Carolina Hurricanes: Forecasting the Month of January

2 of 4

RALEIGH, NC – DECEMBER 31: Erik Haula #56 of the Carolina Hurricanes passes the puck during an NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens on December 31, 2019 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Month Ahead

January’s schedule, much like December’s, presents its challenges. But, the Carolina Hurricanes are no strangers to adversity. On the bright side, the team is in the middle of a 7-game home stand.

This month, the Hurricanes have 11 games to play. A whopping nine of them are at home and only two are on the road. Furthermore, with the way the schedule is built, the Hurricanes will have two home stands separated by a road swing to Washington and Columbus.

Worth noting is that there are five games against Metropolitan division opponents this month. The Hurricanes will play the Capitals twice, the Islanders, the Flyers, and the Blue Jackets. This probably goes without saying, but the guys will need to find a way against the latter three.

January features two sets of back-to-backs beginning with the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings next weekend. Then, a week later, the team will fly home from Columbus to take on the Anaheim Ducks.

As previously mentioned, this month is as difficult as last in regard to opponent quality. Of the 11 games on the horizon, nine of them are against teams that are at or above “hockey .500.” Personally, I’m most excited to see the Hurricanes match up against the Coyotes and Golden Knights.

One final note for the upcoming schedule is that All Star Weekend looms. The Hurricanes will be represented by Dougie Hamilton and maybe, should he make it via last-man-in voting, Teuvo Teravainen. We’ll be without regular season hockey from January 22-30.

Home/Analysis