Carolina Hurricanes: Look to stay hot against top heavyweight in the NHL

The Carolina Hurricanes will look to improve their season-high five game winning streak to six games tonight. This will prove arguably the Canes’ toughest test yet as they square off with the NHL’s best team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 2019 Carolina Hurricanes have been a sight for sore Caniac eyes – winning all four of their matchups in the new year to put them on a five game tear which sees the Canes six points out of a wildcard and Metro Division playoff spot alike. Canes fans should be proud of this, as before 2019 started it was looking more and more likely that the team would inevitably miss the playoffs yet again. Can the Canes keep this pace up and continue to claw themselves back into the playoff picture? Or does it all come to a screeching halt with this tough schedule that begins tonight in Tampa Bay?

If you have been keeping up with any NHL news at all, you understand that tonight’s opponent sits atop the NHL throne by a wide margin – 10 points away from the next closest team. This team is flat-out dominant a majority of the time – they score the most goals, have the top power play unit, and boast the league’s top point leader (71?!) in Nikita Kucherov. That team is the 33-8-2 Tampa Bay Lightning. A team that will look to put the league’s second-longest active winning streak, held by the Canes, to rest tonight.

Do the Hurricanes have what it takes to hand the Lightning their third loss since the start of December? If you are anything like me, you are very excited to see the answer to that question tonight. The confidence in the Carolina Hurricanes locker room is very high, as Head Coach  Rod Brind’Amour feels they can even improve on their recent play, 

"Winning breeds that (confidence). It’s kind of a snowball effect,” Brind’Amour said. “We’re just finding ways to win right now without playing our best. … We know we can get better.”"

The Canes will likely have to execute flawlessly in all phases of the game tonight if they wish to compete with the Bolts. A win tonight is of course ideal and on all Caniacs’ wish list. That being said, I think this evening’s matchup is about competing and playing the Lightning close, ultimately keeping that confidence buzzing into a weekend slate that sees Buffalo and Nashville as opponents. If the Canes sneak out with two points – watch out. My crystal ball tells me the team needs three out of the next six points to stay in the playoff race. I will take a very, and I mean very, bold and optimistic approach in my prediction for tonight. New Year, New Canes…right?

I like the Canes to play filled with confidence – resulting in their best outing of the season to date. The last time they won six in a row was in 2010, either side of the Vancouver Olympics, so the Carolina Hurricanes are long overdue – they will continue to ride high in 2019 by making a statement in overtime tonight with their sixth consecutive victory.

Prediction: Hurricanes 5-4 Lightning (OT)