2023-24 Regular Season, Game 32: Hurricanes vs. Vegas Golden Knights (Pregame)

The Hurricanes' recent stretch can be looked at in a few different ways. On one side of it, the Hurricanes have earned points in their last four games. On the other side, they've lost their last two games at home in overtime to Nashville and a shootout to Washington. Their loss to Washington on Sunday night was a tight game. Sebastian Aho broke the scoreless tie in the second period on a one-timer from the slot, but Martin Fehervary tied it less than four minutes later as he walked down from the blue line. Pyotr Kochetkov and Darcy Kuemper were on their game, sending the game to overtime. The Capitals played one of the most boring overtime periods I've ever seen. Brady Skjei made a huge defensive play to keep a puck from going over the goal line. In the shootout, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the lone goal, helping the Capitals take the second point. Kochetkov made 20 stops to allow just one goal in his third straight game, while Kuemper made 28 to help Washington steal the game. 

The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (21-6-5, 47 Points- 1st in the Pacific Division)

Only one team can stand at the top of the mountain at the end of the season. In June, that team was the Vegas Golden Knights. In just their sixth season in existence, they took home their first Stanley Cup by taking down the Florida Panthers in five games. They did it despite the revolving door in the net and their leading scorer, Jack Eichel, only scoring 66 points. They ran through the Western Conference to become the last team standing. In the offseason, they felt comfortable with their team. They didn't make any big moves outside of trading Reilly Smith to Pittsburgh. It seems to be working well for them. Their 11-0-1 start is the best for a defending champion in NHL history. They're 10-6-4 since that start but 7-1-1 in their last nine games. They've done it with one of the most balanced attacks in the league. They're ninth in the league in goals per game while allowing the third-fewest. Jack Eichel is on a franchise-record ten-game point streak, scoring 16 points during the span. Jonathan Marchessault leads the team with 15 goals. Mark Stone is over the 30-point mark with 22 assists. Adin Hill and Logan Thompson make up one of the best goalie duos in the league, with each sitting with ten wins. Adin Hill has the best GAA (1.93) and save percentage (.933). Logan Thompson is in the Top 10 in GAA (2.48). They've done it all despite tough injuries to Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez on defense. The Knights dominated the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, taking them down 6-3. 

Last Season's Meetings- The defending champs won both games against the Hurricanes in ten days. They met on March 1 in Vegas on national television. The game was back-and-forth, with Jack Eichel scoring twice in the second period while Martin Necas scored one sandwiched between them. Jordan Staal tied the game with a little over seven minutes left, but Reilly Smith gave Vegas the lead again with 3:42 left to take a 3-2 win. When they visited Raleigh ten days later, the Golden Knights were the only team that looked ready to play. They scored against Frederik Andersen in each period and added an empty-net goal as Jonathan Quick shut out the Canes 4-0. The loss in Raleigh by the Canes would prove to be costly, as Andrei Svechnikov went on to miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury he suffered in the third period. 

Stories/Keys of the Night

1. The Champs Are Here

When the defending champions come to town, it's a big deal. Vegas is a team that has been to the top of the mountain and knows what it takes to make it there. The Hurricanes want to get to that point, and many considered them to be the frontrunners to come out of the Eastern Conference before the season started. The beginning of the season has many re-considering their picks, myself included. There's still plenty of time for the Canes to turn it around, and tonight will be a good litmus test for them. They struggled against Vegas twice last season. They haven't changed much since March, so it's essentially the same group. While it's not certain that he plays tonight, getting Andrei Svechnikov back could help, but he's just one piece of the puzzle. With the Canes in desperate need of a win, this could be a good measuring stick game. 

2. We're Still Waiting on the Hurricanes

For weeks, I've been preaching that a long winning streak is coming. It hasn't materialized, much to my chagrin. They have points in four straight games, matching a season-high, but they've yet to win more than three games in a row at any point. They're staying afloat in an incredibly tight race in the Metropolitan Division. Pyotr Kochetkov has been given the keys to the castle with recent decisions regarding the goalie position, and he passed his first test on Sunday by putting together a great performance against Washington. I'm not suggesting that he's the long-term option to ensure the Canes make a long run, but he could be. There are also several individuals who need to step up. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brett Pesce are at the top of the list. We've been patient with this group. It's time they start repaying our patience by stringing some wins together. 

3. Jack Eichel is Making it Look Easy

Over the last ten games, few players in the league have been as prolific as Jack Eichel. His 16 points in his last ten games are tied for second in the league, and most of it has come at 5-on-5. He's tied with Jonathan Marchessault with six goals and five points on the power play. His ten-game point streak is a franchise record. He's far from the only major contributor on this team, but he's the most prominent. There are so many weapons that keeping him quiet could mean that someone else steps up and gets the job done. He's starting to look like prime Eichel during his days in Buffalo, and that's a scary thought.