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Opponent Outlook: Week Ahead for the Hurricanes

By Glenn Brewer |
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 26: Sebastian Aho #20 of the Carolina Hurricanes (2nd from right) celebrates his third period goal and his 400th NHL point against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 26, 2022 in New York City. The Hurrricanes defeated the Rangers 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 26: Sebastian Aho #20 of the Carolina Hurricanes (2nd from right) celebrates his third period goal and his 400th NHL point against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 26, 2022 in New York City. The Hurrricanes defeated the Rangers 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

After several busy weeks for the Carolina Hurricanes, this week has just two games to play. The six-game road trip continues tomorrow in Anaheim against the Ducks.

Having just played in Los Angeles, beating the Kings by a score of 4-2, the Hurricanes will have one more in the golden state.

The road trip has kicked off in a successful fashion with 3 games played and 3 wins.

Opponents Ahead

As mentioned before, the Hurricanes will end their stay in California with a game against the Ducks tomorrow evening.

The Ducks have one of the most exciting players in the NHL in Trevor Zegras but have not had much success as a team this season with only 15 points. That is good for the worst in the league in the point total.

Zegras has 9 goals and 22 points this season to join teammate Troy Terry as the only player on the team to surpass the 20-point mark.

Terry is having a phenomenal season with 11 goals and 26 points.

Beyond those two players, the Ducks have some average performers sharing 13 points each.

Anaheim starting goaltender, John Gibson, has struggled this season with almost 4 goals against average while producing below .900 save percentage.

Not what is expected from Gibson’s normal play, he is always a threat to break out.

Finally, Saturday evening the Hurricanes return to the East Coast to play the division rival, New York Islanders at UBS Arena.

The Islanders are right behind the Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division with 32 points in 26 games. Trailing the Hurricanes by a point, the Islanders will be looking to hop Carolina in the standings with a regulation win.

The Islanders have rebounded from a down season with the new head coach, Lane Lambert.

Still identifying with the Barry Trotz defensive system, the Islanders have added a tweak to the system which has created more goals.

Mathew Barzal leads the way with 27 points from 24 assists.

Brock Nelson has 12 goals and 25 points as he has continued to be one of the most consistent players on the roster.

Defenseman, Noah Dobson, is a threat from the point on the power play with 7 goals and 16 points.

The Islanders are like the Hurricanes in the sense of relying on strong production from both goaltenders.

Ilya Sorokin leads the way in the crease for the Islanders as a young, rising star. Sorokin is extremely quick and flexible. Like Pyotr Kochetkov, Sorokin will make some flashy saves every game.

Sorokin has a 2.17 goals-against average with a .932 save percentage.

His counterpart is Semyon Varlamov, who not long ago was leading the Islanders to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

In 9 contests, Varlamov has posted an admirable 2.52 goals-against average with a .922 save percentage.

It will be an important divisional game in New York that will surely be low scoring.

First, the job at a task is the Anaheim Ducks. A strong effort in Anaheim should have the Hurricanes heading to New York with four straight victories on this road trip.

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