2023-24 Regular Season, Game 61: Hurricanes vs. Winnipeg Jets (Pregame)

The Hurricanes completed their road trip on Thursday night by surviving a tough bout against the Columbus Blue Jackets. After a scoreless first period, Teuvo Teravainen scored in the first minute of the second, sliding a turnover between Daniil Tarasov's pads to put the Canes out front. Martin Necas had a goal wiped off the board after a successful challenge, but Sebastian Aho got the next one, getting a good bounce off Andrew Peeke's skate to double the Canes' lead. Cole Sillinger beat former Blue Jacket Spencer Martin on a 3-on-1 shortly after, getting Columbus on the board after an ill-advised pass by Jack Drury. Brady Skjei earned his way onto the highlight reel by scoring a one-handed goal after coming out of the penalty box late in the period to restore the team's two-goal lead. Alex Nylander made us collectively hold our breaths by scoring on the power play to make it 3-2 with plenty of time left. The Blue Jackets pulled their goalie with 3:37 left and proceeded to storm Martin's net. They couldn't find the tying goal as Seth Jarvis put Columbus away with an empty-netter to help the Canes seal a 4-2 win. Carolina finished its road trip with five of six points behind multi-point games from Teravainen, Skjei, and Brett Pesce. 

The Opponent: Winnipeg Jets (37-16-5, 79 Points- 2nd in the Central Division)

Last Meeting- The Canes visited Winnipeg to begin a six-game road trip in early December. One line did all of the scoring for the Jets. Kyle Connor got it going late in the first period, beating Antti Raanta to get the Jets on the board. Nikolaj Ehlers added another midway through the period, giving himself, Connor, and Mrk Schiefele multi-point nights already. Jordan Staal broke the shutout by getting one past Laurent Brossoit late in the second period. That's all the Canes would muster, falling 2-1 to Winnipeg behind 42 saves by Brossoit. It would be the first of four straight losses by the Hurricanes on that trip.

Since We Last Met- While the Hurricanes turned their season around a few games later, the Jets have been maintaining their pace since beating them in Winnipeg. Since their encounter on December 4, the Jets have gone 23-8-3, compiling the third-best point percentage during that time. Carolina isn't far behind, sitting in fourth with a 22-9-5 record. The numbers for both sides are very comparable. The Jets have been the stingiest team in the league. The Canes are fourth while finding a little more offense. Connor Hellebuyck remains a strong candidate to win the Vezina, leading the league with a 2.23 GAA and a .924 save percentage. The usual suspects continue to lead them offensively. Mark Schiefele sits atop the team with 52 points, and Kyle Connor's 24 goals are the most. Sean Monahan has proven to be a solid addition to their team. He had six goals in ten games since being acquired from Montreal. Gabriel Vilardi has also been turning it up lately, scoring ten points in his last seven games. The Jets are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Stars on Thursday. The loss snapped a four-game win streak, though Winnipeg has won seven of its last nine since losing five in a row around the All-Star Break.

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. Getting Started Early

This has a bit of a double meaning. First, I mean to score early and often, which will be easier said than done. Set the tone and force the Jets to play from behind, similar to how the Canes started the second period against Columbus. Once Teuvo Teravainen scored and gave the team some life, they never relinquished the lead. Second, this is going to be a 12:30 start, so try and find a way to use that to your advantage. It's the earliest start of the season for the Canes. It's also Winnipeg's earliest start. For a team used to playing on the West Coast, if the Canes make this a long game for the Jets, it could help them secure two points. 

2. The Calm Before the Storm

Today's contest is the first game of March for the Hurricanes, which is set to be their busiest month. After today's game, the team won't play again until the 7th, but they'll play 14 times in 24 days with three sets of back-to-backs. This means there is no excuse for the Canes not giving it their all before their break. They've put themselves into a comfortable spot in the division, but that could change in an instant. Finish this segment strong to push the win streak to three games before enjoying some time off. Winnipeg is playing the first half of a back-to-back themselves, so try to catch them conserving a little energy before they fly to Buffalo after the game. 

3. Expect Little to Nothing Against Hellebuyck

The Hurricanes only scoring one goal against the Jets the first time was already concerning since it came with Laurent Brossoit in the net. Today, they'll be facing Connor Hellebuyck, a guy who is used to not allowing many goals. This could be one of those games when Pyotr Kochetkov steals one in a tight 2-1 contest. I'm not saying to go in expecting the Canes to not score, but don't be surprised when goals are at a premium. The only glimmer of hope is that Hellebuyck hasn't been as sharp lately. He allowed five goals in a loss last week, and he has allowed 13 goals over his last four starts. Also, he hasn't historically been great against the Hurricanes. In eight appearances, Hellebuyck is 3-4-0 with a 3.91 GAA, which is easily his worst against any team. Don't expect to see that Hellebuyck, though. You might just be disappointed once it's said and done.