Anaheim Ducks aiming to end road trip by beating Carolina Hurricanes – NHL Preview
Anaheim Ducks started their present eight-game road trip with a defeat, but did well to recover.
They are now hoping to end the trip on a winning note as they travel to play Carolina Hurricanes in a National Hockey League (NHL) game on Thursday, February 23, 2012, at RBC Center, Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Hurricanes, however, will not be an easy force to overcome as they have crushed Washington Capitals in their last game on home ice and are eager to thrash another opponent there.
Let’s take a look at both the teams:
Ducks
Striving to reach the safe zone, the Ducks are still a playoff contender though their ranking might not indicate that.
They are placed at 13th spot in the Western Conference with 60 points after 60 games and have won four of seven games played so far on the current trip.
In their last game, Ducks got defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who took a two-goal advantage in the first period.
Ducks scored twice in the second period while Lightning got another goal.
The final period went goalless.
Ducks’ winger, Bobby Ryan, said after the game:
"We let two points slip away. It's tough. I think we threw everything we had at them late and couldn't find a way to beat their goalie. You get behind the eight ball early and it's tough to claw back, especially this time of year."
Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have displayed an unexpected performance this month. Not that they have won all the games, but they have regularly attempted to maintain consistency while upsetting tough teams of the league.
This month, Hurricanes have played eight games and won five of them.
In their last game, Hurricanes startled Washington Capitals by scoring three goals in the first period and one each in the second and third, while goaltender, Justin Peters, got his first shutout of the season.
Hurricanes’ captain, Eric Staal, said after the game:
"I felt like we really initiated the game, right from the beginning, from the first shift ... and from then on out, we really controlled it and didn't really give them anything. And when we did, Petey was solid. That's just a good, solid effort by everybody."
Hurricanes are placed at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 57 points after 60 games.
Predictions
Ducks will win the game.
The sum of goals scored by both the teams might stay under six.
If Hurricanes win, the winning margin will be less than two goals.
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