The Carolina Hurricanes snapped a three-game skid on Saturday night, returning from Christmas with a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbehere recorded a goal and two assists each as a three-goal second period helped them surge past Detroit to erase some of the sting left by their pre-Christmas fiasco.
Getting a few big pieces back into the lineup helped calm some things down because the Canes looked much more composed in the third period after allowing an early goal. They didn't crumble as they did against Florida and Tampa Bay. It also helped that Brandon Bussi made some key stops to prevent the snowball from getting too big as it started rolling downhill.
On the Other Side: New York Rangers
Last meeting: The Rangers were in Raleigh on Thanksgiving Eve. They gave the Hurricanes fits all night. The turning point in the contest was a late second-period goal by Artemi Panarin to restore a one-goal lead with only 64 seconds left. It led to Vincent Trocheck extending the lead to two 45 seconds into the third. New York won the game, 4-2.
As the Metropolitan Division remains as tight as a tick, the New York Rangers have failed to separate from the rest of the crowd. They're one of four teams tied for the final Wild Card spot, currently missing out due to the number of games played. The team is currently just over .500, which has been fairly consistent all season.
New York is playing without two of its biggest players as they deal with injuries. A kingpin on the backend, Adam Fox has missed the last month with an upper-body injury. He practiced on Sunday, but it doesn't appear that he'll be in the lineup. Captain JT Miller has missed the last week with his own upper-body concern. As two of their Top 5 scorers, they are massive losses.
There is still plenty to concern the Hurricanes with on Monday night. Artemi Panarin loves terrorizing the Canes. Mika Zibanejad does, too. Igor Shesterkin always seems to rise to the occasion, especially with how much the Rangers deploy him. Their greatest issue is that, for as well as Shesterkin plays, the Rangers' offense doesn't give him a ton of help, scoring the third-fewest goals per game.
Rangers to Watch
Alexis Lafreniere: Since becoming the Rangers' first pick in 2020, Lafreniere has struggled to be the big star that comes with being a #1 pick. He reached a milestone last Tuesday, scoring the 100th goal of his career in a 7-3 victory over the Capitals. It was just his eighth goal of the season, and he only has 20 points, putting him on pace for his lowest production in three years.
Scott Morrow: With Fox out of the lineup, Morrow has stepped in, recording two assists in New York's last four games. This is expected to be his first game back in Raleigh since being traded this offseason, so he's destined to do something big against his old mates. It'll also be his chance to prove whether the Hurricanes made a grave mistake sending him to a division rival.
Hurricanes to Watch
Jackson Blake: After scoring just five times in a month and a half, Blake is starting to find the back of the net regularly over the last five contests. He has moved into sole possession of third on the team with 11 goals, with three markers since the start of their road trip in Nashville. Blake scored the group's first goal on Saturday.
William Carrier: Getting him back into the lineup on Saturday was big. Carrier made an immediate impact, laying out Red Wings left and right with a game-high five hits. He also found the scoresheet, recording a secondary assist on Shayne Gostisbehere's goal. In a divisional matchup that can bring out plenty of emotions, having Carrier available will be massive.