Carolina Hurricanes After Dark Part 3: Three Keys for Victory in Anaheim
The Carolina Hurricanes are looking to rebound after a lackluster effort in San Jose. The keys to victory rest with the top line finally getting a goal, discipline, and winning net front battles.
Tonight, the Carolina Hurricanes (6-2-0) aim to bounce back from a disappointing effort against the San Jose Sharks in which they dug themselves an early hole and could never recover. They fell victim to a first period hat trick, and they looked generally jet lagged.
Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks (5-2-0) are coming off of a solid effort against the Buffalo Sabres in which they potted five goals. They also racked up 24 penalty minutes just for fun. Here are some numbers and names to know as the Carolina Hurricanes prepare for the Ducks.
The Anaheim Ducks rank 28th in power play efficiency (5.5%) and 9th in penalty kill success rate (84.6%). They’ve only let up twelve goals in their seven games, which is the 5th least. They also boast the third highest face-off win percentage at 54%.
The Ducks’ leading scorer is Jakub Silfverberg (6). Other names to watch for are Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler. An honorable mention goes out to former future Hurricane, Ondrej Kase. Let’s take a dive and consider what the Carolina Hurricanes need to do to keep these guys in check and ensure victory.
Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter
Despite having only three points a piece, Sebastian Aho (2 g 1 a) and Nino Niederreiter (0 g 3 a) have actually played quite well. When they’re on the ice, they are generating high quality scoring chances. Aho has a CF% of 61.9% and Niederreiter has CF% of 63.3%. Furthermore, 61.0% of Aho’s shots make it on net, and 63.6% of Nino’s make it on net.
The opportunities are there, clearly. I think that in order to beat the Ducks, these two have to connect at least once tomorrow night. They need it for themselves and the team as a whole.
Aho and Nino can likely rationalize that they are contributing, but it’s not the same as seeing the puck go in the net. They’ve both been visibly frustrated, but the tides are bound to change.
A performance from Aho and Nino would be reassurance for the rest of the squad, too. As great as it is that the Carolina Hurricanes are getting depth scoring and defensive contributions, for everyone’s peace of mind, the stars need to tuck one tonight.
Stay Out of the Sin Bin…
Please guys, I’m begging you. PLEASE stay out of the penalty box.
The Carolina Hurricanes are faced with an out-of-character dilemma in that they’ve already taken 38 minor penalties just 8 games into the season. Hurricanes teams of the past have always been among the most disciplined, but not so far this season.
The Hurricanes are taking offensive zone penalties, lazy penalties, careless penalties, you name it. Our penalty kill hasn’t been good enough yet this season (77.8%). The reason discipline is a game key for tonight is because they let up two power play goals in the first period against the San Jose Sharks. That needs to change.
The Ducks might have an anemic power play right now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t catch fire. The best way to avoid that is to not give them the chances. They have weapons.
Tight Gaps and Box Outs
The last key to victory versus the Anaheim Ducks is winning the body position battles. The Carolina Hurricanes’ defense is generally good at slowing teams in transition. With the Ducks deploying forwards like Kase and Rakell, it will be crucial that blue line gaps are tight.
The other thing is winning net battles on both sides of the ice. The Hurricanes were victimized by Evander Kane on Wednesday night. All three of his goals were the result of him winning the box outs in front of the net. Two of his goals came off rebounds and the other was a deflection.
One last consideration is trying to limit the Ducks’ middle lane drive. They have two centers that can create a lot of havoc in front in Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique. Henrique’s four goals leads the Ducks.
Game Notes:
I’m expecting a low scoring game. When the Hurricanes decide, they can possess the puck at will. But, on the other side of the ice is a Ducks team that doesn’t give up much. With the sheer volume of shots the Carolina Hurricanes can take, I’m expecting the one needed goal to leak in.
Also note that the Carolina Hurricanes are expecting Trevor Van Riemsdyk to come back into the line up as they roll with seven defenders for the first time this season after sending Brian Gibbons back down yesterday. Just who will get the extra offensive ice time will probably be kept close to the chest.
Prediction. 2. 109. 1. 105
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Game Start: 10:00 pm EST
TV: Fox Sports Carolina
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
Uniforms: Road Whites
Lines:
- Svechnikov-Staal-McGinn
- Niederreiter-Aho-Teravainen
- Dzingel-Haula-Necas
- Foegele-Wallmark
- Slavin-Hamilton
- Edmundson-Pesce
- Gardiner-Fleury
- TVR
Starting Goalies
- Carolina Hurricanes: Petr Mrazek
- Anaheim Ducks: John Gibson
Question for CC Readers: After all of their efforts, will Aho and Niederreiter finally connect tonight versus the Ducks?
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