Carolina Hurricanes Riding Dominant Jordan Staal to January Turnaround

Since Jordan Staal returned to the Carolina Hurricanes' lineup on Dec. 29, only five other NHL teams have won more games than the surging 'Canes.

After missing the season's first 35 games with a broken fibula, Staal returned a month ahead of schedule and has registered eight points in his first 11 appearances.

He's jump-started brother Eric Staal's impressive scoring streak and helped Carolina erupt on a surprising 7-4-1 streak, including five wins in its last six games at home.

Now a month later, he's poised for a productive second half that could generate some much-needed optimism for 2015-16.

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The portfolio of strong statistics that No. 11 has already quickly compiled is striking.

Jordan has a goal and a whopping seven assists in his 11 games to date, averaging over 17 minutes and 30 seconds per game (including 2:05 on the power play) and winning 52.9 percent of his faceoffs.

Even more impressive has been his physical presence, providing the big body planted in the crease that the 'Canes so desperately lacked for the campaign's first three months and establishing himself as a strong force in board battles as well.

The 6'4", 237-pound center's presence is having a clear impact on the Hurricanes' scoring:

Statistic	Without	With
Record	10-22-4	7-3-1
Goals per Game	1.94	2.64
Shots per Game	28.53	32.55

Although he has just 18 shots on goal so far, the younger Staal's 19.1-foot average distance on those shots is currently the shortest on the team by far, per Sporting Charts. Meanwhile, brother Eric's average shot-on-goal distance has dropped from 26.8 feet prior to Jan. 6 to just 25.3 feet since.

The difference is having an astonishing effect on Eric's efficiency.

After scoring merely once in the 16 games directly prior to Jordan's return, No. 12 has found the back of the net nine times in 11 games since. The uptick in his shooting percentage, likely due somewhat to regression and luck but largely to better opportunities, is more than a little noticeable:

Graphic by Mark Jones

With Jordan on the ice, the 'Canes' entire offensive unit is better able to penetrate toward the goal, create scoring chances and—most importantly—produce and reach rebound opportunities.

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"You can put him in every situation imaginable," said 'Canes coach Bill Peters about Jordan Staal to the News & Observer's Chip Alexander earlier this month. "He’s a very intelligent hockey player and a very competitive hockey player."

Staal's versatility has allowed Peters to employ him as the team's first-line center essentially since Dec. 29, creating a deadly duo alongside Eric Staal that has crushed many an opponent in the month since.

Friday, he and the rest of the 'Canes will rematch the St. Louis Blues, who dominated Carolina for the majority of a 5-4 shootout win earlier this month and burned Jordan Staal for a minus-three rating on the night.

The game is one of few flaws in Carolina's past month of work and easily Jordan's worst game of the season. The Hurricanes, riding their most home momentum in some time, will be out for revenge.

And a large portion of the responsibility for revenge will ride on the brotherly duo that has carried the team to a sterling 7-2-1 mark so far this month.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.