The most wonderful time of the year has come and gone within the blink of an eye. The presents have been opened, the cookies have been eaten, and the egg nog was delightful. Time with the family is always great but now it is time to get back to hockey.
The Carolina Hurricanes currently sit fifth in the Metropolitan Division, which is closer than some may think. Every game matters and every point is important, as the team looks to make a climb up the standings. With a few days off to hit the reset button, they will look to come out hot and with a sense of urgency. Here are three things to look for when the team resumes action.
Come Out Hot Right Away
With a few days off under their belts, the Hurricanes will look to put their recharged legs to work. After losing four of their last five games, the team will look to right the ship. Over the next five games, they have a chance to come out hot and secure victories to catapult them up the standings. A few of the games are going to be tough, but the first two right out the gate are winnable hockey games.
The first game is against the Nashville Predators, who the Hurricanes lost to in overtime days before the break began. It will be a tough test on the road, but the Predators are a beatable hockey team. The Hurricanes will return home the next night to take on the struggling Montreal Canadiens. This is a matchup that presents a great opportunity and a must-win two points. Montreal does not defend well, as they’ve allowed the ninth most shot attempts (1632), and the tenth most shots on goal. With the Hurricanes being a dominant team at 5v5, the opportunity to generate offense at a high rate is probable. Montreal has gotten good goaltending, so that is the only thing that could stand in their way.
The Hurricanes will travel to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs before having two divisional showdowns. In a matter of days, they take on the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. It is the first matchup since the Sebastian Aho and Adam Fox knee-on-knee collision. In addition, the Rangers sit first in the division, which poses a challenging test right out of the gate. The Capitals are a pleasant surprise and took down the Hurricanes over a week ago.
This five-game stretch is not the easiest, but the Hurricanes have an opportunity to come out hot and get back on track.
Pyotr Kochetkov Continuing His Stellar Play
The biggest X-factor for the Hurricanes this season is their goaltending. Carolina took a massive hit when they got the news regarding Frederik Andersen, which also saw Antti Raanta be placed on waivers. Goaltending as a whole has been a struggle, as they rank 32nd in save percentage (.878) and have a combined goals saved above expected of minus-15.2. The Hurricanes have too much talent and are well-coached to be plagued by goaltending. However, Pyotr Kochetkov has recently elevated his level of play and is starting to earn the number one role.
Related: Hurricanes’ Kochetkov Looking to Seize the Starting Role
Ever since his start against the Ottawa Senators (Dec. 12), a spark has been lit under Kochetkov. The poke check save against Brady Tkachuk on the penalty shot propelled the team to victory and he never looked back. From Dec. 12 up until the break, the crease belonged to Kochetkov and he did not disappoint.
In his last six starts, Kochetkov is 3-1-2 and has been strong between the pipes. He has given the team a chance to win every single night and that is not something anybody could say about the goaltending up until this point. He has a .927 save percentage, 1.96 goals-against average, and 2.31 goals saved above expected in this time span.
Until the goaltending situation gets resolved, Kochetkov is the man moving forward. It will be the heaviest workload of his young career and if the Hurricanes are to climb up the standings, it begins with him in net.
Getting Contributions Offensively From Certain Players
The Hurricanes’ offense has been good this season. At 5v5, they lead the league in Corsi for percentage (60.45%), and they’ve generated the seventh most expected goals for (74.19). Their finishing ability is better compared to last season and they have scored closer to their expected rate (70 goals).
The biggest key is getting heavy contributions from their top guys and also having bounce-back seasons from certain players. Teuvo Terravainen has been a steady scoring presence and Seth Jarvis has elevated his game. Martin Necas and Sebastian Aho continue to be the focal point of the offense but the team could use more consistency in other areas of the lineup.
One line that the team will look to for consistency is the line of Jordan Staal, Jesper Fast, and Jordan Martinook. The line is primarily deployed to shut down the opponents’ biggest line and suppress their chances. However, they are a dominant line in terms of puck possession and generating chances.
Among all lines that have played 100 minutes together, they have the eighth-best expected goals percentage (61.7%) and have generated the ninth most expected goals (13.7). Despite being dominant, the trio has scored nine goals and has been on the ice for 11 against. In past seasons, they have shown they can produce, especially in the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Also, there is one other player individually they would love to see get going again.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been colder than the ice they skate on. He started red hot in the month of October, scoring four goals and ten points. His production became streaky in November but he still managed five points and potted another four goals. The break could not have come at a better time for him. December was troubling for him, as he has one goal in 12 games. His shooting percentage is a measly 3.8% and he’s been ice cold since starting the season hot. A bright spot has been the emergence of Jack Drury, who has picked up the slack from a production standpoint.
The Storm Will Rise
The Hurricanes know they can be better and arguably they should be better. A good few days to hit the reset button and take time away from the rink could do any team some good. There is no need to panic though, as the Hurricanes are in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference.
For them to climb up the standings, they’ll look for these three things to happen. It could go a long way to their success and gaining ground on the teams in front of them.
