The Carolina Hurricanes have shown off their new roster pieces. Now, it’s a matter of seeing how their recently acquired newcomers blend in over time.
The Hurricanes will begin to get a better sense of the bigger picture Tuesday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit Raleigh, N.C.
But for starters, there’s lots to be excited about.
“Once it all settled in, Carolina obviously is a contending team,” newcomer Mark Jankowski said about his arrival in a trade from Nashville.
Jankowski scored two goals in his Carolina debut Sunday versus the Winnipeg Jets. Logan Stankoven, the lone player acquired in the Mikko Rantanen deal with Dallas, also scored in his first game with the Hurricanes.
“A big part of it is confidence, coming in here and playing with some great linemates,” Jankowski said.
The Lightning should be confident as well with victories in 10 of their past 12 games, though the visiting Boston Bruins blanked them Saturday. Thus Tampa Bay’s three-game road trip begins after a hiccup.
“I think you can definitely learn from that as a group that this league’s not easy to win, and it doesn’t matter who’s on the other team and what faces they have,” Lightning forward Brandon Hagel said of the 4-0 loss to the rebuilding Bruins. “But at the end of the day, we have a really good hockey team in here.”
The Hurricanes carry a four-game winning streak into Tuesday’s game.
So now, there can be some new looks for a Carolina team that has already produced a solid season. Jankowski and Stankoven will have their opportunities.
“Any time you come somewhere new, and we’ve talked about it already enough this year,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “But those adjustments (are not easy) and to be able to contribute in that fashion is a great way to start for them.”
Stankoven said it’s just the beginning of what he can offer. He said he’ll study a lot of video footage of the Hurricanes to better understand how he can fit in.
“It’s always nice to come in and contribute right away,” Stankoven said. “I felt personally that I can give a lot more. It definitely wasn’t my best (Sunday night), and I know it’s going to take a bit of time to get used to my linemates and the system.”
Based on the team’s goalie rotation, it’s expected to be Pyotr Kochetkov’s turn in the Carolina net.
Considering that Carolina and Tampa Bay are separated by just two points near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, they figure to be jockeying for playoff position through the rest of the season.
The Lightning haven’t played since Saturday’s loss to Boston. It was a strange shortage at the offensive end for Tampa Bay, which had scored six goals in each of its two previous games.
“We’ve just got to turn the page,” Hagel said.
Tampa Bay played without captain Victor Hedman on Saturday because of a lower-body injury, so his status will be of note as puck drop approaches.
The Lightning are making their second visit of the season to Raleigh, though this should be a shorter stay. Prior to their season opener on Oct. 11, they arrived a few days early because of hurricanes striking the Florida coast.
It worked out because the Lightning won 4-1 in that first game. The teams met for a rescheduled game Jan. 7 in Tampa Bay with the Lightning claiming that game 3-2 as well. Kochetkov was in the goal for the Hurricanes that night.
–Field Level Media
