2023-24 Regular Season, Game 57: Hurricanes vs. Dallas Stars (Pregame)

The Hurricanes' win streak is at four games after an exhilarating win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night when two of the Eastern Conference's best clashed in Raleigh. It's their second-longest win streak of the season, and it halted the Panthers' 11-game road win streak, preventing them from tying the league record. Pyotr Kochetkov and Sergei Bobrovsky battled between the pipes, each playing incredible games. Both made some insane stops to keep the other's team off the board. Bobrovsky's best came late in the second period with an elevated pad stop on Martin Necas, while Kochetkov sprawled to get his arm on a 2-on-1 chance from Evan Rodrigues. Florida thought they'd taken the lead with less than 3:30 left in regulation as Eetu Luostarinen tipped a pass past Kochetkov. A quick challenge and review determined that Luostarinen was way offside before the goal, wiping it off the board. The Panthers continued their hunt for a goal, but it didn't come. Instead, Sebastian Aho took matters into his own hands, burying a shot from the slot with 18.9 seconds left to finally break through Bobrovsky. As the final horn sounded, tempers started to boil over, but it didn't erase the fact that the Canes got the job done. Kochetkov stopped a career-high 45 shots to complete his third shutout of the season.

The Opponent: Dallas Stars (34-16-8, 76 Points- 1st in the Central Division)

Last Meeting- Kicking off a three-game road trip, the Hurricanes were in Dallas 11 days ago. Roope Hintz opened the scoring midway through the first period, freezing Pyotr Kochetkov before burying his shot from the left dot. Jordan Staal needed just 13 seconds in the second period to get the Canes on the board, but Mason Marchment wired one less than five minutes later to restore Dallas' lead. Jesper Fast legally redirected a shot from Jordan Martinook off his skate and into the net late in the period to send the game to the third tied. Jason Robertson broke the tie 4:35 into the final frame, and Matt Duchene buried the empty-netter to give Dallas its largest lead of the night. Jack Drury thought he'd help spark the comeback for the Canes, but a successful challenge squashed it as the Stars won 4-2. 

Since We Last Met- The Stars followed up their win over the Canes with a 9-2 thumping of the Nashville Predators, but things have been downhill from there. The Stars have lost their last four games, going 0-2-2. After a 4-3 loss to Edmonton at home, Dallas began a four-game road trip. It started with a shootout loss in Boston before regulation losses to the Rangers and Senators. Their loss on Thursday night in Ottawa was especially tough. Jake Oettinger allowed three goals on 11 shots, getting the hook before the midway point in the second period. Scott Wedgewood was excellent in relief, stopping 18 of 19, but it wasn't enough. Raleigh is the final stop on Dallas' trip.

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. It's a New Day

The anticipation for Thursday's game was unlike any regular-season tilt in recent memory. That game has come and gone, and while it's fine to celebrate, there's a new test in front of them. The Dallas Stars are just as good, if not better, and they handed you a loss less than two weeks ago. The Canes haven't lost since then, but it could all change in a heartbeat. It's nice that the Canes will be able to control the matchups better, though that won't be the other deciding factor in the game. The season won't be defined by a 1-0 win against the Panthers. There are still 26 games to go, starting with Dallas tonight.

2. Stars vs. Stars

While both teams have excellent depth scoring, this game will be largely decided by whose stars step up. For the Canes, that means Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas, and Seth Jarvis have to be way better than they were in Dallas. Jarvis was good, but the rest need to show up. Aho and Svechnikov have played better since the loss in Dallas, with Aho scoring in each of the last two games on plays begun by Svechnikov. Jason Roberton, Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, and Matt Duchene were excellent in the last meeting, so the focus will be on shutting them down. If the Canes can do that, they're going to win this game.

3. Dallas is a Little Desperate

This has not been a fun road trip for the Stars. They coughed up a lead late to the Bruins before losing in a nine-round shootout. Then, the offense went cold in losses to the Rangers and Senators. With the race in the Central Division remaining tight, they can't afford for this streak to continue. This is a team they are confident they can beat, having done it 11 days ago, but the Canes are rolling right now. They're heading back to Texas after this one, so a 0-2-2 trip and five straight losses overall isn't a great way to head home. Jake Oettinger or Scott Wedgewood, if he's in the net, has to be the one to change that.