The Canes stomped the Pens 5-1 Thursday night at Lenovo Center. If you try and ask Jack Roslovic why things have been going so well for him this season, you'll get a couple of different responses. "I've been trying to emphasize shooting." "I think it's just the style of play. It fits me a little bit so I enjoy playing in the system and I enjoy being at the rink every day." "I've been on the right place on the ice. Trying to make it easy for my linemates." But if you ask him to try and expand further, to explain why things have immediately clicked in Raleigh when that hasn't been the case at any other point in his career, he can't really explain that. "It's just been going in," Roslovic said. "It's not normal." Jack Roslovic 2024-25 GF versus xGF [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwNTg2MjczMDU0NzMwMDY1/xgf-vs-gf.png] Jack Roslovic 2024-25 GF versus xGF The Canes are Roslovic's fourth team in nine years in the NHL and when he joined Carolina, he had scored just 80 times in 445 career games. The Columbus native has broken the 20-goal mark just once — a 22-goal campaign in 2021-22 with the Blue Jackets — and has registered double-digit goals just three other times throughout his career (with totals of 11, 12 and 12) So this year is truly something special. In just 12 games this season, the Carolina Hurricanes forward has nine goals, which not only leads the team, but also matches his total from last season in 47 fewer games. So what's the catch? Superstition, voodoo, black magic? "No," Roslovic said. "Just trying to keep on living life. Like I've said from the beginning of training camp, these guys make it really easy to be around. It's a fun group to cheer for everybody. Just good energy." Good energy is one thing, but scoring nine goals in just 12 games is another entirely. "You know, I don't know what's going on there," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour on his new winger. "It's strange. He's fast and he's got a great release. Obviously it's been a great fit here and sometimes you just... I don't even know how to explain it, but a new change of scenery, a fresh start. Sometimes that's what you need." On the one hand, Roslovic is shooting 27.3% in all situations and has generated just 3.5 ixG (individual expected goals) per naturalstattrick.com, but it's hard to argue against results. For one, the American winger has been very consistent with finding soft spots in dangerous areas as six of Roslovic's nine goals have come from either the front of the net or the slot. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwNTg2Mjc2MDA3NTIwMjMz/shot_chart.png] As the cliche goes, those "dirty areas" are exactly the areas one needs to go if they want to score and Roslovic is doing just that. And who needs assists (Roslovic picked up his first assist of the year on Thursday) when you're scoring this much? He's also found strong chemistry with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov on the Hurricanes' top line after starting the year with Martin Necas and Jesperi Kotkaniemi "He's such a skilled guy and he always sees you and it's fun to play with him," Svechnikov said. "He always has speed in the neutral zone and he's always trying to look for you as well." Another factor going for Roslovic is his speed. According to NHL EDGE, the 27-year-old forward is in the 93rd percentile for top skating speed (22.89mph) and the 90th percentile for speed bursts over 20mph (32) amongst the entire league. His skating allows him to better create rush and odd-man opportunities for Carolina which are also increasingly how many goals are scored. While many, myself included, were not quite sure what kind of player Jack Roslovic would be for the Hurricanes, it's safe to say that he has blown away everybody's expectations, including his own. It's highly unlikely that his current goal scoring pace will continue, but he's proven to be a very useful player who can create in different ways. Whether it's because of his release, his feel for the soft areas of the ice or his ability to jump into plays, Roslovic is showing just why general manager Eric Tulsky was excited to bring him onboard.
