This round of NHL Predictions looks at the only game of the night as the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Arizona Coyotes for the second time this year out in the desert. The first matchup between these two in Raleigh saw the Hurricanes drastically outshoot the Coyotes but only manage to pull ahead for the victory with 35 seconds left.
The Coyotes find themselves in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. Since their matchup in Carolina, they have lost four in a row. To add insult to injury, the team announced that starting goaltender Connor Ingram will be out for roughly a week or two due to injury. He was hurt in their game on Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild. While Karel Vejmelka is a solid backup, Ingram has been a bright spot for the Coyotes all season and will definitely be missed in this one.
The Hurricanes are 6-4-0 in their last ten. Their last matchup ended in a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. The team had some defensive breakdowns and also seemed to be trying to make things a little too complicated in that one. The top line of Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov failed to generate even a single shot.
This could be an interesting one as the Hurricanes look to bounce back while the Coyotes look to stop their slide. For Carolina, let’s take a look at three keys to victory.
NHL Predictions: Carolina Hurricanes vs Arizona Coyotes
Three Keys to Victory for Carolina
Shoot the Puck
Shooting the puck seems like a weird key for Carolina in this one. The team infamously piles on shot after shot against whoever they play. For the last few years, they have consistently led the league in metrics like shots, shots per game, Corsi and Fenwick. They might not always be the best shots or the most high-danger, but they get shots on net.
However, over their last pair of games, and especially the game against the Stars, the team seemed to be heavily favouring passes over shots when given opportunities. This is not a case of looking at the end totals as they actually outshot the Stars 34 to 23. They also had eight giveaways compared to the Stars 13. But it seemed like time after time on rush attempts or the power play they would opt to make an extra pass (or two) instead of getting shots on net. It is also worth noting, as mentioned above, that the top line had no shots in that one. Sometimes making the simple play and getting the shot on net is the best play and Carolina needs to get back to that in this one.
Strength in Net
With the Coyotes losing Ingram to injury, Carolina needs to look at winning the goaltending battle here. After this one, they will travel to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights the next night so both Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin may get looks. Antti Raanta remains out with injury. The Hurricanes got good news that Frederik Andersen began practicing with the team on Thursday, but there is still no timetable for his return.
Goaltending has been a rollercoaster for the Hurricanes this season. Kochetkov has somewhat put himself into the starter spot as of late but even he can be very up and down. Against the New Jersey Devils, Kochetkov put up a shutout after facing 34 shots. But then against Dallas, Kochetkov let in three goals on 23 shots for a .864 SV%. Of course, it’s a team effort to keep the puck out of the net, but Carolina needs their goaltending to step up as the last line of defence. Whether it is Martin or Kochetkov in this one, they need to be ready to go.
The Stars Need to Shine
Again, the top line for Carolina failed to be a factor in their matchup against the Stars. While the Hurricanes tend to have a win-by-committee approach without a true standout player across the league statistically, they do still have players that can, and are relied upon, to take over a game and make a difference. Against New Jersey, the team only scored one goal. But it came in OT after Martin Necas made a move to get to the centre of the ice and fire a quick shot on net. The rebound popped in the air and Aho legally batted it in like a baseball.
Carolina needs players like Aho, Necas, and Svechnikov as well as Brent Burns on the backend to step up and be game-changers. They all have shown glimpses where they are able to do so, but last game was a no-show. When those players are working and feeling confident, good things happen. We saw Necas get a first-period hat-trick against the Colorado Avalanche last week as well. If one, or better multiple, of them can step up in this one and drive the play, Carolina could leave Mullett Arena with a win.
Prediction Time
Even after their last showing against Dallas, Carolina is still a strong team with a lot working for them this year. But the matchup in this round of predictions could be one of those tricky ones for the Carolina Hurricanes. They are facing a team in a slump with a starting goalie out. But no game in the NHL is easy and if the Hurricanes look past this one, it could be trouble. They need to find their scoring again and that starts with shooting the puck. But they also need goaltending to be a factor in this one to pull out the victory.
Prediction: Carolina wins 3-1
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
