Carolina Hurricanes: Point Projections at the 30-Game Mark
By Jeb Bohn
After a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, the Carolina Hurricanes are a full 30 games into the season. How are their top scorers doing and what sort of pace are they on?
The Carolina Hurricanes currently hold the 9th best offense in the NHL. The team has seen some strong starts, none more impressive than that of sophomore winger Andrei Svechnikov. They’ve also managed to score 4 or more goals in 12 of their 30 games (40%). Their record in those games? 12-0.
I will concede that 4 of those contests went into overtime (including a shootout against the Montreal Canadiens on opening night) but the fact remains that the Hurricanes fare very well when their offense is clicking. When it isn’t, well, things are far less rosy.
In the 12 games where they’ve been held to 2 or fewer goals, the Hurricanes record falls to 3-9. Another point of reference? Okay, I’ll be glad to provide one. In those 12 games that saw the Hurricanes put up 4 or more goals, their power play connected at 37.5% (12-32).
That is outstanding. Less so? In the dozen games where they’ve managed 2 or fewer goals, the Hurricanes’ power play fizzled, clipping out at 10.5% (4-38).
That’s a pretty drastic swing and it highlights the inconsistency that the Hurricanes have battled through. That said, this article isn’t meant to be a downer. Instead, let’s take a look at the team’s leading scorers and see where they’re projected to finish, based on their current performance. For contrast, we’ll also look at the stats from their career years.