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The Hurricanes come into tonight’s matchup nine points short of the last wild card playoff spot with just eight games left in the season as they head to Ottawa to face the slumping Senators in the opening game of a home-and-home that wraps up Monday in Raleigh.
Vital Statistics
| Category | Hurricanes | Bruins |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hurricanes | Bruins |
| Record | 8-6 | 11-5 |
| Goals/Game | 2.79 | 3.31 |
| Goals Against/Game | 2.71 | 2.06 |
| Shots/Game | 30.9 | 34.3 |
| Faceoff % | 49.1% | 53.3% |
| Power Play % (Rank) | 10.0% (14) | 31.9% (1) |
| Penalty Kill % (Rank) | 70.8% (14) | 85.7% (4) |
| ES Corsi For % | 55.61% | 51.66% |
| ES PDO | 101.2% | 101.0 |
| PIM/Game | 8:38 | 6:30 |
Goaltender #1
| Category | Petr Mrazek | Tuukka Rask |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Petr Mrazek | Tuukka Rask |
| Record | 5-5 | 11-5 |
| Save % | .894 | .939 |
| GAA | 2.73 | 1.96 |
Goaltender #2
| Category | Curtis McElhinney | Jaroslav Halak |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Curtis McElhinney | Jaroslav Halak |
| Record | 3-1 | 0-0 |
| Save % | .943 | N/A |
| GAA | 1.70 | N/A |
Game Notes
- The Hurricanes lead the all-time series with a 53-34-13 record, including a 21-23-7 record in Ottawa.
- Tonight marks the second of three games this season between the teams. The Canes took the January 30th matchup by a 2-1 mark, and they’ll play again on Monday in Carolina. The Canes have earned at least a point in 23 of their last 29 tilts against Ottawa, positng an 18-6-5 record since March of 2009.
- Cam Ward is a solid 16-8-3 with a .922 SV% and a 2.31 GAA with one shutout in 28 career appearances against the Senators. Scott Darling has also posted strong numbers against Ottawa, going 3-1-0 with a .922 SV% and a 2.48 GAA.
- After tragically losing his son just weeks from his wife’s due date, Sens captain Erik Karlsson did not draw into the lineup for either matchup this past week. It is unclear whether or not he will draw back into the lineup tonight.
- Hurricanes forward Valentin Zykov recorded his first career multi-goal game on Thursday. The Russian winger has recorded three goals in just five NHL games played with Carolina, tying a franchise record for most goals through a player’s first five games, originally set by Geoff Sanderson.
Storm Advisory
- Jordan Staal opened up about the loss of his daughter. [N&O]
- The New Jersey Devils are bonding over a perceived lack of respect from around the league. [NHL]
- The Stoneman Douglas hockey team got a warm welcome at the USA Hockey National Championships. [NHL]
- Collegiate rivalries run deep in NHL locker rooms. [ESPN]