I'll admit that the entire roster needs to step up its game once the Carolina Hurricanes return to action on Thursday night. From the top scorers to the coaching staff to the front office, everyone in the organization needs to be on their A-game from the drop of the puck Thursday to the second a playoff spot is clinched.
The Canes are in a very good spot, leading the Metropolitan Division by eight points and returning to action on a ten-game point streak. However, there is always room to grow, and there are some players whose play in the first half needs to improve for the stretch run. While I've limited my list to three Hurricanes, I've got my eye on everyone to make sure this train reaches its next destination.
Frederik Andersen
This feels like a bit of a no-brainer. There's only so much relying on Brandon Bussi that the team can do if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs. Frederik Andersen needs to be a part of the plans, especially without Pyotr Kochetkov in the fold. With 25 games remaining, and Rod Brind'Amour's knack for rotating goalies, Andersen should get at least 10 more starts. He needs to be better.
Andersen is 7-10-5. His .871 save percentage and 3.26 GAA are on pace to be the worst of his career. However, he has looked a little better over his last few starts. He entered the break on a five-game point streak, stopping 38 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to Washington in his last start. He followed it up with a good performance at the Olympics, which should bring with it some momentum.
Fortunately, history might be on his side. Since joining the Hurricanes, Andersen has been a good post-break performer. His save percentage has typically been at or better than his final total for the season. With the good games he has played over the last few weeks, could Andersen be trending in the right direction, or do the Hurricanes need to seek help from elsewhere behind Bussi?
Taylor Hall
Throughout his first full season with the Hurricanes, Taylor Hall's role has changed quite a bit. He has seen time on just about every line the team has thrown together. It has led, at times, to some streakiness in his production. He's had stretches when the points won't flow and others when he is playing at a point-per-game pace for a week or two.
Hall is currently seventh on the team in both goals (12) and points (27). It has him on pace to finish below 40 points this season. He hasn't been much of a factor on the power play, even if his three goals are only four back of the team lead. To his credit, he's producing better than the average fourth liner, which is where he's currently positioned in the lineup.
The Hurricanes are a little spoiled to have a player with Hart pedigree on the roster. Granted, he's not the player he was when he was named the MVP in 2018. Hall got hot at the end of last season, tearing it up from mid-March into the playoffs. It would be nice to see that side of him come back out for the stretch run.
Logan Stankoven
There is a small window between now and the trade deadline on March 6. That makes these next two weeks especially important for Logan Stankoven. The team will make a decision about whether they need to add a second-line center, of which there are plenty of options, or ride with Stankoven on the second line through the end of the season.
Stankoven has put together respectable numbers, sitting with 10 goals and 25 points in 57 games. It puts him a little off his pace from last season, though he is situated to top his 14 goals from a year ago. However, the most glaring number is his face-off percentage. Stankoven has won just 44.4 percent of his 660 draws.
He has shown positive signs on numerous fronts during the new year, whether it be his four-game goal streak in January or his performance in the dot. Both areas need to be more consistently impactful. I don't think the team adding another center is a bad idea, but if they don't, Stankoven needs to be a man on a mission over the final month to alleviate any doubts before the playoffs begin.