3 keys to the first game after Christmas for the Hurricanes against the Habs

Carolina Hurricanes hockey returns tonight… hopefully. With the majority of the missing pieces of the forward core now back in the lineup, it will genuinely be the Carolina Hurricanes forward core combating the Habs in this one, as opposed to the Chicago Wolves groups which played against Los Angeles and Detroit before the pause. We’re going to see one of the best forward groups in the sports in this one.

This game will be the end of the Canes games for this calendar year, so it’s always good to go out on a high note. One of the Canes’ most successful years in franchise history could be capped off with a victory tonight over the new rivals from French-speaking Canada. Start the year strong, end it with a win, and end it with 2 points in the standings to take the division lead back from Washington.

There’s a lot of storylines to look for heading into this one, and we’re going to talk about them all. Carolina gets their two best forward talents back from COVID isolation, accompanied by their shining young rookie, and the team’s captain will be among the biggest storylines heading into this one. Now, there are still 3 Canes on the COVID-19 reserve list having to isolate, and they’ll hopefully be back soon.

As for now, it’s Gameday for the players the team has at its disposal. Whoever takes to the ice for the Canes in this game is going to be given a large task, and they’re going to need to do it if they want to end the 2021 calendar year with the same success that the organization as a whole has sustained throughout the previous 363 days. It’s the new enemy coming to PNC Arena in Raleigh, and the headlines in Quebec are already starting to write themselves.