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The Hurricanes come off of a long, awkward break to take on a division rival in the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Canes will look to stop the bleeding after a two game slide that wrapped up their recent West Coast trip.
Vital Statistics
| Category | Hurricanes | Blue Jackets |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hurricanes | Blue Jackets |
| Record | 21-7-3 | 13-13-7 |
| Goals/Game | 3.23 | 2.54 |
| Goals Against/Game | 2.48 | 3.12 |
| Shots/Game | 31.52 | 28.70 |
| Face Off Win % | 54.4% | 46.2% |
| Power Play % (Rank) | 30.6% (1st) | 14.8% (26th) |
| Penalty Kill % (Rank) | 82.9% (9th) | 74.0% (26th) |
| ES Corsi For % | 53.04% | 46.16% |
| ES PDO | 100.96 | 99.42 |
| PIM/Game | 07:21 | 06:43 |
Goaltender #1
| Category | James Reimer | Joonas Korpisalo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | James Reimer | Joonas Korpisalo |
| Record | 12-4-1 | 8-10-5 |
| Save % | 0.909 | .900 |
| GAA | 2.68 | 2.98 |
Goaltender #2
| Category | Alex Nedeljkovic | Elvis Merzlikins |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Alex Nedeljkovic | Elvis Merzlikins |
| Record | 7-2-2 | 5-3-2 |
| Save % | .930 | .912 |
| GAA | 1.96 | 2.91 |
Game Notes
- The Hurricanes and Blue Jackets are meeting for the second of four matchups this season. Columbus took a 3-2 win in the teams’ first meeting at PNC on October 12.
- Carolina is 9-8-1 all time at Nationwide Arena, and holds a 20-15-4 record overall against the Blue Jackets.
- Erik Haula is hot. In just nine games with the Hurricanes, he’s posted seven goals and enters tonight on a five-game point streak. He left Saturday’s game after a high hit from Anaheim’s Josh Manson, but Haula is not concussed and may play tonight.
- And speaking of getting hot, Haydn Fleury has a chance for his first NHL goal streak, after finally finding the net against the Ducks in his 96th career game.
Storm Advisory
- Included in this week’s 31 Thoughts is a mention of what Is at stake for Aleksi Saarela, now on his third team in less than a year and quickly running out of NHL runway. [Sportsnet]
- There are some surprises in the early season standings. How many of the fast starts are sustainable? [ESPN]
- The tornado that hit Dallas on Sunday night made for a harrowing experience for Ben Bishop. [The Athletic ($)]
- Speaking of unexpected hot starts, it’s somewhat remarkable what Ralph Krueger has done to turn the Sabres around. [Die By The Blade]