Three days off might've been too much for the Carolina Hurricanes. Their effort on Thursday night for most of the final two periods was lackluster, falling 5-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth game of their homestand. Seth Jarvis scored the lone goal for Carolina off a beautiful feed by Shayne Gostisbehere. Frederik Andersen dropped his sixth straight decision.
The work the Hurricanes did on the power play didn't pay dividends on Thursday. The Canes went 0-for-3 with Jordan Staal inserted on the top unit. He was in the dot to take all three face-offs, but he was booted twice and lost the one he remained in for. The penalty kill was good, though, going 2-for-2 against Toronto's biggest weapons.
On the Other Side: Nashville Predators
Two summers ago, the Nashville Predators took a massive swing, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei to big deals. The season that followed was incredibly disappointing, finishing third from the bottom in points (68). Many of the team's stars underperformed or missed a lot of time with injuries.
Barry Trotz and the front office opted not to take many risks this summer. They brought former Hurricane, and forever "fan favorite", Erik Haula back for his second tour, while adding Nick Perbix through free agency and Nicolas Hague in a trade with Vegas. The only other big business completed was a two-year extension for Luke Evangelista.
It has been a lot of the same for the Predators this season. They're back at the bottom of the division, the conference, and the league. Their offense and defense are both struggling. However, things have been trending in the right direction lately. The Predators enter with wins in four of their last five games, including a 2-1 overtime win in Sunrise, Florida, on Thursday night.
Last season: Despite their struggling for most of the season, the Predators owned the Hurricanes. They first met in Nashville in the game before Christmas. with Nashville jumping out to a 4-0 lead and holding on for a 5-2 win. In Raleigh last March, the Predators, once again, got off to a good start and held on, crushing the Canes' comeback attempt in a 3-1 road win.
Predators to Watch
Steven Stamkos: The trade rumors surrounding Stamkos for the last few weeks have been loud, and the Hurricanes are seen as a potential fit. Whether there's anything to the rumors or not remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, though. Stamkos has turned his game around recently. Stamkos has four goals and six points over Nashville's last five games, including the OT winner on Thursday.
Jonathan Marchessault: It has been another rough season for Marchessault in Nashville, with only five goals and eight points in 22 games. He has dealt with a pair of injuries, costing him five games, but he returned to the lineup on Tuesday with a goal. Marchessault played well against the Hurricanes, which doesn't sit well with me heading into tonight's contest.
Hurricanes to Watch
Andrei Svechnikov: While he didn't find the scoresheet like his linemates on Thursday, Svechnikov was shooting everything in sight at the start of the game. I like this attitude from him, especially with one of the better shots on the team. It feels like he's right there to score another one, seeing as the well has dried a little over the last five games.
William Carrier: Off the draw on Thursday, Carrier was in the middle of just about everything when the Staal line was on the ice. It didn't result in anything offensively, but he was playing with considerable pep in his skates. His five hits against the Maple Leafs were his season high, so I'm hopeful that he can build off it tonight.