After what was a tough loss at the hands of the New York Rangers on Wednesday night, the Carolina Hurricanes return home to face a tough Central Division foe in the Nashville Predators at PNC Arena.

When it comes to the month of November for the Carolina Hurricanes, the best way to describe it is a complete roller-coaster. So far, Carolina has a 7-6-0 record this month. At times, they’ve looked fantastic, such as with the recent four-game winning streak. At others, they’ve looked abysmal, such as with the four-game losing streak we endured earlier in the month.

For Nashville, this month has been one they will want to soon forget. So far, they have a 3-6-2 record with two games left to play in November. However, they have played much better as of late. They are currently riding a three-game point streak, and with how this month has played out for the team, they will certainly be hungry to continue that streak.

Carolina currently sits in 4th place in the Metropolitan Division. They have a 15-9-1 record, good for 31 points. They currently occupy the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Nashville currently sits in 5th place in the Central Division with a 11-9-4 record, good for 26 points. They currently sit outside of the playoff picture, two points behind the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

This will be the 30th time these two teams have faced off against each other. Something you won’t see very often, these two teams have both won 14 games a piece with one tie. This should be a fun matchup overall, and certainly one you will want to tune in for.

As the season rolls along, it’s important that Carolina keeps moving in the right direction. I’ve said it multiple times before, but competing for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division will not be easy by any means. Let’s take a look at three keys to securing a victory against the Nashville Predators.