2023-24 Regular Season, Game 80: Hurricanes at St. Louis Blues (Pregame)

The Carolina Hurricanes began their season-ending four-game road trip on the right foot on Tuesday night when they dismantled the Boston Bruins 4-1 to win the season series. The action remained scoreless into the second period until Andrei Svechnikov went into his bag of tricks to pull off his third lacrosse goal more than halfway through the period. Just over two minutes later, he set up Teuvo Teravainen for a tap-in to double the lead. Charlie McAvoy broke Pyotr Kochetkov's shutout with a clapper with 3:05 left in the second to send it into the third as a one-goal game. Kochetkov fought off some early pressure from the Bruins in the third, eventually allowing the Canes to re-extend their lead. Jake Guentzel's shot sat in the crease, but Pavel Zacha's clearing attempt hit Jeremy Swayman in the back before crossing the goal line. Seth Jarvis added the nail in the coffin, scoring a short-handed goal for his 30th of the season to complete squash Boston's comeback attempt. Kochetkov extended his win streak to three starts, and Guentzel extended his point streak to six games in the victory.

The Opponent: St. Louis Blues (42-32-5, 89 Points- 5th in the Central Division)

Last Meeting- The Blues visited in early January to face a red-hot Carolina squad. On this night, it was Jordan Binnington who would get the last laugh. Nathan Walker opened the scoring midway through the first period, but Teuvo Teravainen got it back on the power play to end the first period tied 1-1. For the final 45 minutes, no one would beat Binnington or Antti Raanta. It would require a shootout to finish the job. In the bottom of the fight round, Brayden Schenn put the deciding goal past Raanta to help St. Louis end the Canes' five-game win streak with a 2-1 win. Binnington made 29 stops in the victory.

Since We Last Met- After undergoing a dry spell from mid-February to mid-March, the St. Louis Blues have been making a late push to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since March 11, the Blues are 10-3-2, putting themselves within three points of the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights for the second Wild Card spot. The problem is that Vegas holds a game in hand, though they'll be in action tonight as well. The Blues were impressive in their win on Wednesday over the Blackhawks, scoring on their first four shots in a 5-2 win. Jordan Kyrou scored two of those four early goals just 42 second apart. His 29 goals lead the team, while four others have 25 or more. One of those players is Robert Thomas, who leads the team with 83 points, ensuring a point-per-game season for him. Their goaltending duo of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer has also been strong. They're a little banged up at the moment, however. Torey Krug left Wednesday's win early, while Jake Neighbours has been out for the last few games, and Justin Faulk is likely done for the season. Those are some key players to be missing while fighting for your postseason lives. 

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. I Think Andrei Svechnikov is Doing Just Fine

Remember that time we were all worried about Andrei Svechnikov? It turns out we overreacted just a little bit. After a one-game break against the Capitals last Friday, Svechnikov scored 17 seconds into the game against Columbus before showing out against the Bruins with a lacrosse goal and an assist. He's on the verge of another 20-goal season, needing just one more goal to join the collection of Hurricanes to reach the mark. He has been playing some of his best hockey of the season with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook. If he can keep this going, he'll be a valuable asset to this postseason run after missing last season's. 

2. Match St. Louis' Desperation

Over their last 11 games, the Hurricanes have been playing plenty of teams that are incredibly desperate as they fight for their spot in the postseason. During that stretch, the Canes are 8-2-1, with wins over the Islanders, Flyers, Red Wings, and Capitals. Tonight, they'll be playing a team as much of a chip as any other team. They're three points out of a playoff spot, trying to chase down a Vegas team that is falling quickly after three straight losses. The Blues have made up ground on the Golden Knights, but with one more game played, their odds are slim. They still have a fighting chance and will be seriously hard to beat on home ice.

3. Just Stay Healthy

Obviously, wins are the key to success, but healthy bodies for the playoffs are essential. I've said that I don't care about wins at this point. All I care about is the starting group staying healthy before the playoffs begin. I'm all for being intense and trying to play hard while the division is still up for grabs. However, there's a level of realism that needs to be understood, given the current state of the race. Play hard, but don't play recklessly. There's something a lot more important at the end of the tunnel than a Friday night win over the Blues.