Weekend Plans: Taking On The Top

RALEIGH, NC. - Going into this weekend's back-to-back set of games at PNC Arena the Carolina Hurricanes will have played two games since December 18.
During that time they've had six off days and held ten practices, attempting to maintain the same level of play that has brought them wins in their last four games.

With Thursday's session being the final one before the club welcomes the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers to town, their first set of two games in two days since the middle of November not only brings them a test of their own conditioning and ability to perform at a high level on consecutive days, but it also forces them to do so against two of the league's top teams - each with their own different set of strengths.
Calgary, who the Canes last saw on December 9 as a part of their tour through Canada, is one of the best defensive teams in the league, holding opponents to an average of 2.35 goals per game. That number ranks just second among all 32 clubs, behind only Carolina.
Florida, who the group is eager for another shot at
after spoiling their first chance on November 6
, possesses the ability to seemingly score at will. The Cats pace the NHL with their average of 36.8 shots per game, which, in turn has translated to the league's second best average of 3.85 goals per game.
"They're two of the better teams that we're going to see all year," Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour began when speaking to the media following the skate. "They do play different styles but they're both capable, I think all good teams in this league are capable, of doing whatever the game needs them to. The other night they played each other and I think they both almost had 50 shots - lots of offense. It presents a different challenge, but it's one hopefully we're up for. Calgary is a bit more committed to shutting you down and Florida is a run-and-gun type team. It'll be a good test for us either way."
Being that Carolina and Calgary sit number one and two respectively in the NHL rankings in goals against, it shouldn't be a surprise, especially given that that number held true then and continue to hold true nearly now a month following the game, that
the final result was a 2-1 score
. Both teams kept the contest tight and at the end of the day a Sebastian Aho overtime winner pushed the visiting side to victory.

However, the attempts don't always go according to plan, as exemplified by the team's previous meeting against the weekend's second opponent. What wound up
being a 5-2 defeat
for the league's current point percentage leaders reached its final outcome after Florida was able to net three power play goals in the first period alone. This time around they'll try and limit their early trips to the penalty box, but even if they can lock down their opposition, both the power play and penalty kill will have to be good when called upon.
"We're a really good defensive team. Our game is built on puck pressure and it's hard to play against," Martin Necas shared when asked what makes his team able to hang with the NHL's top-tier teams. "Team's try and do the same thing and it's just all about the little things that we have to be better at. If you have an even] game, then it's all about special teams. We have to be good at that and make the difference."
There hasn't been any doubt in regards to the Canes' special teams over the last month, as their penalty kill has gone 22 for their last 22, not allowing a power play goal since December 7 in Winnipeg. In fact, dating all the way back to the end of October, the club's "PK" is the best in the league.
As for the power play, Carolina's man advantage ranks second in the league since December 1, clicking at a 37% rate. During their current four-game win streak they've gone 6-for-14, striking in three of the contests.
In hopes of continuing those successes, the group is preparing for some more regularity to their schedule moving forward, which at this point entails 51 games in 113 days. They're ready to put the long stretches of practice behind them and get back into a consistent flow of game play.
"It's not in our control, all these breaks and how many games we get to play, but I think it emphasizes enjoying just getting to play as much as you can and not take it for granted when we do have a game," goaltender Frederik Andersen said of the recent circumstances and impending schedule. "We, as a whole group, are pretty excited to go play tomorrow."
Tickets for both games are on sale now and
[can be found here
.
Worth A Click:
Practice Report: First PNC Arena Skate of 2022
What Made Saturday's Comeback Even More Impressive
All-Star Fan Voting Open Now