When the Carolina Hurricanes lost Vincent Trocheck after their win against the Nashville Predators back on March 9, it felt like yet another massive blow to a team that had already gone through injuries to impact players in Petr Mrazek, Teuvo Teravainen, and to a lesser extent, Jake Gardiner.
Since their leading goal-scorer went down, though, the Canes have not only treaded water; they’ve improved their standing both in the division and in the league-wide standings. They’ve posted a 5-1-2 record over their last eight games and have a chance to improve that record as they start a two-game set against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at the United Center.