The Carolina Hurricanes are on the back half of their four-game road trip, flying into Winnipeg for a Friday night battle north of the border. The Canes dropped their battle in Minnesota on Wednesday, falling 4-3 in a shootout after climbing out of a 3-1 hole in the third period. Jackson Blake scored twice, including the game-tying goal with 1:06 left in the third.
A lot of the blame was thrown on Frederik Andersen after the loss in St. Paul. Justified or not, Andersen hasn't had it for the better part of November. Pyotr Kochetkov, who is the presumed starter for tonight's contest, on the other hand, has been very good, winning all four starts since returning from injury earlier this month.
On the Other Side: Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were a juggernaut in the regular season last year, led by Hart and Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck, outstanding forwards Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, and defenseman Josh Morrissey. However, they barely survived in the 1st round against St. Louis, getting a last-second goal in Game 7 to force overtime before winning in 2OT. They ultimately fell in six games to Dallas.
They didn't do a ton this offseason to improve their group, though they had a major piece head south. Jonathan Toews was arguably their biggest addition after sitting out the last two years to recover from injuries and other issues. Instead, they forked over a lot of money to their established guys, like Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, and, most recently, captain Adam Lowry.
While not the dominant force they were last season, their big guns are firing. Scheifele has already overtaken the franchise lead in games and points, entering tonight's contest in the Top 10 in scoring with 27 points. He shares the team's goals lead with Connor, scoring 11 goals apiece. Morrissey is second in defenseman scoring with 21 points, while Hellebuyck is as reliable as ever in the net
Last season: The home team triumphed in both meetings a year ago. Eric Comrie shut out the Canes in early February, stopping 29 shots, while the Jets' power play struck twice in a 3-0 win. They met again right after the trade deadline, and the Canes' newest guys came through. Mark Jankowski scored twice, and Logan Stankoven added another in a 4-2 win in Raleigh.
Jets to Watch
Jonathan Toews: The Hurricanes haven't faced Toews since December 27, 2022. On that night, Antti Raanta shut out the Blackhawks, 3-0. It has been almost three years since that night. Toews made a big decision to sign in Winnipeg, and while he hasn't scored much in his return, I'm sure everyone agrees that it is cool to see him back on the ice.
Nino Niederreiter: While it might not always be the case, it feels like Niederreiter is always in the middle of something against his former team. He had a goal and an assist last season when the Canes visited Winnipeg, and two goals when they completed their big third-period comeback in Raleigh the season before. He'll be one to watch for sure.
Hurricanes to Watch
Nikolaj Ehlers: Sitting in the Top 10 in games, goals, assists, and points, there's no doubt that Ehlers will get a massive reception from the team when they pay tribute to him tonight. Ehlers was a big part of what the Jets were doing over the last decade. Now, he's ours, and he's finding his game. Ehlers picked up the primary helper on the tying goal on Wednesday, giving him 13 points in 15 games.
Mark Jankowski: It's hard to forget a first impression made that spectacularly. Jankowski's first was a lasting one when he scored twice against the eventual MVP in his first two periods. While his scoring hasn't been nearly as potent with his being in and out of the lineup, maybe there's a little more magic in his stick against the Jets.