Carolina Hurricanes Kick Off Big Homestand Against the Minnesota Wild
By Brett Finger
Coming off of a shutout loss to the Rangers at MSG, the Carolina Hurricanes return home for a five-game homestand. They’ll kick it off on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild.
Information
Carolina Hurricanes (6-9-0) vs Minnesota Wild (9-3-2)
November 12, 2015 – 7:00 pm (EST)
Raleigh, North Carolina – PNC Arena
TV/Radio: Fox Sports Carolinas/99.9 FM The Fan
Projected Lineups
Carolina Hurricanes
Minnesota Wild
Preview
Home ice was good to the Carolina Hurricanes in Saturday’s come from behind win over the Ottawa Senators, and now they will go back to the PNC Arena to take on the red-hot Minnesota Wild.
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As good as Saturday was for the home team, Tuesday’s road loss to the Rangers brought the Canes back down to Earth. Now, it is all about turning things around with a big five-game homestand.
The Hurricanes didn’t struggle to get the offense work against New York, but a great start was faltered by 2 goals in 11 seconds just under half way through period one from the Blue Shirts. Carolina couldn’t recover, and the home club went on to put another one past Cam Ward in route to a 3-0 decision.
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Ward got the start on Tuesday, so Eddie Lack may get the nod against the Wild, a team that he has dominated in the past. He is 2-0-0 with a 1.39 goals against average and .944 save percentage against Minnesota.
The Hurricanes will be without rookie forward Brock McGinn for the first time in 12 games. He was reassigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL on Wednesday.
Putting the puck in the net, both at even strength and the man advantage, has the biggest issue for Carolina early on. They are averaging 2 goals per game and have converted on just 11.5% of their powerplay opportunities. Both of those statistics rank 28th in the NHL. The team’s saving grace of sorts has been the penalty kill. They rank just outside the top half (17th) in the league with a man down.
The Canes have one player with points in the double digits so far, and that player is Kris Versteeg, a player who continues to impress with his new team. He has 10 points in 15 games. Three other players sit with 9 points – Eric Staal, Justin Faulk, and Victor Rask.
Offense has not been an issue for the Minnesota Wild. Their 9-3-2 record is good for 3rd place in a tough Central Division, and they’ve average over 3 goals per game in the early stages of the 2015-2016 season. They’re 4th in the league in offense.
Mikko Koivu has led the way for the Wild offense with 13 points in 14 games, but the depth scoring has really been key to their success. Minnesota has eight players with 7+ points. Carolina has four.
Last year’s stunning breakout goalie Devan Dubnyk has not lived up to last year’s standards, but he has still been solid in between the pipes. He enters Thursday with a 9-3-1 record with a 2.45 goals against average and .905 save percentage. The latter two stats nearly mirror Canes starter Cam Ward.
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The Carolina Hurricanes have a great chance to get back into the playoff race with a great showing on the homestand. Four wins would put them at at least .500, and winning out would give them a record of 11-9-0, but a good start is crucial against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
The Wild swept the season series last year between the two clubs, winning both games.