Only Saturday's clash in Raleighwood separates the Carolina Hurricanes from their trip overseas. With the Chicago Blackhawks in town, the Canes will unveil their Hometown Remix jerseys for the first time. With the group back in the win column, the Canes can't look too far ahead or risk falling into a trap on home ice.
While it wasn't pretty, the Canes rebounded on Thursday against the Islanders. Logan Stankoven and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored very early goals, but the Islanders responded to tie it early in the second. Andrei Svechnikov restored the Canes' lead, only for the Islanders to tie it again. With just over five minutes left, William Carrier popped home a rebound, pushing them ahead for good in a 5-3 win.
Almost a month ago, the Canes visited Chicago. Mark Jankowski broke the scoreless tie in the final minute of the first period, allowing the dam to break. The Canes scored three times in the opening 6:05 of the second, busting out to a 4-1 lead early in the frame. It was more than enough as the Canes cruised to a 5-2 victory over the Blackhawks.
Behind Enemy Lines: Chicago Blackhawks
It's already looking like another trying year for the Blackhawks. They have the second-fewest points in the league (9) and the second-worst points percentage (.265), and things don't appear to be turning around anytime soon. They're also 31st in goals per game scored, goals per game, goals allowed, goals allowed per game, and dead last on the power play.
Since the Hurricanes paid them a visit, Chicago is 3-7-1, falling further down the standings. They're playing their third game in four days on a road trip through the Southeast. They lost on consecutive nights in Florida, entering tonight's contest on a five-game losing streak. The Blackhawks are desperate for a win, and they play like it tonight.
As in recent years, the Blackhawks are a very young team. Led by Connor Bedard, whose 12 points lead the team despite missing six games, Chicago has a ton of talent that hasn't quite put it all together yet. They're still a few years away from being truly competitive, though it seems like the fans are already a little fed up with how long things are taking.
Injury Report
Carolina: Now that Taylor Hall has returned from his upper-body ailments, the only players still out for the Canes are Alexander Nikishin, who ESPN's Emily Kaplan suggested should be ready to go within the next few games, and Jordan Staal, who is slowly making his way back from a partially torn calf. His timetable remains a mystery.
Chicago: Big offseason addition Bowen Byram hasn't played since October 13 with a lower-body injury. He was recently placed on IR, but there's a chance that he could play tonight. The team is also playing without Patrick Kane, and his return isn't as imminent. Jeff Blashill said that he'll miss the next few games, so Showtime won't make an appearance tonight.
Players to Watch
Roman Kantserov: Leading all rookies with eight goals, Kantserov saved the Blackhawks from being shut out against the Lightning, scoring in the final minute of regulation. The goal kept his point streak alive, now at seven games, while extending his goal streak to three games. Kantserov has scored five times during his point streak, and you must remember who he scored his first career goal against.
Connor Bedard: Now that he's back in the lineup, everything that the Blackhawks do runs through Bedard. He was hurt when the Canes visited in October, recovering from an offseason injury that cost him the first six games of the season. Bedard had a seven-game point streak snapped on Thursday in Tampa Bay. So long as the Canes don't allow him to take over, they should be in good shape.
William Carrier: If not for his late goal against the Islanders, there's no telling how Thursday's contest would've ended. Carrier recorded his second multi-point game of the season on Long Island, assisting on a goal and scoring the eventual game-winner late in the third. It had been a quieter stretch for him, but I'm hopeful that this could be a catalyst for him to get going again.
Pyotr Kochetkov: It's unclear who'll draw the assignment for the Canes in the net, and they'd be well within reason to give Bussi another go. However, if Kochetkov gets out there, it'll be his first start since his perfect season ended in Nashville on Tuesday. I want to see how Kochetkov responds to that loss. It'll be good to give him this game, especially with a long pause before the Finland games.
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