Having dispensed with their short-lived losing streak, the Carolina Hurricanes will turn their attention to Saturday’s game against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins.
The defense that betrayed them by allowing 19 goals in their four straight losses was the catalyst in a 6-2 victory Thursday over the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets.
Brett Pesce scored two goals to record his first career multi-goal game, and Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns and Jalen Chatfield deposited one goal each as the Hurricanes had four defensemen score in a game for the first time in franchise history.
“It’s good to see our group, all six jumping in the rush and creating offense,” Pesce told the media after the Hurricanes made coach Rod Brind’Amour the third fastest to 200 career wins. “It was a good effort and one that I will remember for a while, for sure.”
The Penguins’ offensive slump continued as they could muster but one goal in Friday’s home loss to the Winnipeg Jets, their 8th setback in their last 11 contests.
Pittsburgh has put up just two goals per game in those eight defeats as stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have registered just two points apiece.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Penguins vs Hurricanes. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Andersen’s return makes for crowded net
Veteran netminder Frederik Andersen returned to bolster the defense, playing in his first game since suffering a lower-body injury late in a loss to the Maple Leafs Nov. 6.
The 33-year-old, who finished fourth in the Vezina Trophy voting last season, showed little to no rust, stopping 21 of 23 shots, including all three shots on the penalty kill.
Andersen’s return makes for a crowded goalie’s room as the Hurricanes still have veteran Antti Raanta and sensational rookie Pyotr Kochetkov on the roster.
Raanta and Kochetkov have combined for a 20-6-7 record with a 2.41 goals against average and .904 save percentage in Andersen’s absence.
Penguins hurting on defense
The Penguins continued to be shorthanded on the back end as Marcus Pettersson (illness) joined Kris Letang (lower body) and Jeff Petry (upper body) on the sidelines.
The players taking their place – Ty Smith, Chad Ruhwedel and Mark Friedman – have yet to provide much help to the offense, combining for four points.
Letang and Petry have 28 points between them in fewer than 30 games while Pettersson had racked up 11 assists in 40 games prior to the illness.
“It’s tough. We’re missing some guys that play heavy minutes for us,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan told the media. “It’s hard to replace those guys, but we’ve got to find a way to play as a group of five out there. We’ve got to make it a simple game.”
Penguins vs Hurricanes Game Injuries
Penguins vs Hurricanes Head-to-Head
The Hurricanes and Penguins have squared off three times already with Carolina winning all three games by one goal, including two in overtime.
Pittsburgh holds an 80-70-11 advantage in the all-time series, including 37-38-5 on the road, despite dropping eight of the last 10 contests to the Hurricanes.
Penguins vs Hurricanes Game Information
- Game: Penguins (21-13-6) vs Hurricanes (26-9-7)
- Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
- Day/Time: Saturday, Jan. 14, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Penguins vs Hurricanes Live Stream: NHL.TV
Penguins vs Hurricanes Betting Lines
Penguins vs Hurricanes Picks & Prediction
The NHL lines like the Hurricanes to win for the ninth time in the last 10 games against a team with a winning record. Pittsburgh is 1-7 in their last eight as a road underdog.
The Penguins have converted on 2 of their last 28 power plays.
Carolina is listed at -190 in our Las Vegas NHL odds. This means that if you wager $100 on the Hurricanes, you have a chance to win $53. Pittsburgh is +165, offering a chance to win $165 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Carolina a 65.52% chance to win, with the Penguins 37.74%.
Penguins vs Hurricanes Trends
Penguins vs Hurricanes Edge
Penguins vs Hurricanes Results
Penguins vs Hurricanes Game Summary
