NHL Hockey Returns: Hurricanes @ Sabres Preview

The Olympic hockey run is over and it was exciting while it lasted.  Canada would walk away with gold, which should not be a surprise to anyone who followed the odds and despite my own personal enthusiasm for team USA. The silver lining here is that we can get back to NHL hockey, which officially returns tonight with a match up between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Buffalo Sabres.

The Olympic hockey break was much needed for many coaches and player who now face a long stretch of game before the end of the season.  Many players were anxious to get back on the ice.  Carolina returned to regular practice this last Thursday, while Buffalo began workouts on Friday.

Despite the excitement of returning to NHL ice, these players have a long road to the end of the season.  Both the Sabres and the Hurricanes will play 25 game over the course of 48 days until the end of the season.

But enough about Olympic hockey and the long road ahead for both these teams.  Let’s get into the nuts and blots of this game:

This is the second of three games between the Hurricanes and the Sabres.  This is a make up game as it was pushed back to this date from Jan. 7 thank to the polar vortex.  The last time these two teams collided was on Jan. 23 where Carolina took the lead in the series, 5-3.

The Hurricanes will be kicking off a five game road trip tonight against Buffalo.  The road trip is important as the Hurricanes will need to stay consistent.  They have won seven of their last 11, but lost 4-1 to Montreal before the Olympic break.  They are currently in a tight race with the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Redwings for the final wild card spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.  The Redwings currently hold the spot, but the Hurricanes are a mere two points behind. A big win tonight will be  a step in the right direction for this team as they head out on the road.

Meanwhile, the Sabres will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak.  They are hoping to turn it into a three-game streak as this game starts a three-game home-rink advantage for the Sabres.

Zemgus Girgensons is coming off a big Olympic run as his country’s team, Latvia, came close to knocking out the heavily favored Canada in the quarterfinal round.  They would lose 2-1 in a great effort.  Girgensons will be looking to bring the same intensity from that game into the final quarter of the NHL season.

He will have to be able to overcome Hurricane Jeff Skinner, however, who is tied for sixth in the NHL for game-winning goals (six).  He also leads his team in goals on the season with 23.

The Hurricanes are the favorites to win this one over at Bovada.  The game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET and you can watch it on the NHL Network.