The Carolina Hurricanes, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, are a relatively young franchise, having been founded in 1971 as the New England Whalers. The team moved to North Carolina in 1997 and adopted the Hurricanes name in 1998. Despite being a relatively new team, the Hurricanes have had some notable success in the NHL, including a Stanley Cup championship in 2006.
08 APRIL 2023
TIME: 12:30 AM ET
On the other side of the ice, we have the Buffalo Sabres. Founded in 1970, the Sabres have a longer history than the Hurricanes, but they have not enjoyed as much success in recent years. The Sabres have not made the playoffs since the 2010-2011 season, and they have not won a playoff series since 2007.
When these two teams meet, it’s always an interesting matchup. Let’s take a closer look at some of the factors that could impact the outcome of a game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Buffalo Sabres.
When it comes to offense, the Hurricanes have the edge. They have a number of talented forwards, including Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Teuvo Teravainen. Aho, in particular, has been a standout player for the Hurricanes in recent years. He led the team in goals and points during the 2020-2021 season, and he’s likely to be a key contributor on offense again this year.
The Sabres, on the other hand, have struggled to score goals in recent seasons. They finished 28th in the league in goals per game during the 2020-2021 season, and they lost one of their top scorers, Sam Reinhart, in the offseason. However, the Sabres did make some moves to try to improve their offense, including acquiring veteran forward Craig Smith in a trade with the Boston Bruins.
On defense, the Hurricanes also have the edge. They have one of the best defensive groups in the league, led by Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin. Hamilton, in particular, is one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. He led all NHL defensemen in points during the 2020-2021 season, and he’s a key part of the Hurricanes’ power play.
The Sabres’ defense is not as strong as the Hurricanes’, but they do have some talented players on the blue line. Rasmus Dahlin, the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, is one of the most promising young defensemen in the league. However, the Sabres will need more than just Dahlin to shut down the Hurricanes’ potent offense.