-Gabriel Dorris-

The Overview

Tonight at 7 pm EST, the Canes will throw their lasso and hope to grab a win against the metro-leading New York Rangers. Carolina is 6-4-0 and amid a three-game win streak, while the Rangers are on a five-game winning streak of their own. The Ranger’s last game was a nail-biting overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets, while the Canes are coming off a close call of their own, winning 3-2 against Philadelphia on the 30th.

New York R will likely be starting Igor Shesterkin, who has a 5-2-0 record, a .905 save percentage, and a 2.36 GAA- but don’t let those mediocre stats fool you. Take out two duds against the Preds and BJs, and it’s a .943 with a 5-0-0 record and 1.6 GAA. Scary. Andersen will be starting in net for Carolina, with a 4-0-0 record, 3.06 GAA, and .888 save%. But take out two duds by him, and it’s a .917 with a 2.7 GAA. In other words, if both these goalies are on this game, it’s going to be an intense matchup in net.

The Rangers have looked good in basically every area this year. They have 28 goals in 9 games with just 18 against and a 34.4% powerplay with an 83.9% penalty kill. The Canes, meanwhile, have had 36 goals in 10 games, with 37 against them, along with a 25% PP and 75% PK. It is worth taking those defense stats with a grain of salt, though, as the Canes have allowed just seven goals in their last four games but 30 in the six before. If they want to beat New York R, they’ll need to stay strong in their end, while finding a way to get the rubber past Igor, who is incredibly talented and currently hot.

Things to Watch

The penalty kill is on an 11/11 run after an unfortunate start, and the powerplay is rocking and rolling at 25%. If these trends continue, the Canes may find themselves to be a beast on special teams this year. Andrei Svechnikov will be getting top-line minutes with Aho and Jarvis, and a goal or two could prove that the injury hasn’t hurt his shot in the slightest. With Ponomarev healthy and Suzuki (Ryan) on the verge, Jack Drury is in hot water with just one point in ten games. If he wants to keep his spot, he has to prove he deserves it now. Dmitry Orlov is also getting better and better each game, and we’re watching to see just how high the line will get.

Prediction

The Canes are good, and I do believe they are better than the Rangers. But they still haven’t managed to fit all the pieces into place, and right now New York R is boiling. I think the Rangers are going to win here just off that alone, but it will still be pretty close. (Oh, the last game was my first perfect prediction of the season! 3-2 Canes!)

4-3 Rangers

Record: 7 (correct winner) – 3 (incorrect winner) – 0 (predicted OT/shootout loss and lost in regulation, or vice versa.)