The Carolina Hurricanes endured a tough start to January, finishing their stretch of 11 games in 19 days with a win on Monday afternoon against the Buffalo Sabres. It was a playoff-like atmosphere at the Lenovo Center, with things getting chippy between the sides. Andrei Svechnikov scored his fifth goal in three games and added an assist, while Sebastian Aho had a pair of helpers in the 2-1 win.
With the tough part behind them, the Canes only play four more games this month and seven more before they pause for the Olympics. It'll give them time to rest and recover, with guys like Eric Robinson and Noah Philp nursing injuries. It'll also be big for Jaccob Slavin, who is starting to really get rolling after injuries had plagued the start to his season.
On the Other Side: Chicago Blackhawks
The rebuild continues for the Chicago Blackhawks, who missed the playoffs again last season to run their drought to five straight. With a new coach, the Hawks are trending in the right direction, and a fast start made it seem like they were finally ready to arrive. Through mid-November, Chicago was sitting pretty at 10-5-4, but things took a quick turn south around Thanksgiving.
They endured a five-game losing streak around the holiday that only got worse when Connor Bedard exited the lineup in mid-December with an injury. Over their last 30 games, Chicago is 10-17-3, moving further down the standings as they appear poised for another season without playoff hockey. Still, there is plenty to be excited for in the Windy City.
Bedard made a feverish pitch to be named to Canada's Olympic roster, but his injury likely cost him that chance. Still, 20 goals and 48 points in 36 games is very impressive. Spencer Knight has also been outstanding since joining the club in the Seth Jones trade. He's hovering around .500 record-wise, but his .913 save percentage and 2.53 GAA tell a better story.
Last season: The Canes and the Hawks met twice in ten days last January. The Canes triumphed in Chicago by erasing 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to win in overtime on Sebastian Aho's fourth OT goal of the season. In Raleigh, the home team got it done again, using a big second period to take a 3-1 lead before holding on for a 3-2 win. Seth Jarvis scored a short-handed goal in each contest.
Blackhawks to Watch
Tyler Bertuzzi: Even when you're playing on a team near the bottom of the league in scoring, the goals have to come from somewhere. Bertuzzi leads the Blackhawks with 24 markers and sits behind Bedard in points with 37. He already has a hat trick in January, but Bertuzzi hasn't scored a goal in his last three games.
Spencer Knight: With Chicago playing the first half of a back-to-back tonight, I run the risk of Knight not facing the Hurricanes so he can start against the Lightning tomorrow. However, Knight playing tonight would make a ton of sense, given his history against the Canes. In four starts, all with the Panthers, Knight is 3-1-0 with a .950 save percentage and two shutouts.
Hurricanes to Watch
Jordan Staal: The captain hit a major milestone in a big way last season, recording his 700th point in his 1300th game to score the game-tying goal in an eventual overtime win. It has been a month since Staal has put the puck in the back of the net, though his assists have brought him to an even 20 points for the season, marking his 20th season in a row reaching that total.
Frederik Andersen: If Thursday's practice is any indication, Andersen is expected to be in the net for the Hurricanes tonight. He has started to turn his season around just in time for the Olympics. After going two months without a victory, he has won two of his last three starts, turning in one of his best efforts of the season on Saturday against the Devils.