2023-24 Regular Season, Game 33: Hurricanes at Pittsburgh Penguins (Pregame)

The Carolina Hurricanes welcomed the defending champions to Raleigh on Tuesday night, and they ran through the Golden Knights. The score was tied at the end of the first period after Andrei Svechnikov scored on the power play in his return to the lineup after a six-game absence, and William Carrier buried a pinballing puck. The game took a major turn in the second period as the Canes opened the floodgates. Jordan Staal scored early in the period. Jesperi Kotkaniemi broke out of a slump by burying a rebound. Michael Bunting scored another on the power play, putting home Sebastian Aho's initial chance. Seth Jarvis scored ten seconds into the third period on the power play to make it 5-1, and Brady Skjei added a sixth after he knocked down the puck and sniped it over Logan Thompson's glove. Vegas scored twice in the final 1:30 to make the game appear closer, but the Canes finished the night with an emphatic 6-3 win over the defending champs. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 30 shots in the win, while Bunting and Aho paced the Canes with three points each. 

The Opponent: Pittsburgh Penguins (14-13-3, 31 Points- 7th in the Metropolitan Division)

Last Meeting- A little over a month ago, the Penguins were in Raleigh to battle for the first time this season. Sidney Crosby opened the scoring in the first period, but Sebastian Aho responded in the second period to send the game into the final 20 minutes in a 1-1 tie. Brent Burns broke the tie early in the third period, only for Crosby to respond with his second of the game just before the halfway point. Seth Jarvis put the Canes ahead a few minutes later and added another into the empty net on the power play to give the Canes a 4-2 win. Antti Raanta stopped 26 shots, outdueling Tristan Jarry. Jarvis finished the game with three points, while Aho, Burns, Jaccob Slavin, and Teuvo Teravainen all had multi-point nights. 

Since We Last Met- The Penguins continue to float around .500, going 6-5-3 since losing to the Canes in mid-November. Sidney Crosby continues to turn back the clock, sitting tied for fifth in the league with 18 goals. Jake Guentzel leads the team with 34 points, with Crosby right behind him with 33. Evgeni Malkin is still going at nearly a point-per-game pace. Erik Karlsson has slowed down, scoring just five points in the Penguins' last 14 games. Their defense is still in the Top 10, allowing 2.77 goals per game. Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic have proven to be a solid goalie duo, sporting the fourth-best save percentage in the league. They're coming off a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Monday night, blowing a 3-0 lead before Crosby scored on the power play late in the third period to prevent the collapse. 

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. The Last Road Game Before Christmas

After going 1-0-2 during their recent homestand, the Canes will play one more game on the road before Christmas. It's a big one since it's against a division opponent in the middle of a tight Metro race. It is no secret that road games have been an issue for the Canes. While they've won their last two, it came after they lost four straight to begin the road trip. Pittsburgh is 7-6-1 at home this season, and Carolina won both games in Pittsburgh last season in overtime. It'll be big for them to win a third straight road game going into the break, especially against a team trying to keep pace with the rest of the division. 

2. Special Teams Keeping the Canes in it

Tuesday's win over the Golden Knights was largely carried by their special teams. The power play scored a goal in all three periods, going 3-for-3 on the night. The penalty kill was even better, going 4-for-4. They've only allowed one goal on the kill in December, operating at a league-best 96.6%. The power play has also been excellent over the last 20 days, converting on 1/3 of their attempts. The kill has been one of the biggest areas of improvement for the Canes to this point in the season. It was abysmal during the early portion of the season, so seeing them get back to their usual form has been a welcome surprise. During their ongoing five-game point streak, the power play is 7-for-17, though there have still been some inconsistencies from game to game. 

3. Pittsburgh's Offense is Sputtering

While Pittsburgh's defense is one of the best in the league, their offense has struggled since scoring ten goals against San Jose on November 4. Over their last 20 games, the Penguins have averaged just 2.50 goals per game, the third-fewest in the league during that span. Their power play has been just as bad, converting on 11.9% of their chances, the fourth-lowest. Part of the issue is that their stars are performing well, but they aren't getting much depth scoring. No one outside of Crosby, Guentzel, Karlsson, and Malkin has more than ten points during those 20 games. They're 10-7-3, but their defense is carrying the load.