Columbus Blue Jackets (9–6–1) at Carolina Hurricanes (5-5-3)
FRIDAY, NOV. 10, 2017, 7 p.m. (NATIONWIDE ARENA)
The Jackets got the best of Carolina the last time these two teams faced off – an overtime thriller down in Raleigh. Okay, so "thriller" isn't super accurate, but if you skip past the first 57 minutes, you got an exciting game.
Regardless, the Hurricanes come north for the second of four meetings between these squads this season, and hopefully the final product will be more entertaining than the last one.
Carolina's been up and down this season – their record leaves a bit to be desired but isn't horrible, all things considered – and has had a light schedule from a workload standpoint. With just 13 games played, the Hurricanes sit in the cellar of the Metropolitan Division, with four points separating them and the next lowest team, the Washington Capitals. Still, Carolina has at least two games in hand on every team in the division (and four on the Penguins and Rangers). On paper, they're a far better team than their record would indicate, as they were a trendy pick to contend in the division this year.
You Oughta Know: Jaccob Slavin
One of those nontraditional hockey market gems, Slavin would be seen as a superstar had he been drafted by a team like, say, Toronto or Montreal. Instead, he's perhaps the crown jewel in a stout Carolina defensive group, which includes a multiple-time all-star (Justin Faulk), a former top-five pick (Noah Hanifin) and another similarly underrated stud (Brett Pesce – currently injured). If you're not already familiar with the mobile 6-foot-3 Slavin, you will be soon; he signed a seven-year contract extension this past offseason, carrying a very reasonable $5.3 million cap hit.
Fast Facts
- Speaking of Noah Hanifin, he was the first defenseman selected in the 2015 NHL Draft (fifth overall pick), three picks ahead of Zach Werenski.
- Sonny Milano scored two goals in the last meeting – including the overtime winner – a 2-1 win for the Blue Jackets.
- There are a lot of former Chicago Blackhawks on the Hurricanes this year: goalie Scott Darling, defensemen Trevon van Riemsdyk and Klas Dahlbeck, and forwards Teuvo Teravainen, Marcus Krueger and Joakim Nordstrom. That's enough to ice a full forward line, defense pairing and netminder.
Previous Matchups
THIS YEAR: Second meeting (of four) – Blue Jackets won the first, 2-1 in overtime.
ALL TIME SERIES: Columbus leads, 15-13-0-3.
Keys to the Game
ONE: Keep dominating 5-on-5 play. The Blue Jackets, by any metric, have been one of the game's best teams at even strength this season. They'll have their work cut out for them with this very good defensive group for Carolina, but they should be up for the challenge.
TWO: Tighten up defensively. The Jackets have had some trouble slowing down their opponents in the last few games, whether it's a few mental lapses defensively, a missed assignment or a mistake in net. Carolina's forward group isn't going to get brought up in a discussion for elite offensive talent, but there are some nice pieces there (Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho, Jeff Skinner) who can make the Jackets pay.
THREE: Be ready. The Jackets have, at times, been plagued by slow starts this season, even when rested. They've been off since Tuesday, but so has their opponent. The Jackets need to come out of the gate and get on the board quickly – the speed and skill on this team can punish teams when playing from ahead.
Hurricanes Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Sebastian Aho | 13 GP, 0-7-7 | 11 | Jordan Staal | 13 GP, 4-3-7 | 86 | Teuvo Teravainen | 13 GP, 3-4-7 |
| 53 | Jeff Skinner | 13 GP, 7-2-9 | 7 | Derek Ryan | 13 GP, 3-2-5 | 28 | Elias Lindholm | 13 GP, 3-4-7 |
| 23 | Brock McGinn | 12 GP, 2-4-6 | 49 | Victor Rask | 13 GP, 3-2-5 | 14 | Justin Williams | 13 GP, 2-9-11 |
| 42 | Joakim Nordstrom | 13 GP, 1-2-3 | 16 | Marcus Kruger | 13 GP, 0-1-1 | 19 | Josh Jooris | 9 GP, 2-2-4 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | Jaccob Slavin | 13 GP, 2-2-4 | 27 | Justin Faulk | 13 GP, 1-2-3 |
| 4 | Haydn Fleury | 13 GP, 0-3-3 | 57 | Trevor van Riemsdyk | 10 GP, 0-1-1 |
| 5 | Noah Hanifin | 13 GP, 1-5-6 | 6 | Klas Dahlbeck | 3 GP, 0-0-0 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Scott Darling | 10 | 4-3-3 | 2.35 | .910 | 0 |
| 30 | Cam Ward | 3 | 1-2-0 | 3.39 | .911 | 0 |
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