The Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators both can feel better about some recent results.
On Monday night, one of them will carry a two-game winning streak into this week’s holiday layoff when the teams meet in Nashville, Tenn.
“Let’s try to push through and then take a couple of mental days,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.
Nashville has won three of its last five games (3-1-1), including 3-2 Saturday in overtime against the visiting Los Angeles Kings. The Predators will try to complete a homestand at 3-0-1.
“I think we’ve been on kind of a hotter streak lately,” Predators left wing Zach L’Heureux said. “We’re playing better. Obviously, it was huge to get that win (Saturday). We’re really motivated, one game before Christmas, and we want to close out this homestand on the right side.”
The Hurricanes got back on track by winning 3-1 on the road against the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Carolina has won four of its last six games.
“Winning games 2-1 (before an empty-net goal) is a great way to diversify our wins,” Hurricanes forward Jack Roslovic said.
Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov allowed a goal on Sunday’s first shot and then stopped the next 22 attempts. With the afternoon start on Sunday and the holiday break following Monday’s game, Kochetkov likely will be back in the net for the Hurricanes in Nashville.
Both Carolina and Nashville had unlikely contributors on the offensive end in their last games.
Kochetkov registered two secondary assists against the Rangers.
“We needed some offense, so we’ll get it from anybody,” Brind’Amour said.
Carolina captain Jordan Staal recorded his 400th career NHL assist — and 10th of the season — in Sunday’s game.
Nashville defenseman Nick Blankenburg notched his first career overtime goal.
“I’ve just continued to trust in my game, just very thankful for the opportunity to go out in OT and just happy I was able to score,” Blankenburg said.
Monday night’s game will mark a matchup involving Predators defenseman Brady Skjei against his former team. Skjei left the Hurricanes during the offseason in free agency after four strong seasons with Carolina.
In 34 games this season, his production has waned compared to the past few seasons, as he has managed three goals and eight assists to go with a minus-4 rating. Skjei had his second two-point outing of the season Thursday in an overtime loss to Pittsburgh.
Brind’Amour said he would like to see more consistency offensively from the Hurricanes.
“Sometimes the pieces haven’t quite come together,” Brind’Amour said. “We’re not scoring (a lot). We’re missing some of the pieces that we’re counting on haven’t really materialized.”
The Hurricanes would like to get a lift from forward Martin Necas, who has a team-leading 14 goals but has gone seven games without scoring and has only three assists during that stretch. Forward Andrei Svechnikov has only one 5-on-5 goal this season.
Roslovic, a Carolina newcomer, scored his 14th goal Sunday to pull even with Necas. That marks Roslovic’s second-highest total in any of the nine seasons he has played in the NHL.
–Field Level Media
