On Saturday Erik Cole looked like the Erik Cole pre broken neck. Cole was one of the main factors in the victory over Vancouver on Saturday, but not the only one. Everything that needed to happen for the Hurricanes did, including a power play goal no matter how much of a fluke it was. The Hurricanes played a good defensive game, Manny Legace was good most of the night, and they were able to put four goals past Andrew Raycroft. The Hurricanes game seems to be coming together now which is crucial since they are getting ready to embark on a four game road trip that starts in Pittsburgh tonight.
The Hurricanes will return to Pittsburgh for the first time since losing to the Penguins in games one and two at Mellon arena. The defending Stanley cup champions are once again among the top in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. The Penguins are led by their young guns Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fluery, and Jordan Staal. When considering the mix of these young core with a couple of grizzled veterans such as Bill Guerin and Sergei Gonchar and its easy to see why their among the leagues best. Currently Crosby leads the team with 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points. The only issues for the Penguins right now are injuries; the Penguins are with out winger Chris Kunitz and defenseman Alex Golagoski. The Penguins seems to have the perfect balance between grit and scoring and will have a good shot at defending their championship.
Tonight’s matchup is about as hard as it gets for the Hurricanes. The Penguins sit second in the east with 41 points while the Hurricanes are dead last with 17 points. Tonight it will take a group effort if the Hurricanes are to come out with a victory. Whoever starts in goal tonight will have to be exceptional for the Hurricanes to pull off an upset tonight. They will also have to find a way to deposit the puck past Fleury, who has had a stellar season so far. The special teams battle is a must win for the Hurricanes, which means scoring on the power play and staying out of the penalty box. If they can manage to play a good group game they may have a chance, but it will have to be the perfect storm.
News & Notes: The Hurricanes rank last in the League with an average of 2.29 goals a
game, while the Pens have tallied 20 goals over their last five games.
Second matchup of the season, Penguins won the first 3-2 in the
shootout.
Injuries: CAR Joe Corvo Leg Laceration
CAR Cam Ward Leg Laceration
PIT Chris Kunitz Lower Body
PIT Alex Golagoski Undisclosed
Prediction CAR 2 PIT 5 F
Heres A Review of The Only Meeting Between the Hurricanes and Penguins This Year
Evan Roush
FanSided
The Rat Trick
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