Carolina Hurricanes Month in Review: November 2022

After starting the season in an excellent position, November really felt like the season was hitting its stride and getting into the swing of things. Sitting at the top of a tight division, it was going to be about sticking to their game and making sure they beat the teams they were supposed to beat. The problem with November for the Hurricanes was their health. They'd lose their starting goalie and one of their best wingers during the month, leading to guys stepping up in their place. It was a rocky month for the team overall and they'd be the first to admit that. Not everything went their way, but it's not time to panic at all. There is still plenty of time left this season. Here's my look back at November for the Hurricanes. 

The Month in Review Through Headlines

11/3 at Tampa Bay- "Skjei Saves the Day"- Skjei's short-handed goal in the third period forces overtime as the Canes win their third straight game in extra time in the shootout. 

11/4 v. Buffalo- "Fishy Swims in Hats"- Aho's fifth-career hat trick gives the Canes their fourth win in a row with a decisive 5-3 victory over the Sabres. 

11/6 v. Toronto- "The Reverse Effect"- Sporting their Reverse Retro jerseys, the Hurricanes only muster one goal as Toronto's two third-period goals halt the win streak. 

11/9 at Florida- "A Rough Knight for the Canes"- Aided by three assists from Brandon Montour, Spencer Knight stops all 40 shots he faces in a 3-0 victory for the Panthers. 

11/10 v. Edmonton- "Hats off, Mr. Svechnikov...Again"- The Hurricanes' offense comes to life for seven goals as Svechnikov completes his second hat trick against the Oilers.

11/12 at Colorado- "Welcome to The Rantanen Show"- Four points from Rantanen and two goals from Cale Makar earn Colorado a 4-1 victory.

11/14 at Chicago- "Zeroes in the Windy City"- Kochetkov earns the first shutout of his career and the Staal line dominates the Blackhawks in a 3-0 victory.

11/17 v. Colorado- "Pure Dominance Doesn't Pay Off'- Despite outshooting the Avalanche 48-15, Colorado plays from ahead for most of the game and wins in overtime.

11/19 at Minnesota- "Wild Finish Breaks the Canes' Hearts"- After holding a 1-0 lead for most of the night, Minnesota scores in the final three minutes and completes the comeback in overtime.

11/21 at Winnipeg- "Miracle Ending Shattered in Overtime"- Three goals in the final five minutes from the Canes forces overtime, but Morrissey's second goal ends the run as Winnipeg recovers in OT.

11/23 v. Arizona- "Karel Kills the Canes"- Arizona scores three times in the third period and Karel Vejmelka stops 36 shots as the Canes are shut out at home, 4-0.

11/25 at Boston- "A Battle in Beantown"- Two power-play goals in the first period shot the Canes ahead early, but Boston battled back to remain perfect at home with an overtime victory. 

11/26 v. Calgary- "Putting Out the Fire"- The losing streak comes to an end as Brett Pesce's power-play goal in the third period earns the Canes their first win in 12 days. 

11/29 at Pittsburgh- "Playing to the Final Whistle"- After Pittsburgh forces overtime in the final minute, Pesce scores his second-straight game-winner in overtime as Pittsburgh is caught napping.

Other Notes

• 6-4-4, 16 points in November, 4th-most in the Metropolitan Division
• 12-6-5, 29 points overall, 3rd in the Metropolitan Division (9 points behind New Jersey, 1 point behind New York (I), 3 points ahead of Pittsburgh)
• -3 Goal Differential in November (outscored 38-35)
• 8-for-50 (16%) on the PP, 4th-worst in the league/16.5% overall, 26th in the league
• 37-for-46 (80.4%) on the PK, 11th-best in the league/80% overall, T-14th in the league
• Tied for the league lead with 5 OT Losses this season
• Andrei Svechnikov- T-4th in Goals (14) this season

Three Stars of the Month

Third Star- Pyotr Kochetkov (3-1-3, 16 GA, 2.27 GAA, .917 SV% in 7 Starts)

When looking at his record for the month, it doesn't jump off the page. When you consider that this is your third-string goalie and he helped the team earn points in six of his seven starts, then it becomes a little more impressive. Kochetkov really stepped up with the injury to Frederik Andersen and through the discomfort of Antti Raanta played some excellent hockey. He only got three or more goals of support twice while he was in the net, in the 7-2 win over Edmonton and the 3-0 shutout win over Chicago. He made a save of the year candidate against Arizona and earned a contract extension in the process. November will go down as a banner month for him. 

Second Star- Andrei Svechnikov (6 Goals, 8 Assists, 14 Points in 14 Games)

The Hurricanes have a trio of stars in their midst and one of the brightest is the former second-overall pick. After a strong month of goal-scoring in October, Svechnikov had an overall solid month from a playmaking standpoint. He remains at the top of the scoring charts, tied for fourth with 14 goals, and leading the team by three goals over Martin Necas. He and Necas tied for the team lead this month with six goals and he was one point behind Sebastian Aho for the lead. He recorded his second hat trick of the season, once again against Edmonton, and recorded points in nine of the team's 14 games. He'll begin the month on a three-game point streak, losing to expand it during the road trip. 

First Star- Sebastian Aho (5 Goals, 10 Assists, 15 Points in 14 Games)

Though he start the season well in October, November was a very good month for the Canes' superstar. He led the team in assists (10) and points (15) and was one behind the team lead in goals with five. He secured his fifth hat trick in the team's win over Buffalo and had three multi-assist games throughout the month, most notably three in the third-period comeback against Winnipeg. His wingers have rotated throughout the month, but he's played well with just about everyone. He was one of the lone bright spots during the team's mid-month lull, scoring points in four games during the five-game skid. He's tied with Necas for the team's overall lead in points (25), while sitting third in goals (10), behind Necas and Svechnikov. 

December Preview

Schedule Breakdown

13 games

7 home, 6 away

6 games v. West, 7 games v. East

5 games v. Metro, 2 games v. Atlantic, 3 v. Central, 3 v. Pacific

2 sets of back-to-backs, one with travel

8 games v. playoff teams if the playoffs started today

5 games on the road to start the month, 7 of the final 8 are at home (first homestands of the season)

Games to Watch

12/10 at New York (I)

I'm sure the Canes haven't forgotten about the poor performance they had when the Islanders visited in October. New York dominated the Canes 6-2 at PNC Arena and remains ahead of them by just one point heading into the final month of 2022. The Islanders are one of the better stories of the season thus far and Long Island isn't exactly one of the friendliest places to play. I expect a more prepared team to travel to New York for this fight. 

12/17 v. Dallas

Not only am I going to this game, but I highlight this game because of the month that Jason Robertson just had. He currently leads the league in goals with 19, 15 of which he scored in November. He and Jamie Benn lit the league up this past month and Dallas gave the Canes fits in both meetings last season. They have plenty of playmakers that will make it tough on the Canes, but that's beside the point because these are two very skilled teams. 

12/18 v. Pittsburgh, 12/22 at Pittsburgh

The first meeting between the two was electric and had a playoff feel to it. Many outside of the fanbase will look at the win for the Canes as controversial because of the play in overtime, so they'll get two chances to settle it in December. They'll meet twice in five days in each city for what I expect to be two close games. 

12/20 v. New Jersey

The Devils are easily the biggest surprise of the season to this point after going 13-1-0 in November to skyrocket them to the top of the league. This pace isn't sustainable, so we may see a slight drop in their play. This will mark their first meeting this season as the Devils look to cement themselves as a threat in the division. This has the makings of being a different New Jersey team than we're used to seeing, a welcoming change from years past.