For the first time in history, the Utah Hockey Club will visit Raleigh where the Carolina Hurricanes will host them for a matinee match. The month of Western Conference opponents continues for the Canes as they have struggled to string together victories of late and minimal panic has set in for the fans after the acquisitions of Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall have resulted in struggles.
The Canes are amidst a three-game losing streak but have been very good on home ice this season with a 20-6-1 record. The last victory was on home ice against the Chicago Blackhawks to finish the January schedule. Oddly enough, Utah has been better on the road to start the franchise with a 14-10-3 record. The new franchise is on a two-game winning streak and in the middle of a race for the last Wild Card with 55 points.
This is the second game of a 4-game road trip for Utah, beginning with a 3-2 OT victory in Columbus. Thanks to the return of Dylan Guenther, who had the game-winning goal and regained the goal-scoring lead on the team with his 19th. Guenther is the main sniper for this club and is a threat on the man advantage with 7 goals. Something the Canes could desperately us on the power play.
Clayton Keller is the franchise's first captain. He also leads the team in scoring with 57 points, 39 of which are helpers. He is small but can carry the puck coast to coast with unbelievable vision. A star in the making, Logan Cooley, is currently injured and will not play today, but he is second in scoring for the team with 43 points. Josh Doan will continue to fill in, back from Tuscon of the AHL. Veteran, Nick Schmaltz has had a solid season with 11 goals and 41 points.
Newcomer and former Stanley Cup champion with Tampa Bay, Mikhail Segachev has led the way on defense with 10 goals and 34 points while logging 25:47 minutes a night. The rookie, Michael Kesselring, has been solid with 21 points but overall the scoring will not be produced from the blue line.
Connor Ingram had a solid season last year in Arizona, but has been inconsistent so far this year with a 3.16 GAA in 20 starts. This has led the way for Karel Vejmelka, who has the majority of the starts this year with 32. The lefty has 12 wins and a 2.46 GAA with a .910 save percentage.
This will be an interesting match-up for the Canes as they look to break the losing streak, but the early start will throw some timing off early in the game. I predict a close game with a possible overtime to decide the game. An OT victory might be just what Rod Brind'Amour's group needs to get on a hot streak.