1/5/11 Rangers vs. Hurricanes

Clayton Stoner said he'd love to stay and chat in New Jersey, but he has to bounce.

Rangers against the Carolina Hurricanes.

This is the second meeting out of four between these two teams this season. The Rangers are coming into this one on a two game losing streak, most recently dropping a 3-0 shutout to the Panthers. Likely by now, John Tortorella has given the team an earful on their play as of recently. Coach Tortorella needs to boost morale on the team in order to avoid another disappointing season when the Rangers decide to give up half way through the season. The Rangers have thinned out in the scoring department as of recently, but still remain a constant threat. Marian Gaborik, who also has struggled, has 14 points over his last 12 games against Carolina, so expect him to be tightly covered most of the game. Without Ryan Callahan and Erik Christensen, the Rangers are going to have to dig into their bag of tricks and try to find ways to weather the storm until their return.

The Hurricanes are riding a three game winning streak coming into this game. If they win tonight, they will be within 4 points of the Rangers in the top 8 in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers need to treat this game as a must win. Their cushion that they have built up so far is dwindling down, and unless a turnaround comes soon, we could see another struggle for a playoff spot yet again.

The Hurricanes are without Jussi Jokinen and Joni Pitkanen tonight, which could be a hole in the Hurricanes game that the Rangers can exploit. Jokinen and Pitkanen are key parts in the Hurricanes game with 38 assists combined between the two. The lack of play-makers may slow down the Hurricanes offense, but the Rangers are going to have to convert in order to get the jump on this Canes team.

My Diagnosis


This is going to be a fairly even game. The last bout between these two teams ended in a 4-3 win for the Hurricanes, so expect something along those lines, just not as much scoring as last time. With injuries to both teams' play-makers, it is very hard to call this one. I expect this game to be decided in either overtime, or the shootout. But, as for the winner, I honestly cannot bring myself to pick either team. Either way it should be an exciting game, and all should tune in to watch it.

Enjoy the game