December 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Martin Necas (88) skates around a check by Columbus Blue Jackets center Cole Schillinger (4) during overtime at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images There have been times over the past month where the Carolina Hurricanes have looked a bit unsettled, but they may be making progress once again.
They’ll see if they can maintain their recent momentum when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets in Raleigh, North Carolina on Thursday night.
The Hurricanes have won three straight games for the first time since mid-November. They are on a 5-1-1 run and are coming off back-to-back wins over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday and the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Thursday’s game marks the end of a four-game road trip for the Blue Jackets, who are 1-1-1 after a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. The result sparked the first hat-trick of his career by hometown player Adam Fantilli.
Now it will be a matter of Columbus refocusing after an emotionally charged night. Despite a brief wobble to start the trip, the Blue Jackets are 7-1-1 in their last nine games.
The Hurricanes will be available for veteran goalkeeper Frederik Andersen to play in his first home game since opening the season, when he suffered his lone loss in five starts this season. He went down with a knee injury in late October and missed nearly three months after surgery before returning Monday in a 4-3 overtime win over the Blackhawks.
Pyotr Kochetkov handled net duties for Dallas the next night and made 22 saves in a 2-1 win.
“That’s the position. We talk about it over and over again,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of the goaltender. “If our person can be better than the other person on the other side, we are usually in good shape.”
The Blue Jackets may be in a different situation when it comes to goaltending. Elvis Merzlikins left the rink midday Wednesday with an apparent injury, but he was in the crease that night and stopped 28 of 29 shots in a win over the Maple Leafs. Daniil Tarasov is Columbus’ backup.
Columbus will be without defenseman Denton Mateychuk, who has missed the last two games due to illness. Cole Schillinger (upper body injury) was also out on Wednesday.
The Blue Jackets say they know the best formula for generating sustained pressure.
“If we try to skate and make difficult plays, that’s not our game,” said Columbus winger Kirill Marchenko, who recorded his 33rd assist on Wednesday. “We need to get inside and shoot the puck more and make simpler plays.”
Columbus also looks to slow down Martin Necas. The Hurricanes forward has 16 multi-point games this season after recording two assists on Tuesday. That’s tied for 10th in the NHL.
“He’s an elite athlete who does it all,” Brind’Amour said. “It definitely creates a lot of offense.”
This will be the teams’ fourth meeting of the season, with the home team winning the first two. Columbus recorded a 5-4 shootout win on November 23 and a 4-3 shootout win on December 31, sandwiching a 4-1 win over Carolina on December 15.
The Blue Jackets find themselves in a similar situation to what Carolina found themselves in earlier this week. That means playing a road game against a team that had a day off, then another road assignment the next night.
–Field level media
