The Carolina Hurricanes look to keep the good times rolling when they visit the St. Louis Blues on Friday.
The Hurricanes (50-22-7, 107 points) are 14-3-1 since March 7 and have won five of their past six, including a three-game winning streak heading into the contest against the Blues. They’re coming off a 4-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday and have outscored the opposition 19-7 in their past six games. Four of those goals against came in one game — a loss to the Bruins on April 4.
“There’s a couple of games left and we have to make sure we’re trending in the right direction,” forward Jake Guentzel said. “Three games coming up and we can’t take the foot off the gas. We have to make sure we’re ready to go.”
Another win would push Carolina to within a point of the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers. The Hurricanes have three fewer wins overall but the two are tied in regulation victories. Each has three games remaining.
“I’ve said for years about what a great group it is, and we just keep seeming to find new guys that just fit,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “So it’s special for me because I get to come to work with these guys every day. We’re pushing for something special and we’ll see where it goes.”
Guentzel is one those who have been a seamless fit. Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 7, the 29-year-old made his Hurricanes debut on March 12 and leads the team with 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 15 games since.
The Blues (42-32-5, 89 points), meanwhile, are looking to keep their playoff push alive. St. Louis sits three points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card from the Western Conference. Vegas holds a game in hand.
“You should never quit until you see eliminated beside your name and, right now, we don’t see that,” captain Brayden Schenn said. “… We obviously know we need a lot of help along the way. These games mean something right now, and we’ll keep fighting. We definitely need a lot of help, but as long as we take care of our part, we can at least put a little pressure on them.”
They did their part on Wednesday, scoring on their first four shots in a 5-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues have won two in a row, are 3-1-1 in their past five games and 6-2-2 in their past 10.
Jordan Kyrou had his second straight multi-point outing with a pair of goals against Chicago, extending his point streak to four games (four goals, three assists). The 25-year-old has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in his past 10 games.
“He’s shooting the puck really well,” interim coach Drew Bannister said. “He’s found a lot of space out there and he’s using his speed. Overall, over the past three or four games, he’s been really competitive. Obviously, he’s feeling real confident in his game right now.”
St. Louis forward Jake Neighbours will miss a third straight game with an upper-body injury while defenseman Torey Krug is questionable after sustaining an upper-body injury against Chicago.
–Field Level Media
