The Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes are facing similar struggles lately, and both teams are looking to overcome recent difficulties.
Both teams have hit rough patches, making their matchup on Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C., important for both sides.
“I think we know we’re in a little bit of funk here with our play,” said Carolina forward Eric Robinson.
The Hurricanes have lost three straight games for the first time this season. In their 4-2 loss to Seattle on Tuesday, they managed only 19 shots on goal, which is unusually low for a team that typically takes many shots. They had just seven shots after two periods.
“We fought back a little bit, but we can’t play two periods like that,” said Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour. “We were not sharp.”
The Avalanche, with a 7-5-0 road record, came from behind to win 5-4 at Buffalo on Tuesday after scoring four goals in the third period. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and added an assist, helping his team recover from a 4-0 deficit.
“We went into a couple of things, more details of what we need to do and what we need to see from every guy if we were to get back into that game,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. “They knew we needed to get more competitive. We definitely got more relentless on the puck.”
That win was just Colorado’s second in their last five games (2-3-0), with the other win coming in a shootout. So, despite the big comeback, there are still concerns for the Avalanche as they begin a five-game road trip.
“It’s nice to see our team dig in,” said Bednar.
Carolina, on the other hand, has struggled to create the scoring chances that usually define their play.
Hurricanes forward Martin Necas leads the league with 13 multi-point games, including a goal and an assist on Tuesday. But he needs more support, and Brind’Amour has noticed that.
“Our top guys got to come and that includes everybody,” he said. “If we’re going to win, we have to have those guys being the top guys.”
Brind’Amour has made changes to the line combinations, hoping to get more production from his forwards.
“I’ve done that, so that’s not the answer,” Brind’Amour said. “You got to look in the mirror and do your job. We’re going to turn the page.”
Despite some struggles earlier in the week, there were positives for Carolina, like their success on the power play. The Hurricanes have scored 12 power-play goals in their last 11 games.
Colorado’s goalie Scott Wedgewood, making his debut with the Avalanche, got his first win since October on Tuesday, stopping all 22 shots in relief at Buffalo. He had started the season with Nashville.
Wedgewood has had past success against Carolina, including a memorable 44-save performance in his Dallas debut in March 2022 in Raleigh.
Carolina’s 9-3-0 home record is impressive, but they have lost their last two games at home. Overall, they have dropped five of their last seven games (2-4-1). The Hurricanes will play five of their next six games at home, starting with Thursday’s game.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to come together and get back to our winning ways,” said Robinson. “Everybody is working hard. Everybody wants to win.”
Thursday’s game will be the second stop on Colorado’s five-game road trip.
