Carolina Hurricanes: Three Keys to Victory Against the Nashville Predators

After what was a tough loss at the hands of the New York Rangers on Wednesday night, the Carolina Hurricanes return home to face a tough Central Division foe in the Nashville Predators at PNC Arena.

When it comes to the month of November for the Carolina Hurricanes, the best way to describe it is a complete roller-coaster. So far, Carolina has a 7-6-0 record this month. At times, they’ve looked fantastic, such as with the recent four-game winning streak. At others, they’ve looked abysmal, such as with the four-game losing streak we endured earlier in the month.

For Nashville, this month has been one they will want to soon forget. So far, they have a 3-6-2 record with two games left to play in November. However, they have played much better as of late. They are currently riding a three-game point streak, and with how this month has played out for the team, they will certainly be hungry to continue that streak.

Carolina currently sits in 4th place in the Metropolitan Division. They have a 15-9-1 record, good for 31 points. They currently occupy the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Nashville currently sits in 5th place in the Central Division with a 11-9-4 record, good for 26 points. They currently sit outside of the playoff picture, two points behind the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

This will be the 30th time these two teams have faced off against each other. Something you won’t see very often, these two teams have both won 14 games a piece with one tie. This should be a fun matchup overall, and certainly one you will want to tune in for.

As the season rolls along, it’s important that Carolina keeps moving in the right direction. I’ve said it multiple times before, but competing for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division will not be easy by any means. Let’s take a look at three keys to securing a victory against the Nashville Predators.

Defense

Defense is one of the most important positions in hockey and makes a huge difference in terms of how successful your team is. From shutting down chances to making your goaltender’s job much easier, defencemen play a vital role on any hockey team. For this game, both teams have fantastic defense cores, each with their own mix of offensive production and shutdown ability.

For Carolina, everyone knows the highlight of this team is the defense. From the offensive juggernaut Dougie Hamilton (Who’s making his own bid for the Norris Trophy so far) all the way to the elite shutdown defencemen in Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce, it’s hard to find a hole in this group. I haven’t even mentioned Jake Gardiner, Joel Edmundson, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Haydn Fleury, who are all great in their own way.

For Nashville, their defense is just as impressive. Leading the way in assists and points for the team is Roman Josi (17 assists and 24 points). Ryan Ellis brings great offensive upside for Nashville as well, currently posting 4 goals and 15 assists in 24 games. Mattias Ekholm is another big name that only adds to the great defense.

With how stacked both defensive cores are, we could potentially see a low scoring game. If Carolina wants to win this game, the blue-liners will have to come up big and outplay the opposing defense. It won’t be easy, but it is a big first step in securing a win over the Predators.

Special Teams

One of the most important aspects to any teams success or failure is in fact the special teams. Having the ability to capitalize on your opportunities on the power play and being able to minimize the damage when it comes to taking penalties can have a huge impact and can lead your team to the playoffs and beyond.

When it comes to the Hurricanes, they have been very good in both the power play and penalty kill. For their power play, they currently rank 8th in the league, converting on 21.8% of their opportunities. For their penalty kill, they also ranked 8th in the league, killing off 83.7% of the penalties they take. This has played a big role in Carolina’s early season success.

For Nashville, their numbers are not so great in both areas. In the power play department, they rank 22nd in the league, converting on 17.6% of their opportunities. As for the penalty kill, they are ranked 29th in the league, killing off just 72.7% of the penalties they have taken so far this season. When you look at their overall record, it’s clear that their special teams are one of the reasons why they have struggled so far.

Carolina is heavily favored in the special teams matchup here, so this will definitely be something that the Hurricanes need to take advantage of. Minimize penalties and pounce on your chances on the power play if you’re given the opportunity. Achieve that, and victory can be theirs for the taking.

Game Notes

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• Week Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NC
• Derek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A Hurricane
• The Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s Future
• Noesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes

• Puck Drop: 7:30 PM EST
• Location: PNC Arena
• TV: Fox Sports Carolinas, NHL.TV
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan
• Uniform: Home Alternate
• Potential Lines:
  • Niederreiter-Staal-Foegele
  • Svechnikov-Aho-Teravainen
  • Dzingel-Wallmark-Necas
  • McGinn-Luostarinen-Martinook
  • Slavin-Hamilton
  • Edmundson-Pesce
  • Gardiner-van Riemsdyk
• Potential Goalie Matchup: 
  • Nashville Predators: Pekka Rinne
  • Carolina Hurricanes: Petr Mrazek