Storylines
1. Inside focus
Ruff’s call for predictability within the Sabres' play extends to the offensive zone, where the focus in recent days has been on getting the puck to the net when opportunities arise.
The Sabres attributed their loss to the Kraken to a tendency to keep to the perimeter of the offensive zone. Practice on Tuesday was geared toward acting on shooting opportunities – and thus creating a habit for the non-shooting players to crash the net for tips or rebound chances.
“We needed to deliver it to the net sooner (in the Seattle game),” Ruff said. “Looked at a lot of opportunities where, inside the game, we probably passed up 15 times where we could have put it there and we deferred outside.”
2. Power-play progress
The Sabres power play ranks sixth in the NHL since Dec. 21 with a 32.1-percent conversion rate (9-for-28). The unit will be tested against a Hurricanes penalty kill that ranks second in the league at 85.0 percent and first since the beginning of December.
Read more about the power-play success in Tuesday’s practice report.
3. Scouting the Hurricanes
Bolstered by their strong penalty kill, the Hurricanes once again rank among the league’s top teams with an aggressive style of play that allows them to control the puck – evidenced by their NHL-best 58.9-percent share of 5-on-5 shot attempts this season.
At the center of Carolina’s identity is captain Jordan Staal, who was named Second Star of the Week by the NHL on Monday after scoring five points (3+2) in four games on top of his usual shutdown role. Staal has taken a team-high 364 faceoffs in the defensive-zone – more than double the second-place mark – yet the Hurricanes own a 60.8-percent share of shot attempts with him on the ice at 5-on-5.
Martin Necas leads the Hurricanes with 50 points – including 21 for the Carolina power play, which is just 1-for-19 over the last seven games.
