Going Through A Tough Stretch:Since the team's 7-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, November 11 at PNC Arena, the Canes have scored a league-low 10 goals. The team is 1-2-3 during the run, with their lone win coming over the Chicago Blackhawks last Monday.
Searching For The Power:A glaring issue during the team's skid is their power play, which is 0-for-20 since the win against Edmonton. Their success has dropped to just 13.5% on the season, placing them 30th in the league.
It's Not All Bad Though:One of the many elements of frustration during the Canes recent skid is that they have done an adequate job of keeping the puck out of their net. During the same aforementioned six-game stretch they've allowed just 10 goals against at five-on-five. In total, they've given up just 17. Only 10 teams in the league have allowed fewer over the course of that timeframe.
In Net:Pyotr Kochetkov's start on Wednesday came in a last minute turn of events after Antti Raanta "got nicked up" at Wednesday's morning skate. Raanta was scheduled to have the net for Carolina after Kochetkov had played the previous two games for Carolina, however, he was instead the backup for the contest. Kochetkov became the first goaltender to start three consecutive games for Rod Brind'Amour's club due to the injury, but in a sign of good news, Raanta was able to practice with the team on Thursday.
Injury Report: Forward Ondrej Kase has been in concussion protocol since October 13. Goaltender Frederik Andersen (lower-body injury) was placed on injured reserve November 10, retroactive to November 6. Forward Teuvo Teravainen (upper-body injury) was placed on injured reserve November 11, retroactive to November 10. Teravainen and Max Pacioretty, who tore his Achilles in August, have been skating together recently though.
On The Other Side:The Bruins have had an exceptional start to the season, despite not having Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy for a portion of it. Star forward David Pastrnak has been fantastic with a staggering 30 points in 20 games. Netminder Linus Ullmark posts a record of 13-1 with a league-best .935 save percentage among all qualifying goalies. Their special teams have been outstanding, with the NHL's third-best power play (30.3%) and the second-best penalty kill (85.7%). They also average a league-best 4.05 goals-per-game and a league-low 2.25 goals-allowed-per-game.
