Hurricanes host the Colorado Avalanche in a cannot miss game

Tonight, there’s a clash of natural disasters. PNC Arena will host the two best teams in the NHL. It’s the league-leading Colorado Avalanche who come to town and they will be the Carolina Hurricanes opponent tonight. In a game where both teams are hunting division, conference, and even President’s trophy banners, they go head to head in a game that is going to ripple across the hockey world. 

Colorado comes into this game to play their third game in four nights. They are coming off a loss in New Jersey where they were playing on back-to-back nights after defeating the New York Islanders the night prior. Colorado is still one of the best units in the NHL with the best group of skaters in the NHL. They run 4 strong lines and three strong defense pairings. However, that doesn’t mean they do not have a weakness.

If you are going to point to one issue the Avalanche might have, it’s the goaltending. Not always due to ability, both goalies have had tough times at points this season, and if the Canes can hem the Avalanche into their own zone and dominate Colorado for large portions of the game, then we could see a game that the Canes want to play, and perhaps even have an edge in.

PNC Arena is going to need to be right behind the home team in this one with the best team in the NHL in town. For the first time in over three years, the Avalanche are in Raleigh with one of the best teams in hockey, and it’s with the best two teams in the NHL going head to head, in a game that could put one team right back in the President’s trophy race, or remove them from it entirely. It’s a great game, and let’s hear you at the game tonight.

Question for Cardiac Cane readers: Score prediction?