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The Hurricanes and Sharks close out their season series tonight as the Canes look to get things back on track after dropping three out of their last four matchups in regulation.
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
- Tonight is the second and final meeting between the Sharks and Hurricanes this season. The Sharks took the first matchup in San Jose 5-2 on October 16 despite putting 38 shots on Martin Jones.
- The two teams have been exactly even in their history facing each other: 20 wins, 20 losses and one tie.
- The Hurricanes yesterday recalled Brian Gibbons from the Charlotte Checkers and will put a normal 12/6 split on the ice tonight. Erik Haula and Martin Necas are still expected to be out tonight; Andrei Svechnikov, who did not practice yesterday, is expected to play tonight.
- Tonight is the first of seven straight matchups against Western Conference opponents. The Canes won’t face an Eastern team until they host the Panthers on December 21. Carolina is 5-3 against the West this year.
- Tonight continues the Hurricanes’ annual Toys for Tots toy drive. Bring an unopened toy to any entrance at the arena tonight and you’ll get a $10 Buffalo Brothers gift card and be entered to win a prize from a drawing. Details here.
Storm Advisory
- Robin Lehner has a bit of a contrarian take on the reckoning taking place in the NHL. [The Athletic ($)]
- Kevin Allen takes a deep dive into the growing and increasingly key roles of women in hockey operations. [USA Today]
- There is a note in 31 Thoughts this week that Peter Karmanos may end up owning the Hurricanes again. This is the five-year option mentioned at Tom Dundon’s introductory press conference; don’t read too much into it. [Sportsnet]
- How many coaches do GMs generally get to hire during their tenure? Answer: not as many as you might think. [The Athletic ($)]
- There’s nothing quite like good timing: Logan Couture is coming off his best month as a pro. Lucky us. [Mercury News]