2023-24 Regular Season, Game 1: Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators (Pregame)

It's the most wonderful time of the year. As much as I love Christmas, Opening Night of the hockey season is arguably the most exciting. Months of offseason preparations, new additions, and frustration from last season have prepared us to start all over this season. The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the Stanley Cup's frontrunners this season. After reaching the Eastern Conference Final for the second time under Rod Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes had a busy offseason. They added Dmitry Orlov to a loaded blue line. Michael Bunting was signed as the big addition up front. The team brought back Jordan Staal, Jesper Fast, Frederik Andersen, and Antti Raanta on new deals. Sebastian Aho also earned a huge extension, keeping him in Raleigh for many years. The front office did their part to get a team on the ice they think can win the Stanley Cup. Now, it's time for the guys to get it done. You can't win the Stanley Cup without playing at least 82 games first. 

With my Carolina Hurricanes coverage this season, I'm going to try something a little different. Instead of keeping everything in one post, I will start the season by breaking it into two pieces. My first post will be pregame notes talking about the opponent for the game and the storylines to watch. After the game, I'll provide my breakdown. If this goes well, it'll become a permanent arrangement. Will this matter to anyone other than myself? Probably not, but I like it like that. 

The Opponent: Ottawa Senators (39-35-8, 86 Points- 6th in the Atlantic Division last season)
Hopes were high for the Ottawa Senators last season. The additions of Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux, along with the development of several young stars, had many people expecting a lot of the Senators. The season ended up as a mixed bag for the team. Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk were both fantastic, scoring 90 and 83 points, respectively, and both Giroux and DeBrincat performed well in their first seasons with the team. However, injuries and a revolving door in the net hampered the team's ability to make significant strides toward the playoffs, finishing in sixth in the Atlantic Division. Knowing they needed to make changes, the Senators traded DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings amid concerns about an extension. They also made a big move in the net, signing Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year deal to be their new starter. Vladimir Tarasenko, who'd been connected to Carolina during the offseason, opted to sign in Ottawa for one year. These additions haven't changed the mindset in Canada's capital. The Senators think they should be a playoff team this season. With the Eastern Conference as unpredictable as ever, it's a possibility. 

Last Season's Meetings- The Hurricanes won two of the three meetings last season. They didn't meet for the first time until late February in Raleigh. Two goals in the first period and two more in the third, accompanied by a 32-save shutout by Antti Raanta, helped the Canes earn a 4-0 victory at PNC Arena. Their final two meetings occurred six days apart in April. On April 4, the Canes spoiled Leevi Merilainen's NHL debut, winning in overtime on a winner by Martin Necas. Ottawa earned their revenge six days later. Claude Giroux notched his 1,000th NHL point in a 3-2 victory for the Senators. 

Stories For the Night
1. It's Opening Night, Baby!
The slate has been wiped clean as the Hurricanes embark on a new season. The home opener is a fun time every season. I expect PNC Arena to be jumping all night, no matter what's happening on the ice. There are expectations surrounding this team, and it begins tonight. I'm interested to see how they come out in the first period. They had a good tune-up in the final preseason game, so they've played together once already, but it's for real this time. 

2. The New Guys Go For Real
The Hurricanes are expected to go 11/7 tonight, with Andrei Svechnikov still not ready to play and Brendan Lemieux serving as the healthy extra. This means Dmitry Orlov and Michael Bunting will play their first official games as Hurricanes, and Tony DeAngelo will play his first game back after spending last season in Philadelphia. Orlov and Bunting looked great during the preseason, so I'm confident they'll fit in beautifully.  

3. Joonas Korpisalo Takes the Net for Ottawa
While I'm writing this before it's officially announced, I expect Joonas Korpisalo will be the starter for the Ottawa Senators tonight. Korpisalo was a staple in Columbus before being dealt to Los Angeles at the trade deadline. He finished last season strong, going 7-3-1 with a 2.13 GAA and a .921 SV% in 11 starts before his numbers fell in the postseason against Edmonton. In 16 games against the Canes, he's 7-5-3 with a sub-.900 SV% and a 3.23 GAA. Korpisalo will be under a microscope in his first season with the Senators. The team paid him a lot of money to fix their issues in goal. If he doesn't pay off, this could be a long few years in Ottawa. 

4. One at Home Before the Fair
One staple of the early season for the Hurricanes is a long road trip with the NC State Fair coming to town. After tonight's home opener, the team will hit the road for the next six games, including five games on the West Coast. Tonight would be a good night to set the tone before hitting the road for over a week. No matter the outcome, it's just good to have Hurricanes hockey back for the next six months. 

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