The Carolina Hurricanes have been perfect this week against a pair of Metropolitan Division foes, knocking off the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and the Washington Capitals on Thursday in a shootout. The Canes now own the best record in the Eastern Conference, edging past the Capitals on points percentage.
Brandon Bussi put his name in the record books with his 10th win in 11 starts against the Capitals. With a home-and-home against the Philadelphia Flyers this weekend and three goalies on the active roster, the Canes will have some interesting decisions to make in the net. We'll also keep a close eye on whether Jaccob Slavin is good to go ahead of the busy weekend.
On the Other Side: Philadelphia Flyers
Last meeting: The Canes hosted the Flyers for their second game of the season. The contest featured several ties and lead changes. Philadelphia scored with four minutes left to force overtime, and they thought they'd won before a league-initiated review wiped off their game-winner for goalie interference. Instead, Seth Jarvis pounded home a one-timer to earn the Canes a 4-3 victory.
Without a win through two games after losing to the Canes, the Flyers went on to win six of their next eight games in October, and they put together a respectable 8-4-2 record in November. They've yet to find their groove in December, dropping three of their five games, but the Flyers are right in the thick of the division hunt, four back of first while occupying the first Wild Card spot.
One of the most positive developments for the Flyers has been the resurgence of Trevor Zegras. Leading the team with 11 goals and 28 points in 29 games, Zegras has fit like a glove for Rick Tocchet's team. Despite what appears to be decent scoring depth and a relatively even point distribution, the Flyers are near the bottom of the league in goals.
Their stability in the division and Wild Card races has come on the back end. Their 81 goals against are the sixth fewest in the league. Dan Vladar has posted an incredible 2.52 GAA in 18 starts, taking control of the net for most of the season from Samuel Ersson. He's another of Philadelphia's offseason additions that has panned out well to begin the season.
Flyers to Watch
Travis Konecny: Along with being an outstanding player, my focus on Konecny stems from one specific moment. In the Flyers' loss to Vegas on Thursday, Konecny turned the puck over in his defensive zone, allowing the Golden Knights to score the winner shortly after. I'm very interested in how he responds against a team he's posted good numbers against.
Owen Tippett: Even in games that he doesn't record a point in, it feels like Tippett is a constant threat against the Canes. He scored a goal during their meeting in October, breaking the ice late in the first period on the power play. Tippett is third on the team in goals (9) and fourth in points (19), though his December is off to a slower start.
Hurricanes to Watch
Nikolaj Ehlers: Thursday night might've been the best game of Ehlers' short tenure as a Hurricane, scoring a goal and adding an assist against the Capitals. His entire line was buzzing, so I'm hoping for an encore against another division opponent. Ehlers was flying around all three zones like a madman all night. I'd like to see more of that.
Jaccob Slavin: I'm probably beating a dead horse with all of the times I've referenced a potential Slavin return since he began practicing with the team. Each day feels like we're getting closer and closer to the possibility of it happening. With the Flyers being the last team he faced, Slavin returning against them would make perfect sense, not that it's a reason to just throw him out there.