Game #15 Preview: Hurricanes @ Ducks

 

Hurricanes (12-2-0) @ Ducks (10-4-3)

The Hurricanes are coming off a dominating performance in Vegas last game. They head west to Anaheim to take on one of the most surprising teams in the league and the Ducks, who are led by the resurgence of Ryan Getzlaf. And the breakout of young star Troy Terry. 


Previous Meeting

The last game played between Carolina and Anaheim was in the 2019-20 season. Anaheim won in overtime 2-1. Anaheim was led by the stellar goaltending of now-retired Ryan Miller, who stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced in that game.


Troy Terry’s Breakout

Anaheim’s Troy Terry has taken a big step towards becoming one of the premier attackers in the NHL. He is on a 15-game point streak, scoring 21 points in the first 17 games. The underlying numbers support this level of play as well. Terry is 11th in the NHL in On-Ice Expected Goals percentage at 66.7%. Meaning two-thirds of the expected goals when he is on the ice is in favor of Anaheim (Via MoneyPuck.com). Terry has played at a high level, and his point production matches it.


Hurricanes getting Healthy

Carolina got key contributors back in the lineup last game against Vegas. Niederreiter, Necas, and Raanta came back from the injury list to help Carolina dominate the Knights. Brett Pesce is expected to take a warm-up tonight, and he has the chance to return to the lineup. Pesce has been an elite two-way defenseman at even-strength the past few seasons. His return will elevate Carolina further. And it will alleviate the defensive pressure the offensive-minded Tony DeAngelo had to face since Pesce’s injury. 


Projected Lines

Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis

Teravainen-Trocheck-Necas

Niederreiter-Staal-Fast

Martinook-Kotkaniemi-Lorentz

Stepan


Slavin-Bear

Skjei-DeAngelo

Smith-Cole


Andersen

Raanta


Scratches: TBD

Injuries: Pesce (Upper Body, Game-Time Decision, *Will take Warm-up*)


What the Analytics Predict

MoneyPuck.com gives Carolina a 57.4% chance of winning tonight

Anaheim and Carolina are evenly matched in terms of their 5-on-5 play. Carolina’s xGoals% is at 51.48%, while Anaheim’s is at 50.35% (Via MoneyPuck.com). The difference-maker in this game will be special teams.


Players to Watch

Tony DeAngelo has produced at a point-per-game pace so far this season. His offense has been a large contributor to Carolina’s hot start. Expect DeAngelo to play a game-altering role once again tonight.


John Gibson is expected to start tonight. He has been an elite goaltender since he got into the league. If there is anything or anyone that will slow down Carolina’s high-octane offense, it will be Gibson.

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