2024-25 Regular Season, Game 17 Preview: Hurricanes vs. St. Louis Blues

The Carolina Hurricanes found their way back to the win column on Saturday night by downing the Ottawa Senators 4-0 behind a 24-save masterpiece from Spencer Martin. Jordan Martinook kept his hot November going by banking a puck off Anton Forsberg from below the goal line to open the scoring. The power play struck in the final minute of the second period and the first minute of the third period to extend the lead. Sebastian Aho made it 2-0 on a perfect cross-seam pass from Martin Necas to help him extend his point streak to 12 games. Jackson Blake added his fifth of the season with the third-period marker, giving the Canes a comfortable cushion. The Senators pressed hard during the third period, but couldn't solve Martin. William Carrier put them away for good with the empty-net goal, earning the Canes' first shutout of the season and Martin's career. Martinook, Jordan Staal, and Shayne Gostisbehere each ended the night with a pair of points.

The Opponent: St. Louis Blues (8-9-1, 17 Points, 6th in the Central Division)
Last Meeting: The Hurricanes were in St. Louis on October 19th to play the second half of a back-to-back and the second game of their six-game State Fair road trip. Andrei Svechnikov opened the scoring less than 90 seconds into the first period, and the 1-0 lead held for a while. However, the Blues struck three times in the middle of the second period. Mathieu Joseph, Jack Neighbours, and Dylan Holloway beat Pyotr Kochetkov to swing the momentum back in St. Louis' favor. The Canes came out flying in the third. Shayne Gostisbehere scored on the power play early in the final frame, and Jack Roslovic scored his second goal in as many nights to draw even just 2:57 in. However, Martin Necas' neutral zone misplay allowed Kasperi Kapanen to storm into the zone and lift a shot past Kochetkov to restore the Blues' lead. Joel Hofer shut the door from there, stopping 37 stops to deal the Canes a 4-3 loss.

Since We Met: The Blues have gone on a slide recently, ending a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 overtime win in Boston on Saturday. This will mark the second half of a back-to-back for them as well and will be the final stop on a three-game road trip. St. Louis is just 4-7-1 since beating the Hurricanes a month ago, with a pair of 8-1 defeats thrown into that stretch. They will be without Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg for this game, two players of huge importance for them early in the season. With Jordan Binnington starting in Boston on Saturday, Joel Hofer seems like the obvious choice to take the net, especially after how he played against the Canes in St. Louis. 

Stories of the Night
1. Goalie Decision for RBA
The Hurricanes have three options for their starting goalie tonight. First, they could do the obvious thing by starting Pyotr Kochetkov despite being unavailable during Saturday's win after leaving Wednesday's loss early. Second, they could buck their usual trend by putting Spencer Martin out there for the second straight night after pitching a shutout. Third, they could start Yaniv Perets for the first time in his career to give Kochetkov some extra rest. Admittedly, the third option feels least likely but could be so much fun. I'd lean toward giving Martin the net again and riding the hot hand. 

2. An Interesting Test in Back-to-Back Start Times
I might be the only person in the world who finds this interesting, but I'd like to see whose legs are fresher after both teams played yesterday and whether the difference in start times will affect it. The Blues dropped the puck at 1 pm in Boston, while the Canes started at 7 pm. St. Louis will have the added layer of travel to contend with as well. I hate back-to-backs, but understand they are a necessary evil in the NHL. I have a feeling that this game could be very ugly.

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