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Carolina Hurricanes: Three Keys to Rebounding vs Lightning

By Christopher Highe

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Carolina Hurricanes center Eetu Luostarinen (43) skates with the puck during the NHL Preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 17, 2019 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Carolina Hurricanes center Eetu Luostarinen (43) skates with the puck during the NHL Preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 17, 2019 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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SAN JOSE, CA – OCTOBER 16: Barclay Goodrow #23 of the San Jose Sharks takes a shot on goal against James Reimer #47 of the Carolina Hurricanes at SAP Center on October 16, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – OCTOBER 16: Barclay Goodrow #23 of the San Jose Sharks takes a shot on goal against James Reimer #47 of the Carolina Hurricanes at SAP Center on October 16, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Defensive Zone Play and Optimus Reim.

With tonight’s game being the second half of a back-to-back, backup goaltender James Reimer is expected to get the start tonight. He is currently 4-4-0 with one shutout across nine games, with a quality start percentage of 62.5%. He also has a 2.71 goals-against average and a ninety-one percent save rate.

https://twitter.com/Canes/status/1198757395503222785

But as we have seen, his performance can be spotty, and Tampa is one of those opponents that the Hurricanes cannot gamble on.

As such, Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton, and the rest of the Canes defense corps will need to be playing at their best in front of Reimer. This means that the Canes need to intelligently pass the puck to prevent turnovers, avoid icing the puck at nearly any cost, and stay on their assigned player. The less time that Tampa, which has a plus-ten goals differential, spends in the Hurricanes zone, the better.

A combined grade-A effort by Carolina’s blue line and James Reimer can prevail against a struggling, but still lethal, Tampa Bay offense. But that effort alone will not win the game.

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