Sometimes when you look at a schedule and see five games in seven days, the first one against a division opponent that is fighting for its playoff life, and you’re comfortably ahead in the division, you just decide that it’s time to make sure no one gets hurt.
in their 5-1 loss to Columbus last night, there were stretches where it looked like the Canes would continue to be the team that showed up in Tampa on Saturday Night. Then Seth Jarvis accidentally got a double minor, Columbus scored, and the rest
of the first looked like the Canes were just done. It took a Nicolas Deslauriers fight in the second period to wake the Hurricanes up to the point that they got back to within one. Then the refs missed a trip on Brandon Bussi, Columbus scored twice in 40 seconds, and the Canes retreated back into “just don’t get hurt.”
It happens. There are fifteen games left in the regular season, guys are banged up—you’re still missing Shayne Gostisbehere—and your opponent tonight watched this game from their hotel in Raleigh. You move on.
Of course that schedule quirk isn’t just that the Canes have to play five games in seven days, they also are playing an opponent that they just faced last week in Pittsburgh. The stakes of this game are vastly different as a win would put the Canes nine points up on the Penguins with thirteen games left for both squads, and while the two will meet again this Sunday—Good Lord, NHL, really?—a win would go a long way in where the two teams will focus their attention the rest of the regular season.
For the Penguins this is basically the last chance they have at mounting a charge for the division, and this time they’ll do it with both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby back in the lineup and fresh off a full demolition of the likely Presidents’ Trophy winning Avalanche on Monday 7-2. Malkin scored twice, and a Pittsburgh squad that managed to tread water without their two biggest stars now has fresh momentum for their own run. They’ll be spurred on by the shootout loss last week wtihout Malkin, and the fact that their visit usually comes with several of their fans in the stands.
This is going to basically be a “run it back game” at least in net as you can expect to see Stuart Skinner and Frederik Andersen in net. The Hurricanes aren’t going to hold a morning skate, so we won’t know till Rod Brind’Amour’s availability around 4:30 what other lineup changes will happen, but expect to at least see Eric Robinson back in the lineup.
A couple of other notes: the Canes are going to make the three new investors available to the media before the game, so it’ll be interesting to hear from them as to what brought them into the fold with the Canes and what they hope to gain.
Also, tonight is going to be the annual Hockey Talks night for the Canes. Again, as work is still ongoing at the lower level, the groups that will be there to present various mental health initiatives will be on the south plaza between the entrance and Carter-Finley Stadium, and it’ll be worth visiting groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI NC), 22 Saves Hockey, 500 Fist Bumps, Dogs with a Purpose, Foundation of Hope, Grayson Murray Foundation, Lucy Daniels Center, Movember and The Hidden Opponent.
Comment along during the game below. If you aren’t going to be in the building, here’s how you can catch the action:
Time: 7 PM
TV: FanDuel Sports Network in the Carolinas. Mike Maniscalco will handle play-by-play alongside Tripp Tracy doing color. Hanna Yates and Shane Willis will provide off-ice reports.
Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network App for fans in the Carolinas. Outside the Carolinas, the game will be available on the ESPN app for any ESPN+/ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
Radio: The pregame on 99.9 The Fan starts at 6:30. At 7PM the Hurricanes Radio Network (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570) picks up the FDSN feed. You can also stream the call on the Hurricanes app.
Odds: Hurricanes -176 Moneyline, Puckline Hurricanes -1.5 at +142/Penguins +146 Moneyline, Puckline +1.5 at -176, O/U 6.5 (-102 Over/-120 Under)
