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NHL Predictions: Jan. 4 Minnesota Wild VS. Carolina Hurricanes

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NHL predictions

Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. Each day, the team here at Last Word on Hockey will dive deep into analysis for any given game to give you the scoop on what elements can change the outcome. Today, we’re taking a look at the contest between the Minnesota Wild and the Carolina Hurricanes. Be sure to keep an eye on our other NHL Predictions as the season presses on.

NHL Predictions

Minnesota Wild at Carolina Hurricanes

Time: 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)

TV: FDSNSO, FDSNNOX, FDSNWIX, ESPN+

The Carolina Hurricanes will be hosting the Minnesota Wild for their first of two games with each other this season. The two teams stand similar in league rankings, both in the top three of their divisions.

Rock You Like a Hurricane

Starting off this set of NHL Predictions…

In the Carolina Hurricanes’ most recent game, they took on their Eastern Conference rival, the Florida Panthers. Despite being in separate divisions, both teams have a penchant for heated games, often involving heavy hits and fisticuffs. It was a tough fought game between the Canes and Cats and a tough night to be a linesman in Sunrise.  Two linesmen, Tommy Hughes and Tyson Baker, received some real stingers in the game, though no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, filling the skates of Tyson Jost, Juha Jääskä played his first NHL game. Though the 26-year-old Finnish forward did not record any shots on net, he did manage three hits in his 13 shifts on ice while winning four of five face-offs (80.0%).

The continuation of a rivalry

Throughout the game, the Canes dished out 34 hits and 40 shots while taking 28 hits and 26 shots. The first period saw Brent Burns put a puck past Sergei Bobrovsky in just 35 seconds after the puck dropped. Giving Carolina the early lead, Burns also gained the bragging rights of being the first Canes player to score in 2025. The scoreboard for the rest of the frame was frozen until the second period began. Two minutes in, Anton Lundell plopped the puck over the left shoulder of Pyotr Kochetkov to tie the game. In the last half of the period, Jaccob Slavin provided the wildest goal for the Canes this season. Jesperi Kotkaniemi tumbled into Bobrovsky’s net and was then held down by Matthew Tkachuk. In the middle of the chaos, Slavin slipped a shot in, giving his team the lead once again.

However, the third frame came with a bang in more ways than one. In the earlier moments of the final 20 minutes, Carter Verhaeghe delivered a shoulder hit to the head of Martin Nečas which resulted in a two-minute penalty to the Cats. The hit resulted in Nečas leaving the bench for a few moments, the second time in the night in which a Canes player had to return to the locker room, as Burns briefly left after a collision in the early portion of the game. However, returning to the ice, Nečas soon became the next goal scorer – notching the final point of the game as Florida had emptied their net.

The goal came on Nečas’ 400th game in the NHL, effectively ending his 11-game goal drought. Additionally, and wholesomely, the pass was fed to him by his best buddy Andrei Svechnikov, who achieved his 200th NHL assist.

Wild, Wild Life

For the second half of this NHL Prediction…

The Wild have been a very interesting team to watch this season. With 39 games so far, they currently sit with 52 points, which has put them into second place in the Central Division. At this point last season, they were next to last in the Central standings with just 38 points to their name. In their last 10 games, they’ve had a split record of 5-5-0 with an active two-game winning streak.

Prior to their previous game, they took on the Nashville Predators. During the game, Zachary L’Heureux was ejected from the remainder of the contest after he was called for slew-footing Minnesota Wild Captain Jared Spurgeon. Due to the dirty play, Spurgeon had smashed his right leg into the boards and soon made his way off the ice. Since the injury, Spurgeon has not made his way into the lineup, with his return estimated to be week-to-week. L’Heureux received a three-game suspension, the first in his NHL career, but something he has a reputation for from the minors.

The end of a rivalry

In their latest game, the Wild played against the Washington Capitals. It was certainly a night to remember, as Marc-André Fleury took the crease against an all-too-familiar foe for what could be the last time in his NHL Career. The former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender faced 31 shots throughout the game. Leading in the first half of the game 2-1, including a short-handed goal from Yakov Trenin, the game shifted in the second half. On the power play, Alex Ovechkin launched a snapshot past Fleury, which pushed him to 24 goals away from Gretzky’s all-time goal record and tied the game. Unfortunately, it was also the 28th time Fleury had allowed a goal from the Russian Machine. Out of all goaltenders in the NHL, Fleury has been the most played against, the most shot at, and the most scored on by Ovechkin.

However, as both teams scored once more, they skated to overtime and before long the shootout. Five forwards hit the ice to push their team to the win. For the Wild, Matt Boldy managed to put the puck past Charlie Lindgren. Poetically enough, with only one more shot to save for the Wild to clinch victory, Fleury had to once again face Ovechkin. Managing to fake a poke check and instead strike the vulcanized rubber with leather, Fleury gloved Ovechkin’s try to take both points.

NHL Predictions Featuring the Minnesota Wild at the Carolina Hurricanes

The Wild and Canes are relatively evenly matched with each other, with few differences. The biggest difference between these two in standard stats lies in special teams. As of late, the power play and penalty kill have been definers for Carolina, and as such, they excel in comparison. Minnesota is below league average on special teams, with 18.63% for the power play and 70.21% for the penalty kill. Meanwhile, Carolina is in the top 10 for the power play with an even 25.00% and leads the league with a penalty kill of 85.47%. While the Canes have higher numbers in their offence, the Wild have higher numbers in goaltending.

As mentioned, the Wild will have to press on without their Captain for quite a few games to come. This comes as they’ve already been gutting it out without their star forward and leading scorer, Kirill Kaprizov. Meanwhile, the Canes will remain without defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere for the foreseeable future. However, they will likely see the return of Jack Drury, who was activated from Injured Reserve on January 3, 2025.

Prediction: Hurricanes win 4-3

Your Nightly Bets

The tune the Canes have been grooving to as of late is unexpected names on the board. Two of three goals in their previous game have come from blueliners, as both Burns and Slavin were goalscorers. With that being said, Seth Jarvis is on a four-game point streak, getting the puck where it needs to be for a goal. It can be assumed that there is a decent likelihood that he could get in on lighting the lamp. Additionally, considering the second defensive pairing in Dmitry Orlov and/or Jaylen Chatfield for a goal could be worthwhile.

As for the Wild, they have also been a team which is a bit hard to pin down. Nonetheless, there are two who may make for a decent wager. Namely, Marco Rossi, who is on a two-game goal streak with 10 shots across those contests. Alongside Rossi, Matt Boldy may make for an interesting choice. Currently, he sits third on the team in goals but has been unable to truly score in nine games. Despite this, he was the only one to find twine in the shootout with the Capitals and has made his presence known in the last two games with nine shots.

Main photo by: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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