The Carolina Hurricanes face the New Jersey Devils tonight at the RBC with the season on the line. The Devils lead the series 3-2 and can eliminate the Canes with a win tonight.
The Hurricanes were loose at the morning skate today and the skaters seemed excited. The players who spoke to the media after the skate had a common message, "Our backs are against the wall".
Both Eric Staal and Cam Ward used the same terms as they described their feelings about the game tonight. Staal said the following:
It's exciting. Our backs are against the wall and we have nothing to lose. We need to focus on getting a good start and get the crowd into it.
When Staal was asked if he would be playing on multiple lines tonight, he replied that he was not sure what Mo had in store for him.
Cam Ward had the same message:
Our backs are against the wall, but this is exciting. We have to enjoy it and play with confidence. I'm thinking nothing but positive thoughts.
When Coach Maurice was asked about Sergei Samsonov's status he replied that the winger skated earlier this morning and felt pretty good. It will be a game time decision whether he will play or not. The coach also said that there will be "new faces" in the lineup tonight. Babchuk will be back, but he did not give any other specifics.
On the Jersey side, Jamie Langenbrunner will be back in the lineup. Bryce Salvador took some brief time on the ice, but will sit out again this game in favor of Andy Greene.
Will this be the last game of the season for the Canes? Game time is at 7:30 and it will be televised by Versus as well as FS Carolinas HD.
The team provided these interviews from this morning: