2023-24 Regular Season, Game 30: Hurricanes vs. Nashville Predators (Pregame)

The Hurricanes are finally back at PNC Arena following a road trip that nearly killed their season. After a 0-4-0 start to the trip, the Canes recovered to pick up back-to-back wins, including a 2-1 victory in Detroit on Thursday night. Jack Drury got the Canes on the board first after finishing a pass from Stefan Noesen at the side of the net shortly after an unsuccessful power play. Noesen's pass made its way through two defenders before landing perfectly on Drury's stick for an early 1-0 lead. Michael Rasmussen capitalized on Pyotr Kochetkov playing small in his crease by snapping one over his shoulder to get the Red Wings back even early in the second period. Kochetkov nearly gifted Patrick Kane an easy goal by turning the puck over to him, but he was able to recover to make the save. Ville Husso wouldn't have such luck. Husso misplayed a dump-in from Brett Pesce, and Jordan Staal eventually made him pay by poking one into the net before Husso could get his stick on it. This goal would prove to be the difference. Despite the numerous high-quality stops Husso made, his offense couldn't crack Kochetkov. The Canes would keep the Red Wings off the board in the third period, earning a 2-1 win to close the trip at 2-4-0. 

The Opponents: Nashville Predators (16-13-0, 32 Points- 4th in the Central Division)

After missing the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade, the Predators made some major changes in the offseason. With Barry Trotz taking over behind the scenes, Nashville bought out Matt Duchene and traded Ryan Johansen to Colorado. It looked as if they were aiming to get younger, but then they went out and signed Ryan O'Reilly, Gustav Nyquist, and Luke Schenn. As it turns out, their veteran presence has them in the playoff picture. Filip Forsberg continues to pace the team with 15 goals and 33 points. Roman Josi is the big man on the blue line, tied with O'Reilly with 23 points. Nyquist is also proving to be a strong addition, sitting with 19 points. Juuse Saros has gotten the bulk of the work in the net, starting 23 of their 29 games and leading the league in shots faced and saves. With Andrew Brunette in his first year behind the bench, the Predators got off to a slow 5-10-0 start. While the early portion of their schedule was road-heavy, they've been able to make up for their start by spending a lot of time at home. Nashville has won 11 of their last 14 games and five of their last six. They've had the last few days off since beating the Flyers in overtime on Tuesday night. Forsberg scored 18 seconds into overtime, and Saros made 37 saves to keep the Preadotrs' hot streak going. 

Last Season's Meetings- Nashville won both games against the Hurricanes last season, with Juuse Saros playing a large part in both wins. The first meeting was in Raleigh shortly after the New Year. It marked Max Pacioretty's debut as a Hurricane, and it was a night no one would forget. Each team spent the first two periods trading goals, entering the third period tied 3-3. Mark Jankowski gave the Predators a 4-3 lead early in the third, and Saros stopped everything thrown his way. Saros ended the night with 64 saves, tying him for the third-most saves in a game in NHL history, and the Predators would add an empty-net goal to win 5-3 to spoil Pacioretty's debut. The second meeting was in Nashville at the end of the season, and Saros was the difference again. Jankowski haunted the Canes again by scoring a short-handed goal. Michael McCarron scored three minutes later to add to the lead. The Hurricanes couldn't solve Saros, who stopped all 33 shots he saw to shut out the Canes in a 3-0 win for Nashville to sweep the season series. 

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. Back-to-Backs with Travel Demand a Strong Start

I hate back-to-backs of any kind, but it's especially tough when you have to travel for the second half. It's even worse when you're doing it coming off a long road trip. Unfortunately, those were the cards the Canes were dealt. Nashville hasn't played since Tuesday, so they should be plenty rested. There's no doubt the Canes should expect to see the best of what the Predators have to offer. During their most recent back-to-back in Edmonton and Calgary, the Canes had a decent start against the Flames, only to gas out in the third period. Having the home crowd to draw from could be the difference. We'll know early whether or not this will be a good night for the Canes. 

2. Raanta Carries the Torch

Logic would dictate that Antti Raanta will be in the net. Pyotr Kochetkov did an excellent job of stringing together consecutive wins in Ottawa and Detroit to salvage the road trip. Back in front of the Caniacs, Raanta needs to keep it going. He was good in his start against Vancouver, but one bad goal tainted his performance. It's been a tough stretch for him, so getting him back in the win column could go a long way in helping his confidence. He'll be called upon to outplay one of the better goalies in the league on one of the hottest teams.

3. Nashville Has Its Own Back-to-Back to Navigate

Before I started writing this, it felt like Juuse Saros starting against the Hurricanes was a foregone conclusion. However, in seeing that this is the first half of a back-to-back for the Predators, I'm not as confident. I'm writing this before I've gotten confirmation, so it's very possible that Saros still starts. The Predators will return home to face the Capitals on Saturday, which, ironically enough, is the first half of a back-to-back for Washington before they face the Canes on Sunday. Last weekend, Nashville also had a back-to-back that saw Kevin Lankinen start the front end in Toronto before Saros played in Montreal. I'm not saying I'd prefer to see one over the other, but considering one stopped 97 of 100 against the Canes last season, and the other has a 3.64 GAA against the Canes in his career, it's clear what my preference would be.