The most wonderful time of the year has come and gone within the blink of an eye. The presents have been opened, the cookies have been eaten, and the egg nog was delightful. Time with the family is always great but now it is time to get back to hockey.
The Carolina Hurricanes currently sit fifth in the Metropolitan Division, which is closer than some may think. Every game matters and every point is important, as the team looks to make a climb up the standings. With a few days off to hit the reset button, they will look to come out hot and with a sense of urgency. Here are three things to look for when the team resumes action.
Come Out Hot Right Away
With a few days off under their belts, the Hurricanes will look to put their recharged legs to work. After losing four of their last five games, the team will look to right the ship. Over the next five games, they have a chance to come out hot and secure victories to catapult them up the standings. A few of the games are going to be tough, but the first two right out the gate are winnable hockey games.
The first game is against the Nashville Predators, who the Hurricanes lost to in overtime days before the break began. It will be a tough test on the road, but the Predators are a beatable hockey team. The Hurricanes will return home the next night to take on the struggling Montreal Canadiens. This is a matchup that presents a great opportunity and a must-win two points. Montreal does not defend well, as they’ve allowed the ninth most shot attempts (1632), and the tenth most shots on goal. With the Hurricanes being a dominant team at 5v5, the opportunity to generate offense at a high rate is probable. Montreal has gotten good goaltending, so that is the only thing that could stand in their way.
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The Hurricanes will travel to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs before having two divisional showdowns. In a matter of days, they take on the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. It is the first matchup since the Sebastian Aho and Adam Fox knee-on-knee collision. In addition, the Rangers sit first in the division, which poses a challenging test right out of the gate. The Capitals are a pleasant surprise and took down the Hurricanes over a week ago.
This five-game stretch is not the easiest, but the Hurricanes have an opportunity to come out hot and get back on track.
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