Will the Carolina Hurricanes Surge Past the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre?

As the Carolina Hurricanes prepare to face off against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre, fans are eager to see if their team can carry forward the momentum from their recent games. The Hurricanes have shown a mix of resilience and vulnerability in their past performances, which could play a significant role in this upcoming clash.

In their last game on March 2nd against the Winnipeg Jets, despite a valiant effort, the Hurricanes fell short with a score of 3-5. Their shooting percentage stood at 9 percent with an impressive total of 35 shots on goal. However, they gave away possession too easily with 12 giveaways and were outplayed in terms of scoring efficiency by the Jets who had a shooting percentage of 16 percent.

The powerplay opportunities for CAR were not fully capitalized upon; they scored only once out of four chances. This is an area that needs improvement especially when facing OTT who might give them similar opportunities. On a positive note, CAR's penalty kill was effective as they managed to keep all but one powerplay goal out while being shorthanded.

Looking back further to February 28th against Minnesota Wild, CAR secured a win with solid goaltending that saved all but two shots resulting in a save percentage rounding up to an impeccable 100 percent. They also demonstrated better control over puck possession winning 64 percent of faceoffs and limiting giveaways to just four.

Against Columbus Blue Jackets on March 1st, CAR showed offensive prowess by netting four goals from just thirty-two shots reflecting a shooting percentage of twelve percent which is higher than what was seen against Winnipeg Jets. Their defense was also more robust blocking twenty-four attempts and allowing only two goals making it clear that when they tighten up defensively while maintaining offensive pressure, they can dominate games.

The upcoming game presents another test for CAR's ability to bounce back after defeat and refine areas like powerplay conversions and puck management under pressure. The Senators will be looking to exploit any weaknesses so it’s crucial for Carolina’s key players to step up both offensively and defensively.

Fans should expect an intense battle where special teams could very well be the deciding factor given both teams' recent performances in those situations. It will be interesting to see if Carolina can improve its powerplay effectiveness while maintaining its strong penalty kill performance.

The match is scheduled for March 17th at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa with puck drop set for around six o'clock Eastern Time (ET). Fans won't want to miss this encounter which can be watched live on ESPN+ via internet streaming or BSSO on television.