Game #2 Preview: Hurricanes @ Predators

 

Hurricanes (1-0-0) @ Predators (0-1-0)


The rematch from the 2021 playoffs takes place tonight in Smashville. Nashville has moved back to the western conference after playing the Hurricanes 14 times through last season and the playoffs. (The Hurricanes went 10-4 overall against Nashville). There is some chippiness and nastiness leftover from last season. This budding cross-conference rivalry will add another great chapter tonight.


Previous Meeting

These two teams met twice in the pre-season, but the last meeting that meant anything was game 6 in Nashville when the Hurricanes closed out the series in overtime with a game-winner from Sebastian Aho. 


Predators Top-Heavy

The Predators may have lost their opener VS Seattle, but their top line of Forsberg-Johansen-Duchene had a great night, producing an 85.7 xGoals%. While their top pairing of Ekholm-Myers produced an 87.5 xGoals%. (via MoneyPuck.com) 

The Hurricanes’ top lines will need to match this effectiveness if they want to win tonight.


Projected Lines

Kotkaniemi-Aho-Necas

Svechnikov-Trocheck-Teravainen

Nino-Staal-Fast

Lorentz-Stepan-Martinook

Slavin-Bear

Skjei-Pesce

Cole-DeAngelo


Andersen


Scratches: B. Smith, Jarvis

What the analytics predict

MoneyPuck.com gives Carolina a 52% chance of winning tonight.

The Hurricanes will look to play their fast-paced brand of hockey tonight, but Nashville’s defense was very good 5v5 against Seattle in their opener. Allowing only 1.27 xGA/60

Via MoneyPuck.com


The two contrasting styles will make for an interesting game, whoever gets to their game first will win.


Players to watch

The Kotkaniemi-Aho-Necas line had a bad performance in the opener VS the Islanders. Those three will be the players to watch out for tonight from Carolina, as they look to have bounce-back games.


Roman Josi has given Carolina problems in the past, and he is one of the best Power-Play quarterbacks in the league. Carolina will need to stay out of the box to limit his ability tonight.

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