The Carolina Hurricanes stormed into Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night and left the arena silent for the majority of its conclusion. While it started a little hairy, Pyotr Kochetkov shut the door in his season debut. Nikolaj Ehlers notched his first as a Hurricane, Sean Walker had two points, and Kochetkov pitched a 25-save shutout in a 3-0 victory.
With most of the next two weeks being spent in Raleigh, it'll be the perfect chance for the crew to get healthy, with one return anticipated for Thursday's contest. Things seem to be rolling in the right direction on the injury front. It'll also be our second chance to see the forward lines as they were configured in New York.
On the Other Side: Minnesota Wild
While they started the season on a roll, the Wild stumbled a little down the stretch, relying on some late-season magic to snag one of the two Wild Card spots. They were dispatched in the 1st Round by Vegas, falling in six games. They did all of this despite playing without their superstar for half of the season.
Their offseason was marred by two big contract negotiations. First, they came to terms with RFA Marco Rossi, finally agreeing on a three-year bridge deal. However, the big one was Kirill Kaprizov, who entered the season with one year left on his deal. After much speculation, the Minnesota star signed an 8-year, $136 million extension, making him the highest-paid player in the league next year.
Minnesota's start has been largely disappointing, sitting under .500 and near the bottom of the division. While Kaprizov is near the top of the league in points (18), most of his damage has come on the power play. Minnesota has one of the league's top power plays, but they're tied for the fewest 5-on-5 goals. Their defense has also had an issue keeping teams out of the back of their net.
Last season: The Wild swept the season series with the Hurricanes, allowing just one goal across two meetings. The trio of Marco Rossi (4A), Mats Zuccarello (2G, 1A), and Matt Boldy (1G, 2A) tortured the Canes, and Filip Gustavsson stopped all 21 shots he faced in a 4-0 win in Raleigh in January. A month later, Gustavsson stopped 37 more in a 2-1 victory, with Sebastian Aho finally breaking through late.
Wild to Watch
Kirill Kaprizov: Obviously, we'll want to keep a close eye on Minnesota's best player, but it's important to note that the Wild swept the season series last year without Kaprizov in the lineup. With him healthy, he's a menace, though the Hurricanes will do all they can to soften his impact as they control the matchups for the game.
Zeev Buium: Like with the Islanders last week, the Wild feature a highly touted rookie defenseman. Buium is third in rookie scoring this season, quarterbacking Minnesota's dangerous top unit on the power play. While the points are nice, his -11 +/- is an eye sore, potentially negating the impact he has when Minnesota is a man up.
Hurricanes to Watch
Jordan Staal: We're preparing to see a milestone tonight as the captain skates in his 910th game as a Carolina Hurricane. When he takes his first shift, Staal will pass his older brother for the most games played since relocation and break their tie for the third-most in franchise history. It would be nice to see him on the scoresheet, as he has posted just one assist in his last seven contests.
K'Andre Miller: If Wednesday's practice is any indication, Miller should be back in the lineup after missing the last six contests with a lower-body injury. He was a late scratch before the Colorado game during the road trip. The Canes won't hold a morning skate before the game, so we'll have to wait for the official word regarding whether the return will actually happen.