[10:39 PM] Hurricanes @ Ducks

Who will WIN this matchup?

Carolina Hurricanes (10-10-5)

@ Anaheim Ducks (12-9-5)

 

Starting Goalies:

Cam Ward (CAR): Confirmed

John Gibson (ANA): Confirmed

 

• Anaheim is coming off a three-game road trip (1-1-1) through Western Canada that ended with a thud in an 8-3 mauling by the Calgary Flames. Anaheim had lost three straight at home before squeezing out a 2-1 victory over Montreal on Nov. 29 — its fifth straight one-goal decision at Honda Center.

• Similarly, the Hurricanes have had little margin for error, with Sunday’s 1-0 overtime win over Tampa Bay marking their seventh one-goal game in the last eight. The three-game trek through California will conclude a stretch of playing nine of 11 away from home for Carolina.

• Although Carolina ended its five-goal overtime drought behind Cam Ward’s 25 career shutout, coach Bill Peters knows his offense must get untracked after being held to two goals or fewer in seven of its last eight games. Forward Jordan Staal, sidelined the past four games with a concussion, will not accompany the team on the road trip.

• Rickard Rakell, second on Anaheim with 10 goals, sat out the debacle against Calgary due to an upper-body injury but was back at practice Tuesday, albeit in a non-contact jersey. Starting goaltender John Gibson also was back at practice after dealing with a stomach virus on the Canadian trip, which is why coach Randy Carlyle left Jonathan Bernier in net for all eight goals.

• Carolina’s penalty-killing unit has a league-best 91.3 percent success rate.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Anaheim Ducks

Confidence: 7/10

Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Previous Pick
Next Pick