Nov 3, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes middle Martin Necas (88) skates towards the Washington Capitals through the second interval at Lenovo Heart. Necessary Credit score: James Guillory-Imagn Pictures The Carolina Hurricanes are discovering alternative ways to get the job finished, however the frequent theme has been constant profitable early on this season.
It hasn’t panned out that means for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who’ll attempt to break by towards the Hurricanes when the groups meet Thursday evening at Raleigh, N.C.
Carolina holds a seven-game profitable streak after scoring twice within the ultimate 31 seconds of Tuesday evening’s 6-4 victory towards the Philadelphia Flyers.
“Good groups discover a solution to win,” mentioned ahead Martin Necas, who had the go-ahead objective for the Hurricanes in that recreation.
Pittsburgh’s success has been about as uncommon as Carolina’s losses, making the Penguins clearly a annoyed group.
“We simply must play higher,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan mentioned.
Carolina’s 9-2-0 report displays the second-fastest it has gotten to the nine-win degree since profitable 9 straight to open the 2021-22 season.
But it was a unique kind of efficiency towards the Flyers with uneven stretches for Carolina.
“Typically you have to win that means,” coach Rod Brind’Amour mentioned. “You are not going to be (flowing) each evening. It is arduous on this league each evening to look good.”
But the Hurricanes contained the Flyers, who put solely a complete of six pictures on objective within the second and third intervals mixed.
Necas has a seven-game factors streak, matching the longest in his profession.
“It feels higher than what I used to be used to,” Necas mentioned. “I used to be at all times assured in myself. Constructing some chemistry.”
His stretch of manufacturing has been among the many highlights for the Hurricanes.
“(Necas) has been unbelievable,” teammate Jack Drury mentioned.
Whereas youthful gamers and newcomers, akin to Jackson Blake and Jack Roslovic, have commanded appreciable consideration up to now this season for the Hurricanes, veterans have been cranking up key manufacturing as effectively. Jordan Martinook notched his first objective of the season Tuesday evening and defenseman Brent Burns had two assists for his first multi-point recreation of the season.
The Hurricanes defeated the Penguins 4-1 on Oct. 18 at Pittsburgh. Necas had a objective and an help in that recreation.
Frederik Andersen was within the nets for Carolina within the first assembly vs. the Penguins, making 25 saves. He is nursing an damage and will not play on this rematch, which comes because the Hurricanes conclude a four-game homestand.
Alex Nedeljkovic, a former Carolina goalie, has performed the final three video games within the internet for the Penguins.
The Penguins had a two-game profitable streak snapped with Tuesday evening’s 4-3 shootout setback to the New York Islanders.
“We had alternatives to interrupt it open and we could not,” Sullivan mentioned.
That was the primary outing in Pittsburgh’s three-game highway journey. Of their final 5 highway outings, the Penguins are 0-3-2.
“We have two extra video games on this highway journey to return away with a constructive journey,” Nedeljkovic mentioned.
Thursday evening’s recreation would be the first time the Hurricanes face an opponent for the second time this season.
Pittsburgh has met the Montreal Canadiens twice, profitable each of these encounters.
–Discipline Stage Media
