In this round of NHL Predictions, we take a look at another heavyweight matchup as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Florida Panthers to Raleigh. This is the third and final matchup between these two Stanley Cup-aspiring teams. Florida won the first one in Sunrise while Carolina took the last one on a Sebastian Aho game-winner in the final 20 seconds.
Florida comes to town after a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Stars. Florida is one of the heavy favourites to win it all this year and with good reason. They also loaded up at the deadline by picking up Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo.
Meanwhile, Carolina is looking to get back into the win column after losing 1-0 to the New York Rangers in what turned out to be a goaltending battle. Both Pyotr Kochetkov and Igor Shesterkin stood tall as the only goal scored was a bad own goal bounce. This will be the fourth game for newcomer Evgeny Kuznetsov and the second for Jake Guentzel.
While Aaron Eklbad may be out for Florida, this should be another really tough one for Carolina. Here we take a look at three keys for a Hurricanes victory.
NHL Predictions: Carolina Hurricanes vs Florida Panthers
Three Keys to Victory for Carolina
New Guys Get Acclimated
Much excitement has surrounded the Hurricanes over the last week. They went out and got the biggest name in Jake Guentzel at the trade deadline. They have been looking for that game-changing goal scorer for some time and they finally may have one. But they also took on more of a low-risk high-reward move to get Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals. Ideally, Kuznetsov will fit into the second line centre role where he has already been playing.
But when you get guys at the trade deadline, there isn’t much time for them to get up to speed with the team’s system and game play. If it’s a complimentary piece it’s one thing, but if it’s a big piece it’s another. Because of this, and because Kuznetsov has been out for some time with personal issues while Guentzel has been out with injury, coach Rod Brind’Amour decided to put them both on the second line against the Rangers. This was likely so there was only one line where new guys were getting adjusted and so he could better manage their playing time.
While Guentzel is likely to find his way to the top line, both new players getting into the groove with their new team is important. And that is no different here. Neither have a point yet, but that is ok. However, if they can get up to speed quickly and start to gel in their new colours, that could be a big key to beating the Panthers.
Get the Power Play Back
For a long time this season, the Hurricanes power play was almost automatic. So much so that they had reached the 2nd/3rd best in the league in power play percentage. They were moving the puck and it was finding its way into the back of the net. But lately, it has cooled down a bit. Sometimes the actual set up and playmaking is bad, but sometimes pucks just don’t seem to be going in.
At 26.3%, they are now fourth in the league in that category. Overall still really good, but of late it has been weak. Ironically, the team that has passed them in this category is the Florida Panthers. Now with a deadly shooter in Guentzel and what could be a great set up guy in Kuznetsov, Carolina’s power play needs a revival. They don’t need to solely rely on it, but as we covered in a previous article here, it can be very important for this team.
Start on Time and Finish Stronger
Rod Brind’Amour always preaches that you cannot take a second off in this league. And that doesn’t matter who you are playing. But against a team like Florida, it is especially important. There have been many times this season when Carolina has failed to play a 60-minute game. Their last against the Rangers was one of those. They started slow and the Rangers controlled essentially the whole first period. Even though the score was only 1-0 after the first, that set the tone for the rest of the night. They cannot start late against Florida or walking out of the first period may be worse than 1-0.
But they also have shown weak and strong finishes to games. Their last game against the Winnipeg Jets saw them blow a 3-0 lead heading into the third period to lose 4-3. But they have been on the other side of that too including their last matchup against these Florida Panthers. A strong finish without letting off the gas is just as essential as starting on time in this one. And they will have to have both.
Prediction Time
Much like Carolina’s last matchup against the Rangers, this is a game that feels like it could go either way. Two teams that are currently powerhouses, both playing good hockey currently, and both won one against the other. They both also added big pieces at the trade deadline. Even though Carolina will be at home, until the new pieces settle in there may be some small growing pains. This might make it tough for the Carolina Hurricanes to win in this round of predictions. Florida really has no weaknesses so if they want to win, Carolina has to be ready.
Prediction: Florida wins 3-2
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
