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Posted at 12:25 PM EST.

7:35 PM EST. Regulation only. Two of the hottest teams in the NHL meet up here but we’re not sold on the Blues being as legit as the ‘Canes are. It’s no coincidence that the Blues got hot after they called up Jordan Binnington. Binnington’s call-up was a desperation move at the time, as the Blues were sinking out of playoff contention. The kid got hot but we all know how that goes. St. Louis is 2-2 over its last four games. One of those losses was to Minnesota and the other was a 5-2 defeat at Dallas. In the Blue Notes last game, a 2-0 win over Nashville, they caught the Preds sleepwalking, as Nashville looked like they couldn’t care less. The Blues are just an average team that caught fire. They’re still missing two key pieces in Brayden Schenn and David Perron. Seriously, what the f**k do they have besides a great #1 line that consists of Tarasenko, Schwartz and O’Reilly? The Blues second line of Bozak, Maroon and Fabbri is parts of a third line and parts of a fourth line, as Bozak is a third line center, while Maroon and Fabbri are fourth line players. Remember how beatable the Blues were from October until early February? They’re still very beatable.

The Carolina Hurricanes’ Storm Surge has captured the imagination of the NHL. It’s been that way for some time now, sure, but you may have noticed an increase in the attention the Hurricanes’ celebratory post-game antics have received in recent weeks. For that you can thank Don Cherry. After the Coach’s Corner commentator called the Hurricanes a “bunch of jerks,” Carolina’s marketing braintrust went ahead and co-opted the phrase, unabashedly embracing it, pressing it on t-shirts, broadcasting the newfound slogan onto the ice and turning it into what is quite possibly one of the greatest and most memorable rallying cries in NHL history but don’t let any of that distract you from what is. Don’t let Duck, Duck, Goose or limbo or pantomimed home runs take away from what’s really going on in Carolina. While the Hurricanes continue to draw the ire of the old guard and traditionalists with their good-natured celebrations, they’ve also kept on with piling up points, and what has almost been lost amid the silliness of the Storm Surge is that Carolina’s bunch of jerks are playing the best hockey of almost any team over the past two months.

It’s not just that the Hurricanes are winning games, though. It’s how they’re doing so. Since the beginning of the new year, Carolina, once considered one of the most offensively inconsistent and at times inept organizations in the league, has boasted one of the best attacks in the NHL. The Hurricanes’ 93 goals are the second-most of any club since the start of January, and the contributions have come from all throughout the lineup with Carolina’s dynamic duo of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen leading the way. Combined, the Hurricanes’ one-two punch has accounted for 20 goals and 61 points over the past two months, but others — including Justin Williams, Micheal Ferland, Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin — have played their parts to perfection. That’s not to mention that mid-season acquisition Nino Niederreiter has flourished since his move to Carolina. Though he’s missed some time due to injury, he has nine goals and 15 points in his 17 games as a Hurricane.

It’s not run-and-gun winning the Hurricanes games, though. Rather, it’s a commitment at both ends of the ice. Carolina’s goal differential since New Year’s Day? An outstanding plus-31. Only the Lightning (plus-30) are in the same company. And while the 93 goals for helps lay the foundation, the Hurricanes have managed to tilt the scoreboard as often as they have thanks to a mere 62 goals against over the past two months. Only six teams have allowed fewer. What helps is that the Hurricanes have a rock-solid top four on the back end and that the foundation of puck possession hockey laid by former coach Bill Peters, now bench boss with the Calgary Flames, has been built upon by rookie coach Rod Brind’Amour. The Hurricanes rank first on the season in 5-on-5 Corsi percentage (55.2) and shots percentage (55.2), while placing second in scoring chance percentage (54.6) and fourth in high-danger chance percentage (54.8). They’ve maintained similar percentages over the past two months, too, and Carolina has maintained its standing as one of the most dogged possession clubs in the NHL. The ‘Canes come into this one as a small favorite so spotting -115 to -120 is true bargain but we’ll spot a half puck in regulation on the most underpriced favorite of the week.

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