2023-24 Regular Season, Game 19: Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (Pregame)

After another long stretch between games, there were concerns about how the Carolina Hurricanes would come out against the Edmonton Oilers the night before Thanksgiving. The first period quickly put an end to those concerns. Jesper Fast and Jack Drury scored 35 seconds apart, and Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis added to the fun, giving Carolina four goals in 5:31 to end Stuart Skinner's night after less than 15 minutes. Zach Hyman would get Edmonton a goal on the power play late in the period to spoil some of the fun, but it was all Carolina in the first. Pyotr Kochetkov entered the game in the second period for Antti Raanta, who left for precautionary reasons with a lower-body injury. Carolina added to the lead early in the second as Martin Necas put home a rebound to make it 5-1. Edmonton made things a little tight, getting a short-handed goal by Mattias Ekholm late in the second and another goal from Hyman early in the third, but the Canes did an excellent job of weathering the storm in the third. Brent Burns would add the dagger with a short-handed empty-netter to win 6-3 in the third game of their five-game homestand. All four forward lines scored a goal, with 15 of the 18 skaters finding the scoresheet. 

The Opponent: Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-5, 23 Points- 3rd in the Atlantic Division)

Last Meeting- The Hurricanes returned the 3-0 shutout that Jonas Johansson gave them in the first meeting by shutting out the Bolts 4-0 the last time the Canes were in Tampa Bay. An early fight between Tanner Jeannot and Michael Bunting set the tone for the game. Teuvo Teravainen scored on the power play in the first period. Sebastian Aho added another in the second. Brent Burns made a tremendous defensive play coming out of the box, then was on the receiving end of a Brady Skjei pass to extend the lead. Stefan Noesen added the exclamation point by deflecting a Michael Bunting shot past Johansson to seal the 4-0 win. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 22 shots to earn his first win of the season. It's important to note that Nikita Kucherov missed the game for Tampa Bay due to illness. 

Since We Last Met- The Bolts have been a little busier than the Canes since they met on November 11. Carolina has only played three games during that time, going 2-1-0. Tampa Bay has played five, going 3-1-1. They suffered another shutout loss after losing to the Canes but rattled off three straight wins, including an overtime victory against the Boston Bruins. Their last outing was a 3-2 overtime loss to Winnipeg on Wednesday night. As is usually the case, you know what you're getting from the Lightning. Their stars are going to carry the load. Nikita Kucherov is tied for third in the league in goals (13) and points (29). Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, and Steven Stamkos already have over 20 points. The power play is lethal, operating at 31.3%, the second-best in the league. Kucherov is tied for second in PP points with 14. Despite being the second-best offense in the NHL, they still struggle to keep the puck out of their net. Jonas Johansson has allowed four or more goals in eight of his last ten starts. The Bolts rank 28th in the league in goals allowed, conceding 72 in 20 games. The good news is that Andrei Vasilevskiy seems like he's close to returning, possibly as early as tonight. 

Stories of the Night

1. The Canes' Goalie Health Struggles Continue

We were a Pyotr Kochetkov injury away from potentially needing an EBUG on Wednesday night after Antti Raanta left the game during the first intermission. For as strong as the team's goaltending has been for the last several years, health in the goalie room is always an issue. That's when having Kochetkov has been a blessing. I'm less concerned about this game since Kochetkov has already faced the Bolts twice this season, but Raanta's status for the game is paramount. The team claims pulling him was precautionary, but what happens if he can't go on Friday? Yaniv Perets is the only other goalie signed to a contract, and he's playing in the ECHL. The team released Jaroslav Halak from his PTO, but he could still sign. I'd only suggest a trade if Raanta is out long-term, and I don't think that's the case. It's a situation to watch closely going into the Tampa game. 

2. Which lines pick up where they left off?

It doesn't get much better than having all four of your lines score a goal in a game. They nearly did it in one period on Wednesday night. Now, they need to keep it going. The Aho line has been productive in the last two games. The fourth line has scored in two of the last three. The Staal line has been buzzing and finally was rewarded against Edmonton. The line that could benefit from it the most is the Kotkaniemi line with Svechnikov and Necas. They've been fighting it the last few games, having one taken off the board against the Penguins. Andrei Svechnikov is still looking for a goal, but his playmaking has helped set up some goals. 

3. The Bolts are Staying Afloat in the Atlantic

Usually, losing your franchise goalie for nearly two months to start a season would be cause for concern. Somehow, Tampa Bay has managed to ride through it with Vasilevskiy's return imminent. It hasn't been pretty, and they've technically lost more games than they've won, but the Bolts have done just enough to put themselves in a good spot. Obviously, having a world-class offense doesn't hurt either. Their ability to salvage points has also been beneficial. Just imagine how differently things would be if they'd gone better than 1-5 in overtime. The Atlantic Division is as tight as it has ever been, though Boston is adding some separation with their incredible start. If Vasilevskiy is able to return to his Vezina-caliber form, the Bolts will be tough.