Forecheck hard and continue it
With the Carolina Hurricanes likely going to need to score a lot to take two points from this game, the best way to do that is going to be to get the puck into the offensive zone and keep the Blues pinned in their own zone. If the Blues can’t fly the zone, then they’re going to find it difficult to score on the Canes. Forecheck and dominate offensive zone time. If Carolina can hold the lead, this game gets a little easier.
With the Hurricanes needing to get pucks in deep, grind the blues down, get pucks in front and get bodies to the net, this is going to have to be a very greasy performance. There’s not going to be room for the traditional 15 passes and a perfect shot that we usually see the Canes pull off when they’re dominating offensive zone time, and this is where the Canes’ bottom line is going to need to come through big.
With the Carolina Hurricanes needing a strong forechecking performance, it’s going to come down to the 4th line. We know there’s enough talent on this team to keep toe to toe with the Blues, but the 4th line is going to have to break the Blues down. It’s a difficult task, but keep the puck in deep and stay physical with the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions. It’s not easy, but it’s what needs to be done.
Laying the body and making St Louis work extra hard to avoid hits, get the puck out and just get to the bench is going to be vital if the Canes want to win this game. Do not let the Blues breathe when they’re on the ice. Force them to be active with both their feet and their sticks, and force them to think every minor action through. If you disrupt their basics, it gets so much easier.