Carolina Hurricanes Look to Cap Series vs Capitals
The Carolina Hurricanes Look to cap the Four-Game Series versus Washington
The Carolina Hurricanes currently have a leg up in the four-game series against Washington this year, winning two and losing their third matchup. Tonight is the final of four meetings between the teams to be held in Washington. Carolina comes into tonight’s matchup without having allowed a goal in 124:11; the last was scored by Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim back on Tuesday, January 7th.
The Hurricanes are also riding a three-game winning streak, as opposed to the Capital’s two-game slide. The Canes have outscored their opponents ten-to-four during their current run, while Washington has given up nine in the same number of games. Nine points still separate the Metropolitan Division rivals, with the Hurricanes in the first Wild Card spot, two points behind the third-place New York Islanders.
With the season more than half over and a playoff berth in the Metropolitan Division requiring an estimated one-hundred points, the Carolina Hurricanes cannot afford to go into this match half-cocked. The Hurricanes lead the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets by four points and the Florida Panthers by five. It doesn’t make for a very secure buffer with only thirty-seven games remaining.
The Hurricanes need to cap the series with a win, whether in regulation or overtime. Of the Canes’ remaining games, seventeen of those are teams within the Metropolitan Division, making this game all but a must-win. As such, the Hurricanes need to stack up well against my three keys tonight, prevent a series tie, and fly out to Ohio with a win.
With that out of the way, here are tonight’s CardiacCane three keys to victory!
The Carolina Hurricanes Need Another Brick Wall.
That is the short answer on how to defeat the Capitals. Petr Mrazek and James Reimer both have their moments, and regardless of whichever goaltender starts in the paint tonight, the Hurricanes will need them to be hot. The goaltending duo has given up thirty-four goals in their last ten, nearly four a game, despite ebbing out a 6-4-0 record. Of those, one was an overtime win.
Mrazek, the anticipated starter for the night, is 1-1-0 with a 4.03 goals-against average and .862 save percentage against Washington this year. He’s given up four at even-strength, and four on the penalty kill, with his career record against Washington sitting at 4-6-2, with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage and one shutout. As we’ve seen throughout the season, the Czech native can stun us, in both good and bad ways.
Similarily, Reimer, who had a shutout against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, could ride into the crease at the start. Optimus Reim has been a stellar goaltender on the road for Carolina. In fourteen road games, Reimer is 8-4-0 with two shutouts. As opposed to Mrazek’s 4-4-2 in ten road games, including one shutout. If I were Rod Brind’Amour, I would place my bets on Reimer.
Not only because of his impressive road record but his career record against Washington. Reimer is 5-4-2 in twelve matchups with a 2.37 goals-against average, a .930 save percentage, and a shutout. Not to mention he’s had two shutouts in his last six starts. Between the two goaltenders, I would think we would be committed to insanity if we were to start Petr tonight against Washington.
Regardless of if number forty-seven or thirty-four takes the crease, if they play at their best, Washington won’t (theoretically) stand a chance.
If you Guessed That the Carolina Hurricanes Need to Stay out of the Penalty box, You’re Right.
The Carolina Hurricanes need to be on top of their game with discipline against Washington. They may be tied at fifteenth in the league, with a team total of 373 penalty minutes, but every one of them is still a potential dagger. In the three meetings this season, the Hurricanes have had seventeen minor penalties against Washington and four powerplay goals-against.
While the Hurricanes have one of the best penalty kills in the National Hockey League (9th), their record against Washington’s powerplay isn’t the hottest. It comes in at just over seventy-three percent with Carolina defending eleven of fifteen. Using the NHL.com filters, we see that Carolina averages five times shorthanded per game against Washington in 2019-2020.
That’s five times a game that Washington’s powerplay gets a crack at the Hurricanes on the man advantage. As we saw in their last meeting, Alex Ovechkin doesn’t even need to attempt his patented one-timer for them to get the powerplay conversion. His mere presence in the top faceoff circle creates chaos and confusion on who to defend against.
And let’s not get started on Hurricanes All-Star Dougie Hamilton‘s roughing penalty during the January 3rd game. It was a prime example of a penalty not to take, as the Hurricanes offense had begun to buzz. His penalty killed any momentum that the team had. As one of the cooler heads on the roster, this penalty wasn’t only reckless; it essentially cost the Canes the match.
The Hurricanes cannot afford to continue playing against the Capitals with such reckless abandon, and a victory requires that they do not.
When the Carolina Hurricanes put the Biscuit in the Basket, it’s Bo-Time!
Special Teams have been the story in each of the three 2019-2020 regular-season matchups between these Metropolitan Division rivals. It’s highly unlikely that it will change for their fourth and final meeting of the year. The Carolina Hurricanes are still a top-ten team (8th overall) on the powerplay, with a twenty-two and a half percent conversion rate.
Against Washington, the Hurricanes powerplay is significant. The powerplay units have registered a 30.8% conversion rate against Washington in the last three games, putting the biscuit in the basket four times in thirteen opportunities. The level of conversion the Canes have seen on their powerplay against Washington this season all but guarantees a powerplay goal tonight.
The powerplay has been a cornerstone of the Hurricanes offense in each of the three games, with both powerplay units showing they can convert. Both Teuvo Teravainen (who got snubbed in the All-Star fan vote for T.J. Oshie) and Ryan Dzingel scored powerplay goals on January 3rd when the comeback fell short.
For powerplay scoring, both the Russian phenom Andrei “The Michigan” Svechnikov and Sebastian “Seabass” Aho are tied for most powerplay goals on the team at five apiece. Teravainen, however, leads the team in overall powerplay points at seventeen (three goals, fourteen assists).
One player who hasn’t tabbed a powerplay goal in a hot minute, and we expect to, is Erik Haula. The last time he found twine on the powerplay was the 18th of October against Anaheim. As a fan, and CardiacCane, favorite, he’s due for a powerplay goal.
Carolina Hurricanes Game 46 Notes
- Puck Drop: 07:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time
- Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
- Watch:
- ESPN+
- Fox Sports-Carolinas
- NBC Sports-Washington
- NHL.tv
- Listen: 99.9 The Fan
- Uniform: Road Whites
- Potential Lines:
- Svechnikov-Staal-Foegele
- Niederreiter-Aho-Teravainen
- Dzingel-Haula-Necas
- McGinn-Wallmark-Martinook
- Defensive Pairings:
- Slavin-Hamilton
- Gardiner-Pesce
- Edmundson-Fleury
- Potential Goalie Matchup:
- CAR: James Reimer
- 10-6-0, 3 Shutouts, 18 Games Played
- 2.60 GAA
- .917 Save %
- 8-4-0 on the road
- WSH: Ilya Samsonov
- 12-2-1, 16 Games Played
- 2.24 GAA
- .921 Save %
- 4-2-1 at home
- CAR: James Reimer
Question for CC Readers: Do you think the Hurricanes will close out the season series 3-1 against Washington, or split down the middle?
Hot. Rewind: 2005-06 Stanley Cup Champions. light