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The Hurricanes are playing exactly 82 hockey games for the ninth season in a row. Tonight they close it out against one of the Eastern Conference’s best in the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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
- Carolina leads the all-time series with a 51-49-19-1 record, including a 31-20-9-1 record on home ice.
- Tonight’s game concludes the season as well as the three game series with the Lightning. The Canes have lost both of their previous matchups in regulation.
- There’s still time for the Hurricanes to play spoiler as the Lightning could clinch the Atlantic Division tonight with a win. They currently pace the Eastern Conference with a two point lead over the Boston Bruins.
- Charlotte Checkers forward Nicolas Roy was recalled for the final game of the season. Roy has registered 37 points (10g, 27a) in Charlotte this season and will make his NHL debut tonight, replacing Brock McGinn who is out with a concussion.
- Klas Dahlbeck scored his first of the season in Philadelphia on Thursday and has now recorded a point in three straight games. Dahlbeck will be a free agent coming off of a one-year deal and has been a solid 7th defensemen this season.
- Hurricanes co-captain Jordan Staal has been selected by his teammates as the winner of Steve Chiasson Award, given to the player who best exemplifies determination and dedication to the game. He’s also been selected for the Josef Vasicek Award, awarded by the Professional Hockey Writers Association Carolina chapter to the player with outstanding cooperation with the local media. The PWHA also selected Sebastian Aho as the team MVP. More on the end of season awards is here.
Lines and Rosters
The Hurricanes will lace up tonight for the final time this season and take on the best team in the Eastern Conference and one of the most potent offenses in recent history. Cam Ward is expected to start tonight in what could be his last home game in a Hurricanes jersey. Here’s what you can expect tonight:
Phil Di Giuseppe - Jordan Staal - Justin Williams
Sebastian Aho - Elias Lindholm - Teuvo Teravainen
Jeff Skinner - Derek Ryan - Lee Stempniak
Joakim Nordstrom - Nicolas Roy - Valentin Zykov
Jaccob Slavin - Klas Dahlbeck
Noah Hanifin - Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Haydn Fleury - Roland McKeown
Cam Ward
Scott Darling
The Lightning come off of a 7-5 win last night against the Buffalo Sabres. While they earned the two points, Andrei Vasilevskiy gave up five goals to one of the worst teams in the league. It is uncertain who will start tonight in Carolina as the team tries to clinch their division and home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. One thing is certain — Steven Stamkos will miss the game with a lower body injury. Here’s what you can expect.
Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
J.T. Miller - Tyler Johnson - Cory Conacher
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - Yanni Gourde
Chris Kunitz - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan
Victor Hedman - Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh - Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn - Mikhail Sergachev
Louis Domingue
Andrei Vasilevskiy