It’s been a case of new year, new results for the Carolina Hurricanes. The team has been able to maintain its hot start to 2015 and will try to keep up the good work in the second half of the season. With only three games in four days remaining between them and the week long all-star break the entire team knows just how important it is to maintain this kind of lightening in a bottle momentum for as long as possible.
The team has reason to be confident however, with points in five of their six games played in 2015 and with four straight wins at home. Head Coach Bill Peters has been impressed but not satisfied with his team’s effort in the new year saying, “We like the way we’re playing, but we have to do it over a consistent, long-term basis here. We’ve played well so far this month. We need to keep our foot on the gas and finish this off properly.”
Fourth Line shuffle
The Hurricanes recalled Andrej Nestrasil from a three-game conditioning stint with the Charlotte Checkers. This week will mark the first NHL action Nestrasil will have seen since December 8. In order to make room for Nestrasil, Coach Peters has removed Brad Malone from the starting lineup. A decision which was difficult for him, “It was an unbelievably tough decision. Those are the ones that are hard. That line has been very good for us for a long time.” Coach Peters went on to say that Malone can expect to rejoin the starting lineup in the future.
Special teams powerless against Canes
One area that has been especially critical to the team’s recent success has been the penalty kill unit which has constantly been one of the best in league over the last couple weeks. The Hurricanes have now killed off 28 penalties during their last ten games good for 81.7% on the season.
While the penalty kill unit has rounded into form the powerplay unit still leaves a lot to be desired. The Hurricanes rank 30th in the league with the man advantage and have only converted 14.6% of their chances this season.
Overtime and shootouts often the difference
During this hot streak the Hurricanes have had three games go to overtime. Each one was eventually decided in a shootout with the Canes winning two of the three contests. The team had only won two of the six shootouts they faced during the 2014 side of their season. Being able to hang on and close out games has been something that this team has been missing and the change has been a welcomed one to both fans and players.
What’s next for the Hurricanes?
The Hurricanes will play their final home game against the Vancouver Canucks before traveling to face the Ottawa Senators the following night. After a day off the team will face the Maple Leafs in Toronto before returning home to Raleigh for the all-star break.
