Tuesday night in Raleigh, the Canes will wrap up a whirlwind January with a final home game before the all-star break against the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks. The month featured 13 games in 26 days, a run of 10 straight games with travel before them and 3 sets of back-to-backs. Win or lose, the month will conclude as a success with worst case a 6-4-3 record if the Canes lose tonight. That minimum number would be a playoff-like 95-point pace over 82 games following an even better 100-point pace in December. The Canes are still digging out from a slow start that might ultimately cost them but at least right now, they are winning at a playoff bubble pace.
The game features a challenge against a suddenly rolling Blackhawks team. The Canes beat the Hawks in Chicago on December 27 for 1 of the team’s impressive December wins. Immediately after that, the Blackhawks ran off 12 consecutive wins to reclaim their place near the top of the NHL standings. The team did lose back-to-back games in Florida last week before rebounding against the Blues but still comes in playing pretty good hockey.
This is an ’empty the tank’ kind of game for Coach Bill Peters. The team was off Monday and is looking at a full week break on the other side of this game. If Bill Peters finds combinations that are working and thinks a short bench can help his chances, expect him to use it. Points are precious right now, and there is plenty of time to rest and recoup starting tomorrow.
The challenge for the Canes right now is finding combinations that are working especially on the blue line. After a December and early January that were heavy in sound defensive play, the Canes have been sporadic at best defensively of late. The team has laid multiple full-game eggs and even had its share of issues in some wins. Best guess (and hope) is that it is simply fatigue that will be remedied by the break, but the Canes still need to find 1 better effort before they get there.
With that, here is what I am watching for the Hurricanes vs. Blackhawks match up tonight:
1) Simpler might be better
As noted above, the Canes have struggled with too many big breakdowns mostly of the the turnover variety of late. The Blackhawks can very much play a Rangers-like opportunistic game in which they play sound hockey and just sit and wait for you to hand them the couple goals that they need to head off to the races. Brett Pesce is still questionable for Tuesday. Michal Jordan is questionable if he again plays in his spot. The veterans need to be better, and I expect that Peters leans heavily on 4 or 5 defensemen with or without Pesce in the lineup.
2) Best against best
At home and with the ability to empty the tank, one can bet that Bill Peters will play a bit of a match up game and also give his best players some extra shifts. Expect Jordan Staal’s line to see a constant helping of the Blackhawks fire power and Eric Staal’s line to also see a ton of minutes. There have been recent rumblings that the Staals could be reunited, so we might even get a dose of that. But regardless of line combinations, if the defense can pull it together, this game will likely be decided by which team’s superstars come out on top.
3) Finish line push
Points are precious right now and an extended break is in sight. Can a few Hurricanes use this to dial up the energy and play a great hockey game? Or do they instead look weary and unable to do more than be content with the fact that it has already been a good January win or lose?
4) Justin Faulk
He has been a part of the sporadic issues on defense recently. It is just a hunch, but I think this is the kind of game where he rises up to the challenge. He has the break sitting in front of him and a big challenge against the Blackhawks’ forwards. Can he will himself to being a difference-maker in collecting 1 last win before heading off to the all-star game?
Tonight’s game is nationally televised on NBCSN and is therefore a 7:30ish puck drop at PNC Arena.
Go Canes!
