Game Day Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes (21-18-7) vs Washington Capitals (31-9-6)
The Carolina Hurricanes will take on the Washington Capitals tonight at the Verizon Center. The Hurricanes are on a three-game losing streak and need to stop the bleeding. Tonight will close out the Canes toughest stretch of hockey this season, and they need to get two points out of it. They are still in the mix for the playoffs, chasing the Philadelphia Flyers. The Canes are sitting only three points out with two games in hand on the Flyers who occupy the last wildcard spot.
The Hurricanes won their first meeting with the Capitals in a 5-1 affair which launched the Canes onto a five-game win streak. The second meeting ended with a Capitals shootout win. The Hurricanes are competitive against the Caps, but with a three-game losing streak, it is hard to tell where the teams confidence is. Head coach Bill Peters mixed up the line combinations at the morning skate and is looking for something to ignite this young team.
Game Day By the Numbers
Hurricanes  | Capitals  | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 21-18-7 | 31-9-6 |
| Last Result | 3-2 L @ CBJ | 4-3 W vs DAL (OT) |
| Last 10 | 5-5-0 | 9-0-1 |
| FO% | 51.6% | 50.4% |
| ES CF% | 51.50% | 51.56% |
| GF/GP | 2.67 | 3.22 |
| PP% (Goals) | 16.5% (22) | 20.3% (28) |
| SH% (Goals) | 88.7% (6) | 86.0% (4) |
Who’s Hot
No one on the Hurricanes deserves to make this category. The team as a whole has gone cold for three games. The only thing working in the Canes favor as of late is the penalty kill. Over their last seven games, the Hurricanes are 14-15 on the penalty kill and have matched the one goal given up, by scoring a short-handed goal in the same game. The penalty kill has kept the Hurricanes alive this season and they need to start building their confidence off of it.
Who’s Not
Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask are the keys to the Hurricanes success this year. They lead the team in scoring and are both a part of the leadership core. Their inconsistency this year, though, has been one the Hurricanes big downfalls. The duo breakout for a couple of games scoring two or three points per game and then will go on a three or four-game point drought. This kind of inconsistency is what is causing the Hurricanes to hover just below the playoff cut line and is preventing them from getting over the hump. Both Skinner and Rask are on four-game point streaks and currently have no confidence. Watch for them to find a spark in tonight’s matchup against the division-rival Capitals.
Storylines
Bill Peters decided to mix the lines up before tonight’s game against the Capitals. Watch for the Hurricanes to get a spark from the fresh combinations and try to build on it.
Charlie Taylor made the case for the Hurricanes to call up defenseman Haydn Fleury. The move makes sense and the Hurricanes could benefit from some fresh blood in the line-up. If they continue to play poorly, look for the Canes to start making moves.
Teuvo Teravainen was scratched in the Canes 3-2 loss against the Blue Jackets on Saturday and Matt Barlowe thinks it was a mistake. It will be interesting to see how Teravainen responds tonight against the Capitals in his return to the lineup.
Lineup
| Hurricanes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Forwards | ||
| Skinner | Rask | Rattie |
| Aho | Staal | Lindholm |
| McGinn | Ryan | Stempniak |
| Nordstrom | Teravainen | Stalberg |
| Defense | ||
| Slavin/Pesce | ||
| Faulk/Hainsey | ||
| Hanifin/Tennyson | ||
| Goalies | ||
| Ward | ||
| Leighton |
How To Watch
Verizon Center: Puck Drop at 7:00 pm ET
Watch: Fox Sports Carolinas / Fox Sports Go app
Listen: 99.9 FM The Fan / WRALsportsfan.com
LiveTweet: @CardiacCane