Game Day Canes at Devils: Holiday Road Edition

Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils
December 23, 2014 - 7:00 pm ET
Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan
SB Nation Rival Blog - In Lou We Trust

Fancy Stats

	Hurricanes	Devils
Record	9-20-4	12-17-6
Points	22	30
Division Rank	8th Metro	7th Metro
Conference Rank	16th EC	14th EC
Streak	Lost 1	Lost 1
Power Play %	17.9%	21.6%
Penalty Kill %	83.2%	78.1%
Goals/Game	2.06	2.14
Goals Against/Game	2.70	2.77
Shots/Game	29.3	26.1
Shots Against/Game	28.0	30.5
ES Goals For %	40.5%	46.6%
ES Corsi For %	51.4%	49.8%
ES PDO	96.8	99.7
PIM/Game	7.5	9.1
Goaltender	Ward	Schneider
Record	9-12-2	11-16-3
ES Save Percentage	.914	.929
GAA	2.44	2.57
Goaltender	Khudobin	Kincaid
Record	0-8-2	1-1-2
ES Save Percentage	.900	.939
GAA	2.91	1.75

Stats via NHL.com and War on Ice

Game Notes

• Standing between the Hurricanes and the NHL holiday break are the New Jersey Devils. This is the second match-up of the season between the two teams; the Devils were victorious in a 2-1 win on December 8th in Raleigh.
• This is the third game in a row where the Hurricanes have faced off against a Metro opponent. They come into tonight's game with back-to-back losses to the New York Rangers, Sunday's ending in a 1-0 shutout with Ryan McDonough scoring the lone goal. Anton Khudobin made 31 saves in the loss. The Devils also come into tonight's game off a shutout loss, 4-0 to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.
• Today's big story for the Hurricanes is that forward Brendan Woods has received his first NHL call-up and is expected to be in Newark in time for the morning skate. Woods, 22, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 draft and has played in 73 games for the Charlotte Checkers over the last two seasons. He has 13 points (6g, 7a) and is a big fellow who plays a physical game at wing or center. The team press release is included below.
• As for whom he replaces, that might be a bit of a guess until later this morning. The Canes practiced yesterday in New Jersey without Eric Staal and Alexander Semin, although coach Bill Peters said that both players just had maintenance days. There was also a report from practice that Victor Rask left the ice briefly, and that Patrick Dwyer and Andrej Sekera had an on-ice collision but both appeared to be fine. So stay tuned for the definitive answer as to who is out (keep in mind that the NHL is in the middle of a holiday roster freeze, so it's an injury substitution and not a waiver/trade).
• The Devils have a few roster questions to answer as well. Only eleven forwards were well enough to skate yesterday, including Mike Cammalleri, who has been out with a groin pull and is hopeful but not confirmed for tonight. Patrik Elias and Martin Havlat are reported to be ill and being tested for mumps. Even if Cammalleri is well enough to play, the team will either need to call up a forward or dress seven defensemen, and option made available with the return of Adam Larsson from an AHL conditioning stint after himself recovering from the mumps.
• The Devils are barely above the Canes in the standings these days, and like the Canes are having trouble putting points on the scoresheet. They rank 27th in goals per game and 29th in shots per game. Cammalleri is their best goal-scorer with 11 goals (and 15 points), and Jaromir Jagr and Adam Henrique are tied at the top of the leader board with 20 points, tying them with Justin Faulk.
• Cory Schneider has been the Devils' go-to in net, with an NHL high 31 starts to date. Schneider reported that he expects to start tonight though coach Peter DeBoer has not declared a starter yet. Backup Keith Kincaid won his first career NHL game last Friday night in a 3-2 shootout against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Possible line-ups

Hurricanes depth chart (from Sunday's game)

Injuries and Scratches: Jordan Staal (IR broken fibula), Andrej Nestrasil (IR upper body), Jiri Tlusty (upper body)

Devils depth chart (from Monday's practice)

Injuries and Scratches: Damon Severson (ankle fracture), Jacob Josefson (groin), Dainius Zubrus (leg laceration), Patrik Elias (illness), Martin Havlat (illness)

Hurricanes team press release on Brendan Woods:

Canes Recall Brendan Woods from Charlotte
Second-year forward to join team in New Jersey
Monday, 12.22.2014 / 8:30 PM / News
By Ken Preston

RALEIGH, NC - Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the Hurricanes have recalled forward Brendan Woods from the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Woods will join the Hurricanes in New Jersey for Tuesday's game at Prudential Center against the Devils.

This marks the first NHL recall for the 22-year-old Woods, who is in his second full professional season. The Humboldt, Sask., native has played in all 29 Checkers games this season, and ranks tied for fourth among Charlotte skaters with 13 points (6g, 7a). In 73 career AHL games with the Checkers, Woods (6'4", 210 lbs.) has scored 11 goals and earned 10 assists (21 points), while accumulating 104 penalty minutes.

Prior to turning professional, Woods spent two seasons at the University of Wisconsin. In 75 collegiate games with the Badgers, he notched 10 goals, earned 12 assists (22 points) and totaled 114 penalty minutes, including a team-high 67 penalty minutes in 2011-12. The Hurricanes drafted Woods in the fifth round, 129th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft.