The Carolina Hurricanes saw their winning streak end on Thursday night at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks. The good news? They still earned a point, extending their active streak to four. The Canes never led in the game, falling behind three times. However, they always found a way to tie it up shortly after. The shootout proved to be their downfall again, dropping the game, 4-3, in Raleigh.
Brandon Bussi is almost certain to take the net for the Canes tonight ahead of their four-day gap between games. It comes as part of a relatively slow end to the month after a torrid beginning. This break, paired with the long Olympic pause, will help the team rest, but it will also allow the teams fighting them in the division to close the gap.
On the Other Side: Ottawa Senators
The Senators finally broke into the postseason last season, snapping a seven-year drought to claim one of the Wild Card spots. The team went down with a fight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They fell behind 3-0, but the Senators won Games 4 and 5 to make the Leafs' fans nervous before ultimately falling in six games.
The group kept it pretty quiet for the most part this offseason, adding Jordan Spence in a trade with the Kings. The Senators' offense has been just fine. Tim Stutzle is over a point per game. Jake Sanderson has become one of the league's most productive defensemen. Eight players have already scored double-digit goals, and ten players have reached 20 points.
Their issue has been goaltending. They've deployed five goalies this season, and none of them has better than an .889 save percentage. Linus Ullmark took a leave of absence from the group, Leevi Merilainen hasn't been able to shut it down, and James Reimer was brought in to provide some stability. It doesn't help that the Senators have blown a few leads recently, either.
Last season: The Senators won twice in three meetings, with the teams trading shutout victories in Raleigh. Spencer Martin shut down the Senators in November, but Linus Ullmark got it back a month later. The teams met for the final time in the final game of the regular season. It was a chaotic game, featuring wild momentum changes in a 7-5 victory for Ottawa.
Senators to Watch
Shane Pinto: There are several young, productive scorers on this roster, and Pinto is among the best of them. After earning an extension in the offseason, he is fourth on the team in goals (14) and seventh in scoring (25). Pinto performed well against the Canes last season, scoring three goals in three games, including a two-goal performance in Raleigh last December.
Claude Giroux: On the opposite end of the spectrum, Giroux is still bringing it at 38 years young. He has a knack for performing well against the Canes, going back to his Philadelphia days. However, the Canes got the better of him a season ago, keeping him off the scoresheet in all three meetings. Giroux had a three-game assist streak end on Thursday in Nashville.
Hurricanes to Watch
Jackson Blake: During his rookie campaign, Blake scored 17 goals and 34 points. In 51 games this season, he has almost hit both marks, entering tonight with 16 goals and 30 points. He scored the tying goal in the third period on Thursday to force overtime. Blake has been scoring a little more consistently recently, providing four points in his last four games.
Alexander Nikishin: One of the big moments from Thursday's shootout loss was Nikishin dropping the gloves. He laid a clean hit and was a willing combatant before dropping Chicago's Oliver Moore with a few clean rights. It leaves me wondering what he could bring to tonight's contest against a team with a few agitators.