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NHL Predictions: January 12 Anaheim Ducks VS. Carolina Hurricanes

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Hurricanes goaltending; NHL predictions

Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. Each day, the team here at Last Word on Hockey will dive deep into analysis for any given game to give you the scoop on what elements can change the outcome. Today, we’re taking a look at the contest between the Anaheim Ducks and the Carolina Hurricanes. Be sure to keep an eye on our other NHL Predictions as the season presses on.

NHL Predictions

Anaheim Ducks at Carolina Hurricanes

Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

TV: FDSNSO, Victory+, ESPN+

The Ducks will take a trip to Raleigh for the only time this season to face the Hurricanes. It is set to be their first of two meetings this season. Prior to the game, the Hurricanes will be retiring the number of a key player of their franchise’s history, Eric Staal.

Eric Staal to be Honoured with Number Retirement

With 12 seasons played with the Hurricanes, Staal achieved 775 points and numerous franchise records. Winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, he led the team in both assists and points in the post-season. The following campaign, he became an Alternate Captain. In 2010, Staal became the captain. In his first game after taking over the captaincy from Rod Brind’Amour, he scored a hat-trick against the Atlanta Thrashers.

He remained captain until his trade to the New York Rangers. He played briefly with his other brother, Marc, after having spent years with Jordan on the Hurricanes. The trade additionally aided the eventual arrival of Teuvo Teräväinen to the roster. Having won the Stanley Cup in 2007, gold in the 2007 World Championships, and an Olympic Gold Medal in 2010, he is just one of three players in the Triple Gold Club who have played with the franchise. He’s the first to have been with the franchise at the time of entry, with the other two being former Hartford Whalers players Brendan Shanahan and Chris Pronger who entered the club in 2002 and 2007, respectively.

Announced upon his retirement from the NHL, the Hurricanes will be retiring Staal’s number 12 and hanging it from the rafters of Lenovo Center. Additionally, he will become the sixth inductee to the Carolina Hurricanes Hall of Fame.

The Carolina Story

Starting off this set of NHL Predictions…

The last two games of Carolina’s homestand came up well on the standings, bringing two points in each game. The first came with a comeback against the Toronto Maple Leafs, having allowed a goal from Nicholas Robertson before the two-minute mark. That tally was assisted by former Hurricanes Max Domi and Steven Lorentz, as well as two breakaways from William Nylander. Midway through the first period, the Canes began to get their act together, and a few minutes later a goal from Jordan Staal. Then just 17 seconds later a goal from Eric Robinson.

When the second period opened, after only 19 seconds, a high-sticking call led Brent Burns to the penalty box, putting the Leafs with a powerplay. After 16 seconds, Jordan Staal netted the puck again for his second shorthanded goal of the season and the lead. But it was short-lived as Auston Matthews swept in a power-play goal to tie the game. A couple of minutes later, Jackson Blake got the puck from Juha Jääskä for a skillful game-winning goal, giving the latter his first career NHL point. But the scoring didn’t end in the second period, as Jordan Staal got his third goal of the game and his first hat-trick since April 10, 2022, followed by an empty netter from Seth Jarvis for a final score of 6-3.

The Previous Game

The second game of their back-to-back was a little less crazy but did still have some pretty big takeaways. Facing the Vancouver Canucks on their Eastern road trip, Jordan Staal got the first goal of the game with a snapshot past Thatcher Demko in the first frame. Only one more goal was scored via a wrister from Andrei Svechnikov in the early second period. The Canes won but took a serious beating as they handled 25 hits and 27 blocked shots. Dustin Tokarski made 14 saves on the Vancouver Canucks, earning his first shutout with the Hurricanes and the third of his 10-season career.

The Anaheim Story

For the second half of the NHL Prediction…

Anaheim played Saturday on the East Coast against the Philadelphia Flyers. As of Saturday, the Ducks sit at sixth in the Pacific Division. Despite that low ranking, their games have been nothing short of entertaining. Their first game of the year saw an overtime victory against the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets. The very next night they nearly took the reigning Western Conference Champions to overtime. However, they were unfortunately beaten as Leon Draisaitl snapped the puck past the young Lukáš Dostál with under two minutes left in the third period, winning it for the Edmonton Oilers.

Three Previous Games

Nonetheless, their next game against the Tampa Bay Lightning was their best showing of 2025 so far, as they allowed only one goal while recording four of their own. Taking on the Calgary Flames next, it was an overtime loss but a much-needed point on their record. While the game against the Lightning was their best of 2025, their game against the St. Louis Blues was the opposite. Allowing four goals in the first period and only netting one, it was off to a rough start. To make it worse, they allowed two more goals before making it halfway through the second period, once again netting just one more themselves. However, it wasn’t all bad for Ducks fans as there was something for both fanbases to appreciate. The contest celebrated the 1,000th game of long-time Ducks defenceman, Cam Fowler, who also logged an assist in the match.

What’s Ahead

They Are Far from Lame Ducks

The odds certainly lean in favour of the Carolina Hurricanes before looking deeper into the head-to-head statistics and elements. However, the Anaheim Ducks are not a team to sleep on, and if the Canes aren’t careful they will find themselves on the receiving end of a quack attack. Even so, diving into the surrounding components does tell a lot about this game. For the Anaheim Ducks, they will likely see the continued absence of their lead scorer and the NHL’s most recent Second Star of the Week, Troy Terry. The 27-year-old forward is out for personal reasons and did not join the team on the road. Missing the game against the Blues, it is expected he will likely be absent from the games this weekend.

Back to a Category One

As for the Hurricanes, they have been red-hot in their past two games and decent in the two before. With the added enthusiasm from Eric Staal’s number retirement, they’ll likely have extra zest in the game. The players on the ice may look different than their previous roster, however. Ty Smith, the defenceman who has been filling in for Shayne Gostisbehere, was placed on waivers Saturday, leaving questions about who will be partnered with Sean Walker. Additionally, Jordan Martinook may not make the lineup after taking some pucks at the end of the game against the Vancouver Canucks, heading to the dressing room instead of taking part in the ‘Storm Surge’.

For the more superstitious individuals, Martin Nečas has opted to bleach the salad. Notoriously losing a bet in the early season while golfing against Brendan Lemieux, he had no choice but to dye his hair blonde, and soon the Canes went on a massive winning streak. Having brought the style back, they’ve won two straight. It doesn’t change the numbers, but it may be changing the attitude.

Prediction: Hurricanes win 4-2

Your Nightly Prop Bets

We close out NHL predictions with some prop bets. For the Canes’ goalscorers, I would keep an eye on Jordan Staal and Svechnikov. Staal has had the golden stick with a three-game goal streak, scoring five goals, including a hat-trick. Meanwhile, Svechnikov has been finding his groove, sitting on a three-game point streak with two goals.

For a player who may bring in a bit more for a wager, I would keep an eye on Robinson. His scoring has been sprinkled few and far between, but he has found his place as a net-front presence with an eye for those sneaky goals.

As for the Ducks goalscorers, it is a bit tricky to pin down. If Terry makes the game, he would be someone to consider. Meanwhile, Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome would be decent choices as well. Vatrano currently sits second on the team in goals, while Strome is second for assists and points. For a player who could bring in more, Cutter Gauthier would be someone to watch for. Currently, he has the third most shots on goal for the team, behind only Terry and Vatrano.

Main photo by: James Guillory-Imagn Images

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