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Hurricanes vs Avalanche: Preview, Statistics, Game Notes, How to Watch

The Hurricanes come off of their bye week tonight as they host a struggling Avalanche team.

By Andrew Ahr
Jamie Kellner

Carolina Hurricanes (24-22-7) vs Colorado Avalanche (15-37-2)
February 17, 2017 - 7:30 p.m. ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
Fox Sports Carolinas - 99.9 The Fan - WRALSportsFan web and app
SB Nation rival blog: Mile High Hockey

Vital Statistics

Category Hurricanes Bruins
Category Hurricanes Bruins
Record 8-6 11-5
Goals/Game 2.79 3.31
Goals Against/Game 2.71 2.06
Shots/Game 30.9 34.3
Faceoff % 49.1% 53.3%
Power Play % (Rank) 10.0% (14) 31.9% (1)
Penalty Kill % (Rank) 70.8% (14) 85.7% (4)
ES Corsi For % 55.61% 51.66%
ES PDO 101.2% 101.0
PIM/Game 8:38 6:30

Goaltender #1

Category Cam Ward Thomas Greiss
Category Cam Ward Thomas Greiss
Record 23-20-9 21-15-4
ES Save % .909 .922
GAA 2.68 2.66

Goaltender #2

Category Eddie Lack Jean-Francois Berube
Category Eddie Lack Jean-Francois Berube
Record 3-5-2 3-2-2
ES Save % .891 .896
GAA 2.97 3.42

Game Notes

  • Tonight’s game is part of the Hurricanes Homegrown Series. Christiane will perform live music during intermission. Additionally, the first 1,000 fans through the doors will receive this cool poster:
  • There has been much speculation in the hockey world about possible landing spots for Avalanche center Matt Duchene. With the trade deadline quickly approaching on March 1st, is it feasible for the Hurricanes to make a play for him?
  • Luke DeCock says don’t get your hopes up because the Canes won’t overpay for either Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog. (Although the article doesn’t mention Justin Faulk, except in passing, which is the most recent name in the rumor mill.)
  • The Canes are looking to buck a leaguewide trend tonight: coming off their bye week, NHL teams so far this year are just 3-9-1, with one of those three wins coming in a game between the Maple Leafs and Rangers where both teams entered the game off their bye.
  • Tonight is the first matchup between the Canes and Avalanche this season. The two teams will meet again in Denver on March 7.
  • Last season, the Canes swept the season series. Victor Rask scored the only goal in a 1-0 Canes overtime win on the road on October 21, 2015, and just over a week later the Canes won 3-2 in Raleigh.
  • It’s been a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde series between the two teams: the Canes haven’t lost to the Avalanche at home since January 12, 2008, but their win in Denver last year was the franchise’s first since a Whalers win on December 15, 1995. The Avs lead the all-time series 71-25-41-3.
  • If the 140 games played all-time between these two teams seems high, there’s a good reason: the Quebec Nordiques and Whalers were in the same division from 1979 to 1995, when the Nordiques moved to Denver. Tonight’s game is just the 29th meeting between the two in the past 22 years.

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