2023-24 Regular Season, Game 64: Hurricanes vs. Calgary Flames (Pregame)

The first game after the trade deadline was a success for the Carolina Hurricanes. For the first half of their back-to-back, the Canes were in New Jersey for the first time since meeting in the second round of the playoffs. Evgeny Kuznetsov, who the team acquired on Friday, was in the lineup to make his Hurricane debut. Martin Necas opened the scoring on the power play in the first period, burying a one-timer from the point to establish an early lead. After having a second power-play goal taken off the board for goalie interference in the second period, Jack Hughes took advantage of a turnover, setting up Nico Hischier in the slot to get the Devils back even. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored from a terrible angle early in the third period, throwing one from the boards along the goal line off the far post and Nico Daws' back to re-establish the lead. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty netter, and while Timo Meier did push one across with 11 seconds left, Teuvo Teravainen scored another goal with Daws on the bench to seal the Canes' 4-2 win. Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 stops, and Teravainen recorded three points in the win.

The Opponent: Calgary Flames (31-27-5, 67 Points- 5th in the Pacific Division)

Last Meeting- The Hurricanes traveled to Calgary on the third stop during their long six-game road trip in early December. They were playing the second half of a back-to-back after losing the night before in Edmonton. The Canes controlled most of the game, leading 2-0 after 20 minutes on goals by Michael Bunting and Stefan Noesen. The 2-0 lead stood through two periods, but the Flames quickly turned it around in the third. Rasmus Andersson and Connor Zary scored 1:21 apart to tie the game before Blake Coleman buried one short-handed to give the Flames the lead. Dustin Wolf stopped 28 shots to earn his second career win as the Canes dropped their third straight game. 

Since We Last Met- While they still have a realistic shot at making the playoffs, this Flames team is going to look a little different this time around. Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev have all been traded, while Dillon Dube is out as part of the Hockey Canada probe, and Martin Pospisil will be serving his suspension. Sitting just outside of a Wild Card spot, the Flames have been hot of late, winning six of their last eight games after losing three straight. Jacob Markstrom was a big part of trade talks over the last month, but the Flames opted to hold on to him. He's likely to be a busy man down the stretch. He's been solid since mid-December, helping the Flames stay in the hunt. Their actions at the deadline seem to indicate they're looking to next year, but they have plenty of good hockey left to play. 

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. Kuznetsov Comes to Raleigh as a Good Guy

After skating yesterday in New Jersey, Evgeny Kuznetsov has officially played a game as a Hurricane. Today, he'll play his second, but this time, he'll be at PNC Arena. Kuznetsov is no stranger to PNC Arena, playing there several times with the Capitals, but now he's going to be cheered as a member of the hometown team. Kuznetsov's Hurricanes debut was about as good as you could've hoped for. He centered the fourth line with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jesper Fast, and they were arguably the team's best. He also played on the top power-play unit. During his time with the Capitals, Kuznetsov scored ten points in 17 games as a visitor in Raleigh.

2. Which Team is Less Tired?

Both the Hurricanes and Flames will be playing their third game in four days, and both played yesterday on the road. Back-to-backs aren't rare for the Hurricanes. This will be their 11th back-to-back of the season, owning a 5-2-3 in the second half of the last ten occasions. Their first meeting with Calgary was the second half of a back-to-back, which the Canes lost. Since then, they haven't lost the second half in regulation, going 3-0-3. Back-to-back are far less prevalent for the Flames. This will be just their sixth of the season, and they've yet to win in the second half. After losing yesterday afternoon in Sunrise to the Panthers, I'm interested to see how the Flames come out. This is almost second nature for the Canes at this point, but I'm also curious how much fatigue is present after their battle in New Jersey. 

3. Sharangovich is Breaking Out

Speaking of the Devils, I wonder if they miss Yegor Sharangovich at all. Sure, Tyler Toffoli performed well in New Jersey, but he's in Winnipeg now. Sharangovich is in the midst of his best season in the league. He has already eclipsed his career high in goals and sits just one point away from tying his high from two years ago. His 26 goals are tied for first on the team with Blake Coleman, and he's third in points behind Nazem Kadri and Coleman. He's been on a heater lately, scoring six goals in Calgary's last five games. He's not far removed from a four-point performance on Thursday against the Lightning.