There wasn't much to love about the Carolina Hurricanes' 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. The group struggled to gain traction in Beantown, leading to Rod Brind'Amour shaking his forward lines up. The new groups didn't do much better, failing to score until Alexander Nikishin's blast near the end of regulation.
With an extra day between games, the Hurricanes took the opportunity to practice in Raleigh on Monday before heading to New York for their meeting with the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Along with Pyotr Kochetkov getting back on the ice, the big news surrounded the team's forward lines and the new combinations we could see for Tuesday's division battle.
Here's how the forwards lined up at Monday's practice, per Walt Ruff:
LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
Taylor Hall | Sebastian Aho | Andrei Svechnikov |
Nikolaj Ehlers | Logan Stankoven | Jackson Blake |
Jordan Martinook | Jordan Staal | Seth Jarvis |
Jesperi Kotkaniemi | Mark Jankowski | Bradly Nadeau |
Big changes are coming to the Hurricanes' Top 9
What jumps off the page immediately is Sebastian Aho getting two new wingers. Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis had been glued to his sides since the start of the season, but things are poised to change now. Taylor Hall (2 goals, 4 assists) and Andrei Svechnikov (2 goals, 1 assist) will likely start the night on his wings.
Ehlers will get a chance to skate with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, both of whom are off to excellent starts and have spent the first 11 games together. Ehlers set up Stankoven for a goal at the end of the Canes' 6-2 victory over the Islanders last Thursday at the Lenovo Center, completing a beautiful 2-on-1 for a garbage time goal.
Jarvis will reunite with captain Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook on what I have affectionately dubbed the "Two and a Half Men" line. The trio has played together plenty in the past, with Jarvis providing the offense while also fitting in perfectly with the style the two veterans play. Svechnikov performed well with the duo to awaken his scoring, so Jarvis should have no problems.
The only line that remains intact is the fourth line, featuring Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Mark Jankowski, and rookie Bradly Nadeau. While Nadeau won't get a promotion up the lineup, he's still rolling with the team's second power play unit, though neither unit has gotten much action over the last three games, with only three total chances against Vegas, New York, and Boston combined.
Some will look at the lines and question why Aho and Jarvis were split, or why Hall is getting promoted and not Blake or Nadeau. I think this is one of those "trust the process" moments. If it works, Brind'Amour will look like a genius. If it doesn't, everyone will have something to say. We can't knock it until we see it in action. If there isn't any traction, you can bet they won't stick for long.