RALEIGH, N.C. -- It was Dec. 29, about 10 minutes after the final horn blew on what was yet another disappointing loss in a miserable month filled with them.
And, there in the bowels of PNC Arena, Patric Hornqvist was working out about 30 feet away from the media who were waiting to enter the visitor's locker room. Wearing way-too-short spandex shorts, Hornqvist was causing quite a ruckus, swearing up a storm, slamming down weights on the concrete floor. Yeah, the Swede is a little intense.
Following a four-day break, the longest they will have the rest of the regular season, the Penguins return to action tonight at PNC Arena. It's their first trip back since that 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes in what was perhaps their most discouraging loss this season.
And Hornqvist should be back after missing the last eight games with a lower body injury.
On Dec. 29, the Hurricanes beat the Penguins 2-1, but that score would be a little misleading. The Penguins had just 14 shots through 40 minutes and were completely outplayed, falling to 19-17 on the season.
Obviously, a lot has changed since then, but not Hornqvist's intensity.
Here are my three keys to victory:
1. Turning the 'power' back on.
Don't let the Penguins' 6-1-1 record during Hornqvist's absence fool you. His presence was sorely missed.
It's not just the energy he brings to the bench or the tenacity he plays with on the ice, Hornqvist is the Penguins' best net-front presence. He willingly takes his lumps to set screens and pounce on loose pucks in front. Zach Aston-Reese has done a wonderful job in filling in for Hornqvist, but no one plays the game quite like the Swede:
Nowhere was his absence felt more than on the power play. It's still the league's top-ranked unit, converting at 26.5 percent, but it went a meager 2-for-16 (12.5) sans Hornqvist. By comparison, the Blue Jackets have the league's lowest-ranked power play at 14.3 percent.
Reuniting Hornqvist with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and, presumably, Kris Letang on the top unit should provide an instant boost. Carolina's penalty kill is 18th at 79.7.
2. Shoot, shoot, shoot.
All teams value possession and shot attempts, but few teams do it better than the Hurricanes.
Carolina ranks second in Corsi For Percentage (all situations) at 54.09 and fourth in shots per game at 34.4. Those numbers are similar to the Penguins, who are fifth at 51.90 percent and fifth at 34.1 shots per game.
The Canes are 2-1 against the Penguins this season and have outshot them in all three games, including 35-21 on Jan. 4 at PNC Arena. Carolina also has won the possession battle, leading in two of its three games against Pittsburgh.
But as impressive as some of those numbers are, Bill Peters' team is currently out of the final wildcard spot, albeit by just one point, and figure to be in a dogfight to the end with the Blue Jackets and Islanders. The Hurricanes last made the playoffs in 2009 when they were swept by the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final. That is the NHL's longest playoff drought.
The Penguins will be facing a desperate Carolina team that adheres to a disciplined north-south game. The Canes are effective when chipping and chasing, getting pucks deep and getting in quickly on the forecheck. To counter this, the Penguins have to keep a tighter gap and work as a five-man unit when exiting the zone.
3. Beware of Sebastian Aho.
The Penguins' lone win over Carolina this season came exactly one month ago inside the friendly confines of PPG Paints Arena where they haven't lost a game since Jan. 4 against, you guessed it, these same Hurricanes.
But in the Penguins' 4-0 win over Carolina on Jan. 23, the Hurricanes were without the services of Sebastian Aho, who missed two weeks with a concussion/lower body injury sustained on a devastating open-ice hit from Flames defenseman Mark Giordano. Despite that, Aho leads the Hurricanes in goals (21) and is tied for the team lead in points (46).
Since returning on Jan. 30, Aho has scored five goals and four assists in 11 games. He has been held off the scoresheet in the last three games. He's due. And that's not a good thing for the Penguins.
In two games against Pittsburgh this season, Aho has four points, including three goals. Here, he abuses Justin Schultz and then Matt Murray on Jan. 4.:
Aho has been reunited with regular linemates Jordan Staal and Teuvo Teravainen. Peters has used that trio extensively against Evgeni Malkin.
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