Hurricanes at Capitals: Preview

Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals
March 15, 2016 - 7:00 pm ET
Verizon Center - Washington, DC
Fox Sports Carolinas - 99.9 FM - WRALSportsFan app
SB Nation Rival Blog - Japers' Rink

Vital Statistics

*Stats from NHL.com and War on Ice

Game Notes

• Well, it would have been really nice for the Carolina Hurricanes had the Washington Capitals finished up a west coast road trip by defeating the San Jose Sharks Saturday night. A win would have clinched a playoff berth for the Caps, who are running away with the best record in the NHL, but it was not to be, as they lost to the Sharks 5-2. They now return with a chance to clinch on home ice where they are 26-6-2, and by the way, they haven't lost two games in a row all season. So much for catching them on a letdown game.
• The Canes and Caps are wrapping up a four-game season series tonight, and the Canes are one of the few teams that have actually beaten the Caps this season, a 4-2 win in Raleigh on New Years Eve, but the Caps hold a distinct edge with a 7-2-1 record over the last 10 games played against the Canes and wins in their last three played at Verizon Center.
• The Caps sit near the top of the league rankings in most statistical categories (goals/game, special teams, scoring leaders, goaltending), but they aren't playing their best hockey at the moment. They went 1-1-1 on their west coast road swing. Alex Ovechkin, who leads the NHL with 41 goals, has gone five games without scoring a goal and appears to have a few lingering effects from the lower body injury that kept him out of the All Star Game. They are without their best defenseman, John Carlson, who skated for the first time yesterday but remains on long-term injured reserve with a lower body injury. Head coach Barry Trotz shook up his forward lines at yesterday's practice to try to balance the lineup for scoring, moving Jay Beagle to the top line and shifting T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams down a line, but that may change again before tonight's game. Braden Holtby, who leads the lead with 41 goaltending wins, is expected to get the start in net.
• The Canes have picked up points in their last five games, but that second point sure would have been nice against the Sabres on Saturday. Though statistically still in the running for the last wild card spot, the gaps widened against both the Red Wings (five points back) and Penguins (six points back) over the weekend.
• The Canes are in the midst of five straight games on the road, but this road swing came with a break as the team headed home after Saturday's matinee and had a day at home to rest Sunday. Brody Sutter will be in the lineup for his first evaluation game this season, replacing Brendan Woods, who was sent back to Charlotte on Sunday. Sutter will slot in with Jay McClement and Brad Malone on the fourth line. Head coach Bill Peters made no other lineup changes coming out of yesterday's practice (a quick one at RCI before the team headed back on the road) and has not named a starting goaltender for tonight. Justin Faulk remains off the ice, though James Wisniewski did get a few reps with the team on the ice yesterday.
• Jeff Skinner (3g, 3a) and Phil DiGiuseppe (2g, 3a) have points in each of their last four games. Jaccob Slavin has been carrying the heavy minutes on the blue line for the Canes, averaging 26:09 TOI/game over the last five games.
• UPDATE 12:00 pm: This morning the Canes announced they have recalled Trevor Carrick from the Charlotte Checkers. Carrick will make his NHL debut tonight, replacing Ron Hainsey, who is out with an illness. The team press release follows below. With this roster move, the average age of the Canes defense that will be facing the NHL's top team is 21.5.  No reported changes to the forward lines from yesterday's practice.Eddie Lack has been confirmed as the starter in net.

Projected Lineups

Hurricanes (updated 3/15 morning skate)

Joakim Nordstrom - Jordan Staal - Elias Lindholm
Jeff Skinner - Victor Rask - Phillip Di Giuseppe
Nathan Gerbe - Riley Nash - Chris Terry
Brad Malone - Jay McClement - Brody Sutter

Jaccob Slavin - Brett Pesce
Noah Hanifin - Ryan Murphy
Michal Jordan - Trevor Carrick

Eddie Lack
Cam Ward

Injuries and scratches: James Wisniewski (IR ACL), Justin Faulk (lower body), Andrej Nestrasil (fractured vertebra), Ron Hainsey (illness)

Capitals (updated 3/15 morning skate)

Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Jay Beagle
Andre Burakovsky - Evgeny Kuznetsov - T.J. Oshie
Jason Chimera - Marcus Johansson - Justin Williams
Daniel Winnik - Mike Richards - Tom Wilson

Karl Alzner - Matt Niskanen
Brooks Orpik - Dmitri Orlov
Nate Schmidt - Taylor Chorney

Braden Holtby
Philipp Grubauer

Injuries and scratches: John Carlson (LTIR lower body), Michael Latta (healthy), Stanislav Galiev (healthy), Mike Weber (healthy)

Storm Debris

• Canes Gameday Hub [CH.com].
• Bill Peters post-practice media scrum [CH.com].
• Caps Game Notes [CapitalsPR].
• Trevor Carrick deserves and NHL call-up this season [Today's Slapshot].
• On taking former Canes captain Eric Staal for granted [Section 328].

Hurricanes Recall Trevor Carrick

Canes Recall Trevor Carrick from Charlotte
Blueliner is tied for sixth among AHL defensemen in scoring
Tuesday, 03.15.2016 / 10:44 AM ET / 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 team has recalled defenseman Trevor Carrick from Charlotte of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Carrick, 21, is in his second professional season and currently ranks tied for sixth among all AHL defensemen in scoring, with 37 points (9g, 28a) in 58 games. The Stouffvile, Ont., native is third among Checkers skaters in scoring this year and leads the team in assists with 28. Carrick has totaled 69 points (16g, 53a) 134 career AHL games for Charlotte. Carrick also represented Canada at the 2015 Spengler Cup, helping Canada top HC Lugano in the final.

A fourth-round selection of the Hurricanes, 115th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft, Carrick totaled 101 points (38g, 63a) and 237 penalty minutes in 194 career Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games over three seasons with Mississauga and Sudbury. This marks his first NHL recall.