The Carolina Hurricanes are off to a strong start to the 2021 campaign, with a 7-2-0 record that has the team right on the heels of the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL’s new-look Central Division. After a middling series in Chicago where the team was trying to re-implement multiple players coming off of COVID-list stints, yesterday’s matinee win over the Columbus Blue Jackets marked a notable step forward in terms of crispness and overall energy level.
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While Carolina Hurricanes’ goaltender James Reimer had an afternoon he would soon like to forget, the team earned a hard-fought 6-5 win thanks to strong pressure in the offensive end wearing Columbus down and a steady defensive effort. The Canes allowed only 22 shots on goal, including just three in the middle period.
Expect tonight’s matchup to be a game where Columbus comes out motivated and, perhaps, a little angry after the NHL admitted they got the short end of the stick from the officials yesterday after Vincent Trocheck’s late-second period goal should have been disallowed due to a video review that showed the Canes’ forward entered the zone early.
Columbus is the only other 2019-20 Metro Division contestant that now plays in the Central, so between that and Conor’s post from yesterday, you guys probably already know the big details about the squad, so I won’t ramble much longer. Here are my three keys to sweeping the back-to-back against a pesky, grinding Blue Jackets squad.