3 keys to a bounce back win in the Dusty City for the Hurricanes
Tonight, Carolina is out in the Lone Star State as they visit the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. With the Canes looking to get back into the win column, Carolina’s trip to Dallas provides a little bit of optimism for the Canes moving forward. This is a very winnable game for the Hurricanes and the two points would go a long way to seeing the team return to winning ways.
This game against the Dallas Stars is a chance for the Canes to re-establish their dominance over a former divisional opponent from last year’s Central. When the Canes take to the ice in Dallas, it’s going to be another tough game in a tough building and the Carolina Hurricanes will need to find a way to emerge victorious from this one if they want to get back in the win column.
In their previous defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals, the Carolina Hurricanes lost their lead not only at the top of the Metropolitan Division but also at the top of the NHL standings. Now the Canes will have to chase down their counterparts from the US Capital if they want to win the division to be certain of home ice in the first two rounds in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This is a building that Carolina has found a lot of success in when on the road. They’re going into a very hostile environment and get the chance to prove who the superior southern market is. A win tonight would do them a lot of good, as they will be winning without half of their defensive core. Yes, the 3 RHD starters are all in the NHL’s COVID protocol and will be unavailable for the foreseeable future.
Next man up for the blueline tonight.
Carolina is going to undergo a serious test of its organizational depth on the back end. This is the team being pushed to the limits defensively. Now, we’ve seen this Canes blueline grow new limbs before in order to win games, but this is going to be a very different test. Luckily for the Canes, they have some NHL-caliber call-ups with their AHL affiliate down in Chicago.
Jalen Chatfield will make his Carolina Hurricanes debut tonight as he has been called up to help replace the three right-shot defensemen who are all in COVID protocol. With the Vancouver Canucks last season, Chatfield played in 18 games and tallied an assist. Still looking for his first NHL goal, he’s defensively solid and can do a job when called upon. He shouldn’t be depended on a lot, but he can be good in a pinch.
Maxime Lajoie will also make his season debut tonight in Dallas. The Canes defenseman got a call-up last year and played well in the first round of the playoffs against the Nashville Predators. He’s nothing special offensively, but he’s a solid defensive choice and he’s someone that the Canes can depend on in the defensive zone. He’s not going to lock it down, but he’ll eat time without costing you anything.
Both of these defensemen are capable of aiding the Canes in their efforts tonight. I do not know who is going to quarterback the powerplay units, but that’s an issue for later. Carolina has the chance to get a result in Dallas without too much of their starting roster and that is something to be optimistic about for Caniacs around the world as we approach game time in Dallas, Texas.
Do not waste the great chances the team generates
For the Carolina Hurricanes, scoring chances seem to come and go. With so much talent on a roster, the Hurricanes have the ability to generate chances seemingly at will. What the team seems to struggle with is finishing the chances that they create. It’s obvious that the talent on show for the Carolina Hurricanes is substantial, hence why they’re at the top of the NHL.
Yet, scoring woes have plagued the team for a long time. Historically, Carolina’s forwards do struggle to keep up in run and gun-style games. In their last 6 games, Carolina has been held to two goals or fewer four times. That is just not good enough for a team that wants to be at the top of the league and compete for the Stanley Cup. They’re relying on their talent to get them through games.
Carolina’s scoring troubles are something that the team will need to learn to overcome if they want to get back in the win column. As troubling as it sounds, the Canes are likely going to need to score their way out of trouble for the foreseeable future. It’s a difficult situation for the team and the organization, but with the defense being utterly depleted, the production of the offense is critical.
Ideally, the Canes wouldn’t need their offense to be clinical, but they’re going to need more than a goal off of every 20 or so shots to win this one. Otherwise, they could need around the 100 shot mark to have a chance at this one. It’s very likely a game that the Canes are going to be susceptible to counter attacks through bad turnovers with the speed of the middle six of the stars. Scoring will help give off breathing room.
Start on time like what should have happened against Washington
Who remembers the last time the Canes had a normal 7 PM Eastern puck drop? It was against St Louis at PNC Arena. That is now 3 weeks ago. It feels like a lifetime ago, but hey, that’s how the NHL schedule goes sometimes. Now, Carolina gets to go home and settle into some form of normality after this game before they get shipped off to Western Canada again.
With the Canes custom to a non-traditional start time, it’s their finishing skills that have let them down time and again. They need to find a steady way to get the puck behind the netminder and into the goal behind them if they want to win and the best way to do that is to start on time. Pressure from the opening puck drop and you’ll give yourself a chance to win this one from the start.
Obviously, the Hurricanes will have to be ready from the drop of the puck in the American Airlines Center. This is still a team just two years removed from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and they can and will still clobber the Canes if given the chance. Carolina needs to stay alert and be ready for the push the Dallas Stars will have in front of their fans in the Lone Star State.
There are no easy games in this league, but Dallas has the making of a very beatable opponent. With half of the defensive unit missing, it’s not going to be fun or easy, but the Canes will be tasked with getting through this regardless of what the Stars do. You cannot worry about what isn’t at the game with you, you need to find a way to win with the 18 skaters and 2 netminders you have.
dark. Next.