2023-24 Regular Season, Game 35: Hurricanes at Nashville Predators (Pregame)

The Christmas break couldn't have come at a better time for the Hurricanes. To say this season hasn't been going to plan would be putting it mildly. Their final game before the break against the Islanders was a good look into those struggles, especially in the net. After a terrible missed call on a potential Andrei Svechnikov breakaway, the Isles got on the board first as Sebastian Aho (not Carolina's) scored on a third chance to break the ice. Just over a minute later, Teuvo Teravainen knocked home a puck in the crease to tie it. New York struck twice before the end of the period, getting a spinning goal from Brock Nelson and a one-timer from Bo Horvat past Pyotr Kochetkov to take a 3-1 lead. The Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho scored 59 seconds into the second period on the power play to pull within a goal, but a one-timer later in the period by Mike Reilly put New York back up by two goals. Jaccob Slavin hammered a shot over the blocker of Ilya Sorokin less than two minutes into the third period, once again making it a one-goal game. Anders Lee, who finished with three points on the night, slid a greasy goal to the far post and into the net to make it 5-3. Stefan Noesen scored on the power play to make it 5-4, and after having the tying goal knocked off the board for a distinct kicking motion, the Canes never found the equalizer, dropping the game 5-4 to snap their six-game point streak. 

The Opponent: Nashville Predators (19-15-0, 38 Points- 4th in the Central Division)

Last Meeting- Coming off the road and returning to PNC Arena for the first time in six games, the Hurricanes were happy to be home. The Caniacs were treated to an exciting game, albeit an ugly one. Juuso Parssinen opened the scoring with a backhand that barely trickled over the line. Stefan Noesen and Tony DeAngelo responded with goals on the power play to give Carolina a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. The second period was all over the place, featuring six goals. Roman Josi tied the game on a wrap-around. Jalen Chatfield answered 63 seconds later, and Sebastian Aho buried another 19 seconds later to establish a two-goal lead. Ryan O'Reilly scored on a power play to snap the Canes' perfect December streak, but Martin Necas buried a turnover 25 seconds later to re-establish the two-goal lead. Tyson Barrie needed 27 seconds to shrink the lead again, making it 5-4 going into the third period. Jeremy Lauzon scored the lone marker in the third, tying the game at five as the game went to overtime. Filip Forsberg didn't need much time or space to finish the job, scoring 33 seconds into overtime to secure the second point. 

Since We Last Met- It has only been 12 days since they met in Raleigh. Things have remained even keel for the Predators. They've only played four games, splitting their decisions. Both wins came against Metropolitan opponents, beating Washington and Philadelphia. Like the Canes, their offense has flipped and flopped between showing up and not coming to play. I wouldn't expect to see anything different from Nashville, considering it has been less than two weeks since we last saw them. They're going to be led by their high-powered veterans, an all-world goalie, and plenty of young players who will be essential to their future. We didn't see Juuse Saros in Raleigh, but there's no reason for the Predators not to play him coming off a long break. 

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. Tonight Begins a Crucial Month-Long Stretch

There are two big breaks during an NHL season. The first just passed, with the league stopping for Christmas. The next comes at the beginning of February for the All-Star Break. The Hurricanes enter tonight at 17-13-4 and currently sitting outside of a playoff spot if the season were to end right now. The Canes will play 14 games between now and the All-Star Break. Four of the next five games are on the road, with tomorrow's game against Montreal being the lone exception. After that, the Canes will only play one more road game for the entire month, traveling to Boston on January 24. It's a home-heavy schedule against mostly non-division opponents. It's the perfect time for the team to make up some ground and shoot to the top of the Metro.

2. Antti Raanta is Back with the Canes

If the Canes hope to reach the top of the division, their goaltending will need to be a lot better. Pyotr Kochetkov has provided some excellent starts over this most recent stretch, but he can't do it alone. After allowing six goals to the Predators, the team placed Antti Raanta on waivers and sent him to Chicago. Over the weekend, the team brought him back ahead of the back-to-back. There was no doubt that Yaniv Perets wasn't going to play, so this move doesn't come as a surprise. He only made two AHL starts, but the hope is that it helped him regain some confidence. He'll start against Montreal on Thursday. Regardless, the team needs him to snap out of his funk quickly. I still think a trade is going to be in the works at some point, but that's not a surefire answer to their issues. 

3. Nashville is Hanging Around in the Central Division

The race atop the Central Division between Dallas, Winnipeg, and Colorado has taken some shine away from what has been an entertaining battle behind them. Teams 4-7 in the Central are divided by four points, with Nashville leading the group with 38 points. It's not like they're out of the division race either, trailing Dallas and Colorado by just six points. Juuse Saros will always have a hand in keeping this team relevant. He's their superstar who can steal games on a nightly basis. They're a veteran-led team with weapons abound. The Canes got a good taste of that in Raleigh less than two weeks ago. The the Pacific Division floundering, the Central looks poised to send five teams to the postseason this season.