Game Preview: Wild versus Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes return home for a two-game series after a northeast road trip. They will face the Minnesota Wild and the Buffalo Sabres at the Lenovo Center.
Recent Hurricanes Performance
On Tuesday night, Carolina secured a strong win against the struggling New York Rangers. Nikolaj Ehlers scored his first goal as a Hurricane on the power play. The team controlled the second and third periods, holding New York to a single shot in the last period.
Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov made 26 saves for a shutout in his season debut, despite playing behind a weakened Carolina defense.
Focus Shifts to Minnesota Wild
The Wild, initially considered a bubble playoff team, have faced difficulties early in the season. After a 2-1 start, Minnesota managed only one win in their last nine games through October.
They snapped a five-game losing streak with an overtime win against Nashville on November 1, followed by another victory on Tuesday.
Strengths of the Wild
Minnesota’s power play is their biggest asset, ranked third in the NHL with a 31.5% conversion rate. Kirill Kaprizov leads the attack, currently tied for ninth in league scoring with eight goals and ten assists.
He ranks second in the NHL for power play goals with five and power play points with nine.
Other key contributors with double-digit points are Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi, and Marcus Johansson.
Summary: The Hurricanes' solid defense and Kochetkov's goaltending will be tested by a Wild team relying heavily on a potent power play led by Kirill Kaprizov.