2024-25 Regular Season, Game 52 Preview: Hurricanes vs. Chicago Blackhawks

The Carolina Hurricanes returned to Raleigh on Tuesday night after picking up three of a possible four points during their New York journey. They concluded the trip on Broadway, battling the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Andrei Svechnikov wasted little time getting the group going, burying Taylor Hall's pass to earn the new addition his first point as a Hurricane 56 seconds into the game. Frederik Andersen and Igor Shesterkin went save-for-save for the next two periods before the Canes extended their lead. Taking advantage of a terrible decision to pass from Vincent Trocheck on a breakaway, the Canes turned the puck up the ice. Jackson Blake hit Mikko Rantanen at the side of the net. Shesterkin went down on his side to stop Rantanen, so he laid it back for Svechnikov to tap home, giving Svechnikov his second goal and Rantanen his first point. The Canes broke the Rangers' will in the third. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis made it 4-0 within the first 2:30 of the period, pretty much putting the game out of reach. Andersen finished his night with 22 stops, holding the Rangers off the board for his 28th career shutout. Svechnikov added an assist in completing a three-point night to sweep the Rangers on the road.

The Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (16-29-5. 37 Points- 8th in the Central Division)

Last Meeting: It was only ten days ago when the Hurricanes were in the Windy City to battle the Blackhawks. Frederik Andersen made his return to the ice after three months to play in Game #500, but the team failed to match the excitement. Philipp Kurashev and Tyler Bertuzzi scored in the opening 20 minutes to put the Blackhawks in front. The Canes started to find their groove in the second, starting their comeback with a Seth Jarvis short-handed breakaway goal 1:25 into the period. Jesperi Kotkaniemi tied it six minutes later after excellent work behind the net. Everything was looking good until Ryan Donato scored with 19 seconds left in the period to retake the lead for Chicago. Petr Mrazek kept the Blackhawks in front until Jordan Staal fought for a loose puck sitting behind the Blackhawks netminder to tie the game with 6:23 remaining and earn his 700th point in his 1300th game. With both teams earning a point, the Canes took it upon themselves to finish the job quickly. Martin Necas and Sebastian Aho connected once more, with Aho burying a one-timer 59 seconds into the session to earn the 4-3 win. 

Since We Last Met: With such a short time between games, there isn't much to talk about. The Blackhawks are 1-1-1 since the Canes visited, with two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Funny enough, all three of their points came against the Bolts, with the lone regulation loss to the Wild. They remain entrenched in the battle for last place across the league, sitting a point better than the Sharks. Honestly, their biggest news since last Monday night was their part in the three-team deal that netted the Canes Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall. The Blackhawks regained their third-round pick and ate half of Rantanen's salary to make the deal possible. They are pretty much the same team they were a week and a half ago, minus Taylor Hall. 

Stories of the Night

1. First Home Game for Rantanen and Hall

The last big milestone for the new guys to hit before the luster wears off is to play in front of the home crowd in Raleigh. That will finally be resolved tonight as they play at the Lenovo Center for the first time as the good guys. Rantanen and Hall have been excellent in their two games with the Canes, each earning an assist in Tuesday's win over the Rangers. If they're anything like the established group, they should feed off the electricity of the Caniacs and enjoy playing for them instead of against them. I wouldn't be surprised if one or both earned their first goal on Thursday night.

2. Welcome Back, Turbo

Along with the new guys playing their first home games, tonight marks the first time since re-signing with Chicago that Teuvo Teravainen will play in Raleigh. Teravainen established himself with the Hurricanes, forming an excellent duo with Sebastian Aho during his eight seasons. He and Aho became the most prolific scoring tandem in franchise history a few seasons ago. I believe Teravainen is an underrated part of the team's success over the last six years. He helped to create the culture we see now, albeit in a way only Turbo could. I'm sure he'll get an excellent ovation from the crowd when he's honored during one of the first breaks tonight.