On November 17, 2024, in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Carolina Hurricanes are solidifying their chances for home-ice advantage as they face the New York Rangers.
This matchup marks a difference to last season when the Rangers eliminated the Hurricanes in the second round of the playoffs in six games.
Hurricanes Riding High at Home
Seeking to extend their home winning streak to nine games, the Hurricanes are set to host the Rangers, who are desperate to break a streak of three consecutive losses. This will be their first meeting of the season.
Last year, Carolina narrowly missed claiming the division title by three points, finishing with 111, while the Rangers topped the league with 114 points, securing both the division and the Presidents’ Trophy.
Entering this season, the Hurricanes boast the third-most points in the NHL with 31, having outscored opponents 41-16 at home since suffering a 4-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning in their opener on October 11.
During their current home winning streak, Carolina has scored at least four goals in each game, achieving this feat 16 times in 21 games throughout the season.
The streak continued with a thrilling 6-4 win against the Dallas Stars, where Carolina netted five goals in the third period. Martin Necas contributed a pivotal power-play goal with less than three minutes remaining, overcoming a 3-1 deficit.
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour expressed confidence in his team’s potential, saying, “I already know what we have. It’s just, can they grasp how we have to play every switch? Sometimes we get a little off and try to do things differently, but in a game like that, you’re hoping to get the result.”
Sebastian Aho ignited the scoring spree in the third period, contributing three assists, while Seth Jarvis, playing for the first time since November 9, tallied a goal and two assists, including the setup for Necas’s goal.
Despite challenges in net, including Frederik Andersen’s recovery from knee surgery and Pyotr Kochetkov’s concussion protocol following a collision with Sean Walker, the Hurricanes have managed to maintain their winning ways. Spencer Martin took the start in goal on Monday.
Rangers Struggling to Find Momentum
Meanwhile, the Rangers began the season strong with a record of 5-0-1 but have since faltered, posting a 7-7-0 record and enduring three straight losses.
Their recent four-game road trip concluded with a disappointing 6-2 defeat against the Edmonton Oilers, followed by a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues at home.
In the latest loss, Will Cuylle scored twice, but star players Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad combined for only six shots on goal and a collective minus-7 rating as the Rangers were outshot 44-29.
New York coach Peter Laviolette voiced his frustration, stating, “We need to be better. Everybody needs to be better. It’s not good enough what we’re doing.”
Adding to the tension, reports surfaced on Monday that general manager Chris Drury might be open to trading forward Chris Kreider and defenseman Jacob Trouba, the latter holding a no-move clause to 15 teams.
Kreider missed the game with an upper-body injury, marking his first absence since January 16, 2023.
He has scored nine goals in 19 games this season, while Trouba has been on the ice for two goals against and has managed just two points after starting the season with four assists in the first three games.
