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Carolina Hurricanes: Keys to Completing Second Sweep of Stars

By Matthew Nidiffer |
Feb 11, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Ryan Dzingel (18) and defenseman Haydn Fleury (4) and goaltender James Reimer (47) celebrate the win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Ryan Dzingel (18) and defenseman Haydn Fleury (4) and goaltender James Reimer (47) celebrate the win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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Feb 11, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Ryan Dzingel (18) and defenseman Haydn Fleury (4) and goaltender James Reimer (47) celebrate the win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Ryan Dzingel (18) and defenseman Haydn Fleury (4) and goaltender James Reimer (47) celebrate the win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Carolina Hurricanes wrap up a 6-game road-trip with their 4th meeting versus the Dallas Stars tonight. The Canes, backstopped by Alex Nedeljkovic tonight, look to walk away with yet another two points and complete a second miniseries sweep courtesy of the Stars.

The Dallas Stars’ season so far has been a catastrophe; they’re currently sporting a record of 5-3-3, just barely good enough to keep them from being second to last in the new Discover Central Division. Losing Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop to injury are definite factors in the Stars’ dismal start to the 2020-21 regular season; things are unlikely to turn around for them until these two get back on the ice full-time.

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The Carolina Hurricanes are no stranger to injury this season either; having employed their full taxi squad at some points in the season, the Canes are just beginning to rebound from both injury and having players fully removed off the COVID protocol list and contributing on the ice again.

If the Canes can replicate past success against the Dallas Stars tonight, they’ll improve to 9-3-0 on the season, keeping them firmly planted among the top teams in the new Discover Central Division. A bit of caution, though: the Carolina Hurricanes’ 3 losses were all in the second game of these miniseries, giving tonight’s game an extra bit of spice. Here’s what I’d like to see from the Canes tonight in securing a victory.

Mar 8, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) looks on during a time-out against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG PAINTS Arena. Carolina won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) looks on during a time-out against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG PAINTS Arena. Carolina won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Ned Gets the Call

Alex Nedeljkovic gets his second start of the season tonight.

If you’ve ready any of my work lately, you know exactly how I feel about James Reimer being overworked in the wake of Petr Mrazek‘s thumb injury.

Tonight will surely be huge for Nedeljkovic. Rod is seemingly giving him a bit more trust in letting him start after Reimer managed to hang on and give the Canes a chance to beat Dallas earlier this week. I was wholly expecting Rod to go with Reimer again tonight, but it seems like Ned might be starting to win him over.

My confidence in Alex Nedeljkovic’s skills as a goaltender is unwavering; the man has succeeded at being a stellar goaltender at every level of hockey he’s played in. This has to mean something at the NHL level, and I think it might be time for Rod to put more trust in him. I think Ned’s path to the NHL really starts tonight. I’ll have all my fingers crossed he makes good on it and delivers like he has in the OHL and the AHL.

Jan 28, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Martin Necas (88) scores the game winning goal in the overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Martin Necas (88) scores the game winning goal in the overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

Necas A Maybe for Tonight

At the time of writing, Martin Necas is still a game-time decision as to whether he will play tonight or not.

Necas has been out with an upper-body injury for a little over a week now, and could very well make his return in Dallas tonight.

If Necas does return, his gamebreaking level of playmaking will be a more than welcome sight for sore eyes; the Carolina Hurricanes have managed to get the best of Dallas all season, though, but they did seem to be missing a certain spark against the Stars earlier this week.

Necas is just the guy to bring that spark, and his return tonight could mean a much, much better game for the Carolina Hurricanes in the offensive zone than their last matchup in Dallas.

Feb 11, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Brock McGinn (23) skates against the Dallas Stars during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Brock McGinn (23) skates against the Dallas Stars during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

1st Line BCB

I will never forgive Rod Brind’amour for taking 1st Line Brock away from us the day after I wrote an article about it.

Brock McGinn, as I’ve said in the past, is playing his best hockey as a Carolina Hurricane this year, due in no small part to the ice-time he’s been given on the first line, and with stars like Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.

McGinn has more than capitalized on his chances on the 1st line, and Rod needs to reinstall him there as soon as humanly possible, instead of filling the hole with Martinook and bumping Brock down to the 3rd line again.

Most teams wouldn’t be able to stand a chance against the Canes’ first line featuring Brock McGinn, and Dallas wouldn’t be an exception to that nuance if Brock can keep up his meteoric rise of offensive production so far this season.

Jan 31, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck (16) scores the game winning shootout goal against Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin (35) at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck (16) scores the game winning shootout goal against Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin (35) at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

Game Notes

Location: American Airlines Center
TV: Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
Uniforms: White Aways
Potential Lineup:

  • McGinn – Aho – Teravainen
  • Niederreiter – Trocheck – Necas
  • Svechnikov – Staal – Foegele
  • Martinook – Geekie – Fast
  • Slavin – Hamilton
  • Skjei – Pesce
  • Gardiner – Fleury

Potential Goalie Matchup:

Carolina: Alex Nedeljkovic
Dallas: Jake Oettinger

Prediction. 4. 109. 3. 119

The Carolina Hurricanes’ odds of winning tonight’s game are 46.6%, according to moneypuck.com.

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