The Carolina Hurricanes are hoping the sudden cold snap and icy weather here in the state Capital keeps the Flames from igniting tonight. They need to take advantage of a slumping Western Conference team to keep their playoff chase going.
First, we hope all of the Caniacs out there are safe and sound with this wintry mess, and the power is back on for those who lost it. And for anyone braving the weather to get to the PNC Arena for the game, please be safe.
The Hurricanes and Flames both sit 6th in their respective divisions, and 12th in their conferences. That doesn’t mean they are in the same playoff position. The Canes are only three points out of the closest wild card spot in the East. Calgary, on the other hand, has slipped back eight points from a playoff berth in the West.
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Game Information
Calgary Flames at Carolina Hurricanes
January 24, 2016, 6:00 pm
PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
Fox Sports Carolina – 99.9 FM The Fan
Season Records
Carolina Hurricanes – 21-20-8 – 50 points – 6th in Metro – 12th in Eastern
Calgary Flames – 21-21-3 – 45 points – 6th in Pacific – 12th in Western
Team Records – Last 10-20-30 Games with Points %
Carolina Hurricanes – 5-3-2 (60%) – 10-6-4 (60%) – 15-10-5 (58%)
Calgary Flames – 4-5-1 (45%) – 12-7-1 (63%) – 16-12-2 (57%)
Team/Game Notes
After a strong forty or so games, and a seven game winning streak in December, the Flames have slumped since. The Hurricanes, on the other hand, have not had any stellar headline-grabbing streaks like the Blackhawks or Flames, but their points production in the last three months has been very consistent. They can be forgiven the odd “step-slow” or “little off” games – like the Rangers and Penguins recently – but they need to keep up the consistency for the rest of the season to finish in the post-season.
Carolina Hurricanes
A couple bright spots for the Flames emerged from their last few games, and especially the win on Thursday in Columbus. Their two young forwards, Johnny Gaudreau and Sam Bennett, have started to produce points, which is essential for Calgary to have any chance at a playoff run.
The Flames lost Michael Ferland on Thursday with an upper-body injury, but will get Lance Bouma back for Sunday’s game, having recovered from a leg laceration.
Coach Peter’s announced Saturday that the Canes will not skate Sunday before their 6:00 game time. He will have press availability at 3:45 pm to answer questions about the lineup and starting goalies. It’s assumed that Eddie Lack will get the start, but the coach may want to get newly-called up Altshuller’s feet wet against a western conference team, and before the All Star break begins next week. As of this writing Nash (illness) and Pesce (lower body issue) are game time decisions for the coaching staff.
The last three games have been “cringe-worthy” for both Hurricane fans and the team. After a whole bunch of games that were very close, going all the way back to a 5-1 loss against New Jersey on December 3rd, the Canes have had a few rough ones. An ass-whoopin’ in Pittsburgh. An overtime squeaker in Toronto. And Friday night’s 4-1 loss to the Rangers, where everyone agreed that the team was definitely a step behind.
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The Flames are playing their fourth game of a five-game road trip tonight, and their play hasn’t been consistent or strong for the last few weeks. The Canes, on the other hand, have had a strong couple of months, with a little hiccup recently.
Although this isn’t one of those magical “4-point games” against a conference rival, it is an important game for Carolina, and not just for the two points. They face the very powerful Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. A turnaround game tonight, leading into a strong game against the Hawks, could make the All Star break even better for the Hurricanes.
Go Canes!