The road trip might not have started on the best footing, but the Carolina Hurricanes have responded well during their last two stops. After Nikolaj Ehlers put up three against the Canucks on Wednesday, the Canes kept the train rolling with an excellent effort in Edmonton. Jackson Blake scored twice as part of consecutive six-goal efforts for the offense in a 6-3 triumph over the Oilers on Friday.
Shayne Gostisbehere exited Friday's game after taking a skate to his lower body, forcing the Canes to finish the night down a man. This left the remaining defensemen to weather the storm, and they did. However, it meant a lot of ice time for many of them. With this being the second half of a back-to-back, one has to wonder how their legs will be against the Flames.
On the Other Side: Calgary Flames
Last meeting: The Flames traveled to Raleigh to close November, and it was a low-event contest. Neither Brandon Bussi nor Devin Cooley budged through 60 minutes, keeping their opponents off the board through the end of regulation. The Canes eventually got the job done in extra time. Nikolaj Ehlers finished a pass from Taylor Hall to win the game and earn Bussi his first shutout.
As expected, Friday's deadline and the days leading into it were productive for the Flames' front office. They had many pieces that teams were interested in, and they made a few big moves. On Wednesday, they sent defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to Utah for a nice haul. Late on deadline day, they got the big one done, sending Nazem Kadri back to Colorado.
It has really been that kind of year in Calgary. Things haven't been clicking, especially on the offensive side. They're dead last in goals per game, and their power play is 30th. Rasmus Andersson is still in their Top 4 in scoring, and he was traded to Vegas in January. Excluding traded players, they have eight with at least ten goals, but no one has more than Matt Coronato's 14.
Defensively, they look a little better. Many expected Dustin Wolf to take a massive step forward, but Devin Cooley has been the stronger goalie when he's in the net. Cooley has only started 18 games, but he holds the best save percentage in the NHL (.923) and is fourth in GAA (2.27). He was in the net for the first meeting and played very well in an overtime loss.
Flames to Watch
Mikael Backlund: In times like these, teams must turn to their leaders to guide them to the end. That job falls on Backlund's shoulders. The pressure is officially off the Flames after selling some pieces at the deadline. Backlund assumes the team's lead in points with Kadri gone. He's also tied for second in goals, as he likely also takes the role as the team's top center.
Zach Whitecloud: While his name was dangled around to be moved for the second time this season, the deadline passed with Whitecloud being dealt again. He seemingly likes it in Calgary, and he'll have a big opportunity with Weegar's departure for Utah. The transition hasn't been the smoothest for him, but he's being called upon to play big minutes, averaging over 23 minutes per night.
Hurricanes to Watch
Jaccob Slavin: With the extra strain placed on the defensemen in Gostisbehere's absence against Edmonton, Slavin had to play over 25 minutes in the game. He trailed only Jalen Chatfield in that regard. It's one of the rare times you'll see the Hurricanes deploy him that much, but they had no choice. I want to see how he fares in this one after how much he skated last night.
Brandon Bussi: It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that Bussi will be in the crease tonight in Calgary. While he is winning games, which is all that really matters at the end of the day, I haven't loved his two starts coming out of the break. His effort against the Canucks was especially tough. He shut out the Flames in November. I'd like to see that guy back the second time around.