Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
This week, the Carolina Hurricanes suffered their third consecutive loss for the first time this season. They are determined to get back to winning ways on home ice. They face the Colorado Avalanche, who are struggling even more due to a weak goaltending unit.
Carolina Hurricanes
Fortunately for the Hurricanes, Pyotr Kochetkov has returned to the net, which should address at least some of the team's issues. His replacement, Spencer Martin, was nothing short of dreadful. He ranked 56th in stopping high-danger shots (76.2%) and was 71st out of 72 NHL goalies in GSAA. Simply put, he is not up to NHL standards in his current form. With such goaltending, it's premature to talk about a serious crisis for the Hurricanes. Just to note: Kochetkov has won 10 out of 14 starts with a goals-against average of 2.55.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche face similar problems, with the distinction that their issues seem far from being solved. It's clear as day that Alexandar Georgiev is not adequate. In the previous game against the Buffalo Sabres, he conceded four goals on eight shots and was pulled after just 12 minutes. The team from Denver found themselves in a difficult situation but were able to recover from it successfully (5:4). However, it's doubtful such a feat will work against the Hurricanes. It's not to say the Avalanche are not trying to fix the situation — they urgently acquired Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators. Yet, it is unlikely to be a significant upgrade. Wedgewood stopped 87.8% of shots in five starts for the Predators.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Colorado Avalanche Prediction
The Carolina Hurricanes generally outmatch the Colorado Avalanche in both squad depth and scoring ability, but the goaltending position will be the decisive factor in this encounter. We bet on a home win in regulation time.
