Carolina Hurricanes: Three Keys to Victory Against the Calgary Flames

After dropping a goalie duel to the Vancouver Canucks in overtime, The Carolina Hurricanes continue on one of their longest road trips of the season as they take on the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome.

The Carolina Hurricanes have had a very good road trip so far, gaining three out of a possible four points. After a back-and-forth game that saw goals scored in bunches against the Edmonton Oilers, which ended in Carolina’s favor, the Hurricanes had a battle of two hot goaltenders against the Canucks. Petr Mrazek and Jacob Markstrom both had outstanding games, but a wicked back-hand by Elias Pettersson ended the game in OT.

The Calgary Flames have been red hot, and it all started after the firing of their head coach, Bill Peters. Since the incident, the Flames are a perfect 7-0. Everything has been clicking for the team, so this will be no easy task for the Hurricanes.

These two teams have played each other once already this season. The game was played on October 29th. Carolina fans will certainly remember this game as it featured the infamous “lacrosse goal” scored by Andrei Svechnikov. The game ended in a 2-1 victory for the Hurricanes.

This will be the 77th overall matchup between these two teams. The current record sits at 23-44-7-2 in favor of the Calgary Flames. As you can see, Calgary has a better record against us. I also make sure to include that while this has no bearing on the upcoming matchup, it’s fun to look back and see how the two teams have matched up in the past.

As Carolina continues to embark on one of the longest road trips of the season, every point counts. While they’ve had a very good start to the road trip so far, they have to continue to play with the same intensity as they would any other game, especially with how good the Metropolitan Division is. Let’s take a look at three keys to securing a win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Start Fast, Score Early

If the Carolina Hurricanes hope to walk out of Calgary with two points, then they need to come out of the gate fast. With what will undoubtedly be a rowdy home crowd for the Flames, Carolina will need to score first and early to take the crowd out of the game and set the tone.

Despite being shutout last game, the offense for Carolina has been pretty potent recently. They posted six goals against both the Oilers and the Wild and put up three against the Sharks. They had some great chances against the Canucks, but Jacob Markstrom made it clear he wasn’t letting anything get passed him.

This is where a young team can have its benefits. Carolina is a very talented team that has proven they have the ability to score in bunches. Because of how lengthy and mentally straining this road trip will be, coming out strong and setting the tone early is very important. Taking control of the game against the Flames won’t be easy, because of how hot they’ve been recently.

From the very first face-off, it is imperative that the Hurricanes start strong. Use your speed to your advantage and swarm the Flames. Puck possession will also be incredibly important in this game. If Carolina can manage to score the first goal and create an opportunity for them to dictate how the game will be played, they can easily walk away with two points.

Stay Hot Special Teams

For many years, the Carolina Hurricanes have typically struggled when it comes to special teams, especially on the power play. While the Hurricanes have had a few good seasons on the penalty kill, the power play was an area that was usually non-existent. This year, that narrative has certainly changed, and Carolina has been lights out on both aspects of the special teams.

As it stands now, the Hurricanes rank 6th in the league when it comes to the power play, converting on 22.8% of their chances. As for the penalty kill, they’re ranked 2nd in the league, killing off 86% of their penalties. This is a rare season where both have clicked on a consistent basis, and this is a great strength to have.

As for Calgary, their power play is currently ranked 16th in the league, converting on 18.3% of their chances. With their penalty kill, they’re ranked 7th in the league, killing off 84.1% of the penalties they’ve taken. Calgary is a streaky team though, taking them lightly would not be smart because of how deadly they’ve been during this hot streak.

Clearly Carolina is favored in both of the categories when it comes to special teams. The Hurricanes need to continue their great run on both fronts. If Carolina can manage to win the special teams battle, they can make securing a victory so much easier. Use your strengths to your advantage, and don’t take your foot off the gas pedal.

Win the Speed Game

Something that Carolina has found to be a huge benefit to the team is the speed on their roster. While the Hurricanes are a fast team, Calgary also has some speed to match. This game should have a fast pace, with players from both sides flying up and down the ice. The team that wins the speed game will more than likely be the one walking away with two points.

For Carolina, they have a perfect combination of speed and grit. Martin Necas was recently inserted back into the lineup after missing a few games. I would look for him to provide a huge boost to the speed aspect in this one. Ryan Dzingel is another forward that I have a feeling will have a good impact on this game.

For the Flames, you don’t need to look much further than Johnny Gaudreau. This is a highly talented forward that continues to provide Calgary with that high-end scoring ability. On top of that, he is extremely fast. Carolina will have to match that speed and look to shut down his line if they want to find success.

In today’s hockey world, speed is everything. Luckily for Carolina, they have numerous guys that can provide the speed and agility that allows them to create chances that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to create. With guys like Necas, Dzingel and the recently recalled Julien Gauthier, Carolina can swarm the Flames and open up scoring opportunities that will lead them to a win.