Cardiac Cane
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Carolina Hurricanes: Three keys to beating Nashville

By Conor Power

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MAY 27: Juuse Saros #74 of the Nashville Predators makes a save on a shot by Teuvo Teravainen #86 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 27, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MAY 27: Juuse Saros #74 of the Nashville Predators makes a save on a shot by Teuvo Teravainen #86 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 27, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MAY 27: Juuse Saros #74 of the Nashville Predators makes a save on a shot by Teuvo Teravainen #86 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 27, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MAY 27: Juuse Saros #74 of the Nashville Predators makes a save on a shot by Teuvo Teravainen #86 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 27, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Shot selection

Today, Carolina goes up against one of the best young netminders in the NHL. We know from last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs that he can make this game a living nightmare for the Carolina Hurricanes, so it’s very important to select when to shoot at the right times and not just rain down shots like a plague.

We all know that Juuse Saros is a heartbreaker for opposing forwards. There’s nothing he cannot stop, If he gets a clean look at the shot, regardless of who’s stick it comes off, there’s a shot he’s going to get to it. And this is why the shot selection is going to be so very important tonight. This isn’t going to be a game where the SAT line can bail the Canes out.

Traffic out in front is going to be essential if the Carolina Hurricanes want two points from this game. Allow the team to cause chaos out in front, and attempt tips, deflections, and anything else you’ve got to try and get this puck past Saros because it’s incredibly difficult to beat him with a clean shot.

One of the other ways to beat him and do it successfully is to move the puck east to west across the crease. Saros isn’t a big netminder at only 5’11, so he doesn’t have the wingspan to attack pucks that go across the crease the same way his Finnish predecessor in Nashville did. It’s why both traffic in front and east to west passing can cause him some havoc.

Shots also need to be from good angles with a goal in mind. Shooting from the corner like the Canes were doing in the preseason against Saros won’t work (although it did in the preseason). You need to have an idea in mind, shoot for a rebound, shoot for the tip, shoot because Saros can’t see the puck, all of this works. Don’t just throw it mindlessly on the net.

If you can force Saros east and west with shots through traffic, then you’re going to have success against Nashville, just because you will be able to outscore them. Now that I’ve written all this about Saros, I’m willing to bet actual money that he’s on the bench to start this one because that’s my luck!

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