Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. Each day, the team here at Last Word on Hockey will dive deep into analysis for any given game to give you the scoop on what elements can change the outcome. Today, we’re looking at the contest between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes. Be sure to keep an eye on our other NHL Predictions as the season presses on.
NHL Predictions
Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes
Time: 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: FDSNSO, FDSNOH, ESPN+
The Columbus Blue Jackets are heading to Raleighwood for their second match with the Carolina Hurricanes this season, and first of two games this month. The last game between the Metropolitan Division rivals was won by the Blue Jackets in a decisive shoot-out victory in Nationwide Arena.
The Blue Jackets Story
Starting off this set of NHL Predictions, we’ll discuss the visiting team. At the time of writing this article, they have yet to face the Anaheim Ducks. As such, we’ll be looking at other recent games and this season’s record.
Compared to this time last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets have been doing better. However, better isn’t exactly great, as they still sit in the Metropolitan Division’s basement. Nonetheless, they have seen an improvement in wins in their first 29 games. Their win percentage is .483%, compared to last season’s first 29 at just .397%. The Blue Jackets’ last 10 games have actually been decent, all things considered, with a 4-4-2 record.
Their last three games, however, have truly been a mix. The three games played saw matches from some of the best in the league right now. The first in the set was a 4-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets, the second-best in the NHL. Their next game wasn’t much of a headliner as they recorded a 5-3 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers. However, the third game was a match against Metro Division leaders – the Washington Capitals. They didn’t get the win, but they got the point as they pushed the strong Eastern Conference team into overtime.
The Hurricanes Story
The Canes have recently been struggling to find consistency throughout the second quarter of this season. Mid-season struggles aren’t especially uncommon in the 82-game season, but less than ideal. Similarly, around this time last season, the Canes had managed to dig themselves out of a slump, starting with an infamous game against the Ottawa Senators. Dissimilarly, the latest game against the Sens was not their night for finding their footing on this slippery slope.
To add insult to injury, puck luck has not been in their favour…in either way. In the past three games and practice, both forwards and defencemen have wound up with some scary moments from blocking shots (intentional or otherwise). From Jaccob Slavin taking a nasty shot to the face, to Jack Drury undergoing surgery due to a puck hitting the hand, to Brent Burns having to leave the ice momentarily after blocking a shot with his ankle, to Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook taking friendly fire – it hasn’t been pleasant in this regard.
In the 60 minutes played Friday night, the Carolina Hurricanes were unable to generate a single goal against the defensively impressive Ottawa Senators. Though the Canes only gave up two with Pyotr Kochetkov in net (a third with the net empty), the forwards lacked their usual spark. Taking into consideration the Canes’ shooting averages between the forwards (20 shots ÷ 12 forwards = 1.67) and defencemen (12 shots ÷ 6 defencemen = 2.00), the blueliners had a clear offensive edge in the game. This understanding was further cemented as an additional defenceman was chosen to be the sixth man upon the empty net decision.
NHL Predictions Featuring the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Carolina Hurricanes
This could truly be anyone’s game. The Carolina Hurricanes do have the advantage if you look at the stats. But something the seasons’ stats do not show is the slump they’re currently trudging through. The Columbus Blue Jackets are not a team to sleep on. They are a quick skating group who, similarly to the Canes, will fire shots from everywhere – all the time.
The top takeaways from the matchup for me would be if the Canes’ offensive group can step it up to generate more high-quality shots and let the defence play their position. The Blue Jackets’ keys to victory could come from capitalizing on the Canes’ tendency (though the past couple of games have shown slight improvement) to turnover the puck and create scoring opportunities from odd-man rushes and breakaways. The more time spent in the offensive zone, putting pressure on the goaltender for an extensive amount of time, will more than likely be the key to victory for either team.
Prediction: Hurricanes win 4-3
Your Nightly Bets
Both of these teams have some fair choices for betting. My picks for this game for Carolina look a little different than past installments, which most frequently contained big-name forwards. Today, I am recommending two blueliners and a defensive forward in Brent Burns, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The last game where Carolina recorded any goals, the three on the scoreboard were defencemen. In the previous game which went scoreless for the Canes, some of the best looks came from these three.
As for the Columbus Blue Jackets, the three I would suggest would be the likeliest choices in forwards Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko, alongside defenceman Zach Werenski. All three have played rather consistently for their team while managing decent numbers.
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Main Photo: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
The post NHL Predictions: Dec. 15 Columbus Blue Jackets VS. Carolina Hurricanes appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.