If you missed it earlier today, I posted a fairly detailed analysis of Manny Malhotra's addition as a face-off specialist of sorts and its impact on puck possession for the Canes. You can find that
HERE.
Saturday night starts a stretch of 3 challenging home games against Western Conference foes. Minnesota at 9-4-4 is a tough test to start the run. Then it only gets harder when division leaders Colorado and Anaheim come to town next.
But focusing on 1 game at a time, Saturday the Carolina Hurricanes will try to run their current win streak to 3 games. The game will also wrap up the season’s 2-game set with Minnesota who defeated the Canes 3-1 just over 2 weeks ago in Minnesota. The scenario has changed a bit for both teams since the 1st meeting.
For Minnesota:
--The Wild entered the 1st game with a decent record but struggling mightily to mount any offense scoring just 6 goals in its previous 4 games. This time around the Wild come into the game in the midst of a scoring surge having scored 15 goals in their last 4 games.
--The Wild came into the 1st meeting on the back of a win that broke a 3-game losing streak. Riding the offensive surge, this time the Wild comes in playing some of their best hockey of the season with a 3-0-1 record in their last 4 and a 6-1-1 record in their past 8.
For Carolina:
--The Canes entered the 1st contest on a high. The Minnesota game started a skid that saw the team lose its starting goalie in Cam Ward (with backup Khudobin already out) and go on to lose that game plus its next 4. The Canes again come into this game feeling pretty good about things having won consecutive games at home to get back on the right track.
--But the offense is struggling. Somehow the team parlayed a meager 3 goals into 2 wins and even that required 2 of the 3 goals to come from its upstart 4th line. The Canes have not scored more than 2 goals in 7 tries with only 8 goals over those 7 games.
Keys to the game:
At a basic level, I think this game will require more of a complete effort by the Canes. The team found parts of that in the past 2 wins. Muller was able to roll 4 lines with no drop-off in quality of play. The defense was good against the Flyers and even better against the Isles. Justin Peters was sound in net behind a team that mostly gave him a chance to just play good hockey and not have to stand on his head. The missing parts continue to be the offensive ones. The power play is still sputtering. The top line of Tlusty/EStaal/Semin continues to just rack up games since their last goal. And the team in total is struggling to create any easy offense in transition such that lately it feels like an uphill battle to get to 2 goals. Minnesota comes in playing good hockey including offense, so hoping to win 1-0 or even 2-1 again is asking a lot (though I of course will take any kind of win). So I think the keys center around continuing on the same path defensively but at the same time finding some semblance of an offense.
Keys:
1) Continued sound defense across the full roster. Minnesota’s top line has been scoring of late, but the team has also been getting plenty of secondary scoring which is how they have been hitting 4-5 goals (jealous face). This game is not so much 1 where you can match up and lock down 1 unit. Muller will pay extra attention to Parise/Koivu, but the Canes need to also defend below that.
2) Tlusty/EStaal/Semin. I think even if the Canes play well defensively that this game will likely require 3 goals to win. Some of this must come from the top line either at even strength or via the power play otherwise the team is left scraping for a goal here or there just to get to 2 (which the team has not done in regulation in 5 games now). Something has to give soon. How about Saturday night?
3) Same Justin Peters. He has really settled in over the past 2 games. It will take another strong effort from him to give the Canes a chance against a good Western Conference opponent.
2 other side notes of interest:
--First, I called it out before the first matchup and will do it again this time. With Suter and Faulk in the same game, I think Team USA hockey fans are getting a preview of the team’s 1st D pairing for the upcoming Olympics. You heard it here first.
--It is more hunch than anything, but I think Drayson Bowman is the next big goal scorer. He is getting a bit more ice time by virtue of Muller rolling 4 lines and also the quality play of his 2 veteran line mates Malhotra and Dvorak. Both of those guys are heady hockey players who are also pretty good at keeping and protecting the puck. If Bowman moves his feet and works hard, he has a good chance to net some decent scoring chances.
Opening faceoff is a little after 7pm. Game is on Fox Sports Carolinas if you do not have a ticket.
Twitter=@CarolinaMatt63
Go Canes!
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