Carolina vs Columbus Prediction 24 January 2025

🔊 Will the “Hurricanes” extend their winning streak? Carolina continues its pursuit of the Eastern Conference leaders and has made significant progress in this endeavor. The home team is already in third place in the standings and is quite capable of competing for the top spot. Columbus, on the other hand, continues to surprise. The Ohio club confidently holds its place in the playoff zone and, despite a rather modest lineup, does not miss the chance to earn points.

📊 Head-to-Head

In the current regular season, the opponents have met three times, with the advantage remaining on the side of the “Jackets,” who managed to win twice (5:4 SO, 4:3 SO) with only one away defeat (1:4). It should be noted that the only game in Raleigh carried almost no intrigue. The “Hurricanes” immediately took the initiative on their home ice and did not let it go. The most productive player in those encounters was forward Kirill Marchenko. The Russian recorded a total of four goals. It's worth taking a closer look at the current form of this forward. The graduate of the Khanty-Mansiysk hockey school is having his best season in the strongest league in the world, having already scored more points (51) than in 78 games last season (42). If the guests fail to secure a playoff spot in the next month, there is a chance that Marchenko might change clubs. He has become a highly sought-after acquisition in the potential trade market.

🔴 Carolina

Rod Brind'Amour's team continues their winning march and shows no signs of slowing down. In the last seven games, the “Hurricanes” lost in regulation time only once, to Buffalo (2:4). In all other cases, the team consistently earned points. This impressive tournament surge allowed the club from Raleigh to firmly establish itself in third place in the Eastern Conference. Moreover, the quality of play demonstrated by the team confidently suggests that this is not their limit. They aim and are capable of achieving more.

🔵 Columbus

Before the start of the season, experts and fans typically placed the “Jackets” at the bottom of the standings and gave them no chance for even minimal success. This was partly due to the tragedy that befell the team's main star, Johnny Gaudreau. However, Dean Evason's players are proving otherwise by earning a reputation as a solid and resilient team. A significant role in this was played by Russian players grouped into one line: Kirill Marchenko and Dmitry Voronkov. The forwards have formed an excellent partnership and effectively complement each other. The club's progress is evident, showing great potential for growth.

🔗 Projected Lineups

Carolina: Kochetkov - Burns, Slavin - Jarvis, Aho, Roslovic

Columbus: Tarasov - Fabbro, Werenski - Voronkov, Fantilli, Marchenko

🥅 Goalkeepers

Carolina's goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has resumed rotating his games with his partner since Frederik Andersen's return to the lineup. This regime has positively impacted the Russian's performance, and he has once again consistently demonstrated his best qualities. In his last two games, the goalie maintained a save percentage of 93.5% and secured two victories for his teammates.

Columbus goaltender Daniil Tarasov plays rather infrequently in the current regular season but is extremely effective when he does. In his last game against the Rangers, the Russian managed to keep his net untouched during regulation time. The “Jackets” lost only in overtime due to their own mistake, but there was no fault on the part of the goalkeeper.

📝 Editorial Prediction

Divisional matchups between these opponents often have a rather intense character. However, there is a trend that has remained unchanged for quite some time. On their home ice in Raleigh, the “Hurricanes” prove to be much stronger and more effective. In their last five home games, Rod Brind'Amour's team has consistently won in regulation time. The current Columbus team is quite a strong group with decent ambitions, but this trend has persisted this season as well. We believe it will continue this time too. Our key bet is Carolina's victory in regulation time.