Follow me on Twitter:
@BenShelley_20
Follow HockeyBuzz Hurricanes on Twitter:
@HB_Canes
The Carolina Hurricanes may have snapped their five-game losing streak this weekend, but a quarter of the way into the season, there are still reasons for concern.
The team is set to begin a six-game road trip tonight, coming off a weekend back-to-back which saw them split games against the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames.
The Hurricanes had taken a two-goal lead in their loss against the Bruins on Friday, after a really strong opening frame. However, they were outplayed in the back 40 minutes, giving up 29 shots over the two periods and after David Krejci pulled the Bruins within one late in the second period, Krejci struck again midway through the third to tie it. The game continued to overtime, where David Pastrnak won it for Boston on a power play.
Against the Flames, the Hurricanes dominated the opening frame but weren't able to convert on some excellent chances, and the teams traded goals through the first period. The second frame was a lot more even and while the Hurricanes took back the lead, Tyler Toffoli tied it for Calgary once again on a breakaway. Brett Pesce did put the Hurricanes back ahead in the final frame though and after doing a good job limiting chances for the Flames, Carolina held on to snap their losing streak.
Some good news is that over their two games in the weekend back-to-back, the Hurricanes did score four power play goals. Carolina has been brutal on the man advantage this season, so that was good to see.
The caveat is that they had a single goal at even strength over the two games.
The issue remains that even when the Hurricanes are generating a ton of chances, they just can’t convert. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Hurricanes have the third-highest expected goals for percentage in the NHL, at 56.9 per cent. However, their actual goals for percentage ranks 17th in the league, at a much lower 49.2 per cent.
This should point to the fact that the Hurricanes are due to start capitalizing on their chances but again, this isn’t a new issue. Several times last season, they dominated their opponent but ended up losing because they just couldn’t finish on their chances.
While Martin Necas has been fantastic and both Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov have provided the steady stream of scoring we’ve come to expect, there’s just no secondary offense. Outside of the three, not a single healthy forward on the team is even producing at a pace of more than 35 points per 82 games.
Injuries obviously haven’t helped, with Ondrej Kase and Teuvo Teravainen sidelined. That said, Teravainen really wasn’t overly impactful before being injured and while Kase should be a really solid addition, his injury history means even when he does return, we can’t be sure how long he’ll stay in the lineup.
Max Pacioretty could be a key, given his scoring ability. While Teravainen can put up a lot of points, he’s a playmaker and the Hurricanes desperately need finishers. With Pacioretty though, it’s still going to be a while before he’s back and the question remains whether Carolina can afford to wait that long.
Nino Niederreiter and Vincent Trocheck, who both departed in free agency, have combined for 17 goals this season already. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes don’t have a single goal from any forward who was added over the offseason.
So we’ll see if anything changes. It could be a matter of Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi stepping up, or an addition needing to be made up front. But right now, the Hurricanes sit 28th in the NHL in goals per game, despite ranking third in the NHL in shots per game.
Carolina begins a six-game road trip tonight, when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM NOVEMBER
Analyzing the Ethan Bear trade
Hurricanes fire 55 shots on goal, squeeze past Lightning in shootout
Sebastian Aho scores hat trick, Canes beat Sabres for fourth straight win
Hurricanes’ four-game winning streak ends with loss to Maple Leafs
Martin Necas on his way to becoming a star with Hurricanes
Hurricanes shut out by Panthers for second straight loss
Andrei Svechnikov scores another hat trick against Oilers, Canes win 7-2
Hurricanes fall flat against Avalanche in 4-1 loss
Pyotr Kochetkov earns first NHL shutout as Hurricanes defeat Blackhawks
Hurricanes outplay Avalanche but fall short for overtime loss
Hurricanes allow late goal, lose to Wild in overtime
Hurricanes stage comeback with three late goals but fall in OT to Jets
Hurricanes shut out by Coyotes, Kochetkov signs four-year extension 
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»