) from Nino Niederreiter (15) and Ryan Dzingel (16)

CAR Penalty – 11:50 – Teuvo Teravainen 2 minutes for Hooking

 

End of 1st

12-28 at CAR.png

 

Second Period:

CAR Goal – :08 – Warren Foegele (7) from Jordan Staal (10) and Jaccob Slavin (16)

WAS Goal – 3:26 – Nic Dowd (4) from John Carlson (36)

CAR Goal – 5:12 – Dougie Hamilton (13) from Warren Foegele (11)

CAR Penalty – 8:27 – Jordan Staal 2 minutes for Kneeing

WAS PPG – 9:56 – Alex Ovechkin (24) from Dmitry Orlov (15) and Lars Eller (13)

CAR Penalty – 11:12 – Joel Edmundson 2 minutes for Tripping

CAR SHG – 13:02 – Warren Foegele (8) from Jordan Martinook (7) and Hayden Fleury (3)

WAS Penalty – 15:43 – Nick Jensen 2 minutes for Kneeing

CAR Penalty – 17:29 – Andrei Svechnikov 2 minutes for Slashing

 

End of 2nd

12-28 at CAR-2.png

 

Third Period:

CAR Penalty – 1:11 – Warren Foegele 2 minutes for Tripping

WAS PPG – 2:00 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (13) from Nicklas Backstrom (21) and John Carlson (37)

CAR Goal – 3:20 – Martin Necas (9) from Erik Haula (5) and Ryan Dzingel (17)

CAR ENG – 15:58 – Andrei Svechnikov (17) from Warren Foegele (12)

WAS Goal – 18:47 – Radko Gudas (2) from Carl Hagelin (8)

 

End of 3rd

12-28 at CAR-3.png

 

Next Up:

Washington (27-8-5 59pts) v. NY Islanders (23-10-3 49pts)

Carolina (23-14-2 48pts) v. Montreal (18-14-6 42pts)

Revenge in Raleigh: Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals (27-7-5) vs Carolina Hurricanes (22-14-2)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby17-5-42.87 / .907 / 0
Carolina HurricanesPetr Mrazek14-8-22.68 / .902 / 2
Goaltender Matchup

In the second night of this back-to-back, the Washington Capitals head to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The last time these two teams met was on the night of the Capitals home opener, and Carolina took down Washington by a score of 3-2.

Last night, the Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets (finally), 2-1, in overtime. Michal Kempny did not play due to illness, and Christian Djoos was recalled from Hershey to fill in for the defenseman. Washington has managed to defeat Columbus just once in their last six meetings, and have lost to the Blue Jackets in four straight. The first period was scoreless and lacked even a single power play. Both teams had a handful of great scoring chances, but neither would solve the oppositions’ goal tender. Columbus received the first power play of the game as Tom Wilson was called for tripping, but the Caps’ 2nd ranked penalty kill would keep the Blue Jackets from scoring. John Tortorella’s team would receive just one more man-advantage, and they would fail to convert. Riddled by injuries, Columbus has been forced to utilize many of their AHL’ers and Jakob Lilja, in just his third game since November 1st, would score his first of the season, giving the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead halfway through the game. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson appeared to suffer leg injuries, but both were able to finish the game. Carl Hagelin, also with his first of the year, tied the game at one goal each at the 6:13 mark of the third period. Washington, in their previous two games against Columbus, have been outscored 8-2, but this one was much closer. The Capitals, in a twist of fate, received five power play opportunities, but it was the last one of the game that would mean the most. Just about halfway through the overtime period, Nathan Gerbe would be called for hooking, giving the Capitals an extra skater. Not even 60 seconds later, TJ Oshie, overtime hero, would finally solve Joonas Korpisalo, who had been lights out all night. With his 15th goal of the season, Oshie would help Washington to finally defeat the Blue Jackets, and improve the teams’ record to 27-7-5. Ilya Samonsov, allowing just one goal on 28 shots, ended the night with a .964 save percentage. Braden Holtby is slated to start versus Carolina.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXyzryTc5iE

The Carolina Hurricanes also played last night, and despite scoring first, ultimately lost to the New York Rangers, 5-3. Carolina is currently riding a three-game win-less streak, but has only lost three or more consecutive games three times this season. Lucas Wallmark started off the scoring just five minutes and 15 seconds into the first period, but Carolina was unable to convert of either of their two first period power plays. Mika Zibanejad, at the 16:31 mark, scored his 13th of the season on the Rangers power play, after Warren Foegele went off for interference six seconds earlier. The Rangers would go on to score three more goals in the 2nd period. Chris Kreider at the 1:27 mark, Artemi Panarin six minutes later, and Zibanejad (2nd of the game) again on the power play gave New York a comfortable 4-1 lead. Brett Pesce cut that lead in half with just under three minutes left in the period. Sebastian Aho scored his 22nd of the year just one minute and forty seconds into the third period, leaving Carolina just one goal away from tying the Rangers, but Ryan Strome would make it 5-3 at the 13:49 mark. Of the four power plays received, New York converted on two. Carolina severely outshot the Rangers 42-24, but an 0-for-5 Canes power play handed Rod Brind’amours team their 14th regulation loss of the season. Interestingly, the Hurricanes special teams are among the top 10 in the league, with their power play clocking in at 7th best (23.1%) and their penalty killing coming in at 8th (82.6%) (TheScore). Petr Mrazek is just 3-5-2 all-time versus the Capitals, and he is expected to start for Carolina (HockeyReference).

Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.

References:

HockeyReference. (2019). Petr Mrazek Career Splits. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/mrazepe01/splits/.

TheScore. (2019). Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22310.

TheScore. (2019). Carolina Hurricanes News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/12.

NHL News and Notes from Saturday, November 30th, 2019

NHL News and Notes from Saturday, November 30th, 2019

 

Game Recaps:

New York Rangers v. New Jersey Devils – 1p EST Start Time

NYR HomeNJ Heritage 1

Scott recaps the New Jersey Devils Saturday matinee loss to the New York Rangers.

 

Philadelphia Flyers v. Montreal Canadiens – 3p EST Start Time

PHI RoadMON Home

In Montreal the Philadelphia Flyers look to down the Canadiens. In the first period it would be the Canadiens striking first as Joel Armia would net his ninth of the season to give Montreal the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period Justin Brain would tie the game at one for the Flyers, but Tomas Tatar would quickly retake the lead for the Canadiens. However, Kevin Hayes would strike for the Flyers as they retie the game at two. Then in the third period Travis Konecny would give the Flyers their first lead of the game, but Tomas Tatar would score his second of the game while on the powerplay to tie the game at three and send the game to overtime. However, the Flyers would only need 31 seconds of the extra frame as Ivan Provorov would score his sixth of the season to give the Flyers the 4-3 victory.

 

Buffalo Sabres v. Toronto Maple Leafs – 7p EST Start Time

BUF RoadTOR Home

For the second consecutive night the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs would face each other, and after a scoreless first period William Nylander would strike for the Leafs to get them on the board. Then in the third period Rasmus Ristolainen would strike to tie the game at one and send the game into overtime. In the extra frame it would be John Tavares scoring his tenth of the season to give the LEafs the 2-1 victory.

 

Washington Capitals v. Detroit Red Wings – 7p EST Start Time

WAS RoadDET Home

The Washington Capitals beat up on the lowly Detroit Red Wings as Alex Ovechkin nets the hat trick to reach 20 goals for the 5-2 victory. TXHT Recap

 

Carolina Hurricanes v. Tampa Bay Lightning – 7p EST Start Time

CAR RoadTB Alt

In Tampa Bay the Carolina Hurricanes would surge in the first period as they would get goals from Sebastian Aho (PPG), Jordan Martinook, and Jaccob Slavin to take the 3-0 lead. Then after a scoreless second period both Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson would strike for the Lightning, but it would not be enough as the Hurricanes would hols on to win the game 3-2.

 

Nashville Predators v. Florida Panthers – 7p EST Start Time

NAS RoadFLA Home

At home in Florida the Panthers would play host to the Nashville Predators and after a scoreless first period Anton Stralman would get the Panthers on the board for the 1-0 lead. Then in the third period Stralman would strike again for his second of the game, and Aleksander Barkov would strike to give the Panthers the 3-0 shutout victory.

 

Columbus Blue Jackets v. New York Islanders – 7p EST Start Time

CLB RoadNYI Home

On Long Island the New York Islanders would play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the first period Andres Lee would get the Islanders on the board first. then in the second period Mathew Barzal would score to grow the Islanders lead to two. Also for the Islanders both Thomas Greiss and Semyon Varlamov would team up for the combined shutout as the Islanders defeated the Jackets 2-0.

 

Ottawa Senators v. Calgary Flames – 7p EST Start Time

OTT RoadCAL Alt

In Calgary, the Flames look to start anew after the resignation of Bill Peters as they took on the visiting Ottawa Senators. In the first period Dillon Dube would get the Flames on the board first. Then after a scoreless second period the Senators would get on the board with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau tally, but the Flames would respond as Elias Lindholm would score back to back goals to lead the Flames to the 3-1 victory.

 

Pittsburgh Penguins v. St. Louis Blues – 8p EST Start Time

PIT RoadSTL Alt

In St. Louis the Blues would face the Pittsburgh Penguins, and in the first period it would be Justin Faulk scoring his first goal as a member of the Blues to give the Blues the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period Sam Lafferty would score to get the Penguins on the board to tie the game at one, but Nathan Walker would score his first as a Blue to retake the one goal lead. Then in the third period Kris Letang would score for the Penguins, but Ivan Barbashev, MacKenzie MacEachern and Jaden Schwartz (PPG) would all score to give the Blues the 5-2 victory.

 

San Jose Sharks v. Arizona Coyotes – 8p EST Start Time

SJ RoadARI Alt

The Kachina clad Arizona Coyotes would play host to the San Jose Sharks. In the first period the Coyotes would get goals from Nick Schmaltz and Derek Stepan to take the 2-0 lead, but Logan Couture would score to cut the Sharks deficit to one. Then in the second period Dylan Gambrell and Timo Meier would score to give the Sharks the 3-2 lead. Then in the third period Couture would score his second of the game to give the Sharks the 3-2 victory.

 

Chicago Blackhawks v. Colorado Avalanche – 9p EST Start Time

CHI RoadCOL Alt

The Colorado ?Avalanche would smother the Chicago Blackhawks at home. In the first period Brandon Saad would score shorthanded for the Blackhawks, but Nazem Kadri would net back to back goals, and then Nathan MacKinnon would score to give the Avalanche the 3-1 lead. In the second period Dominik Kubalik would score for Chicago, but Joonas Donskoi would net two goals, and Tyson Jost and the returning Mikko Rantanen would score to give the Avalanche the 7-2 lead. In the third period Patrick Kane would score on the powerplay, but it would not be enough as the Avalanche would hold on to secure the 7-3 victory.

 

Vancouver Canucks v. Edmonton Oilers – 10p EST Start Time

VAN RoadEDM Home

In Edmonton the Vancouver Canucks would come to town to take on their division rival Oilers. In the first period Tyler Graovac would strike on the powerplay then Tanner Pearson would strike while shorthanded to give the Canucks the 2-0 lead, but Connor McDavid would net his 19th of the season to cut the Oilers deficit to one. Then in the second period Zack Kassian would tie the game at two, but Pearson would strike for his second of the game, and Loui Eriksson would score for his first of the season to take the 4-2 lead. In the third period Josh Leivo would score to help the Canucks secure the 5-2 victory.

 

Winnipeg Jets v. Los Angeles Kings – 10p EST Start Time

WIN RoadLA Alt

The Los Angeles Kings would play host to the Winnipeg Jets, and in the first period Joakim Ryan and Nikolai Prokhorkin would score for the Kings to take the 2-0 lead. Then after a scoreless second period the Jets would get a goal from Jack Roslovic, but it would not be enough as the Kings would hold on to win 2-1.

 

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NHL News and Notes from Monday, November 11th, 2019

NHL News and Notes from Monday, November 11th, 2019

 

News:

  • The St. Louis Blues have signed forwards Troy Brouwer and Jamie McGinn to Professional Tryouts. Both players will only be allowed to practice with the team for 10 days, and will not be allowed to play in a regular season game while under the tryout.

 

  • The Washington Capitals have assigned defenseman Tyler Lewington and forward Travis Boyd to Hershey of the AHL.

 

  • Sportsnet has fired Don Cherry from Hockey Night in Canada.

 

  • The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno has been suspended for three games for elbowing Colorado’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare on Saturday, November 9th.

  • Under the terms of the CBA, and based on his average annual salary, Foligno will forfeit $88,709.67.

 

Game Recaps:

Arizona Coyotes v. Washington Capitals – 7p EST Start Time

ARI RoadWAS Alt

The Washington Capitals come back from a 3 goal deficit, but fall to the Arizona Coyotes in the shootout to end their 6 game winning streak. TXHT Recap

 

Ottawa Senators v. Carolina Hurricanes – 7p EST Start Time

OTT RoadCAR Home

In Carolina the Hurricanes would unleash the storm on the Ottawa Senators. In the first period Warren Foegele and Martin Necas (PPG) to take the 2-0 lead. Then in the second period Sebastian Aho (SHG), Hayden Fleury, and Dougie Hamilton would score to make it 5-0, but before the second period could end Colin White would score for the Senators. Then in the third period Brady Tkachuk would score for the Senators, but the Hurricanes would get three more goals from Aho (second of the game), Ryan Dzingel, and Joel Edmundson to win the game 8-2.