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It wasn’t the best start to the month of December for the Carolina Hurricanes, as they faltered at home in a 3-2 loss to the conference bottom dwellers in the Ottawa Senators.
In total, Carolina has now lost three straight games and five of their last six. Saturday night, the Canes will get to run it back again against another struggling side, as the 8-12-3 Buffalo Sabres come to Raleigh with the Hurricanes desperately needing to right to the ship.
Saturday could mark the return of Ethan Bear to the lineup for the Canes, as the first-pairing defenseman has practiced with the team the last few days after missing a good chunk of time in COVID protocol.
That’s not to say the Canes won’t be missing some pieces, as Tony DeAngelo and Brett Pesce remain in COVID protocol and Jordan Martinook looks like he could miss some time with an ankle injury.
Vital Statistics
| Category | Hurricanes | Bruins |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hurricanes | Bruins |
| Record | 54-20-8 | 51-26-5 |
| Goals/Game | 3.38 | 3.08 |
| Goals Against/Game | 2.44 | 2.66 |
| Shots/Game | 34.12 | 36.12 |
| Face Off Win % | 53.9% | 54.2% |
| Power Play % (Rank) | 22.0% (13th) | 21.2% (15th) |
| Penalty Kill % (Rank) | 88.0% (1st) | 81.3% (9th) |
| ES Corsi For % | 43.86% | 56.14% |
| ES PDO | 113.44 | 86.56 |
| PIM/Game | 12:00 | 22:00 |
Goaltender #1
| Category | Frederik Andersen | Linus Ullmark |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Frederik Andersen | Linus Ullmark |
| Record | 35-14-3 | 26-10-2 |
| Save % | .922 | .917 |
| GAA | 2.17 | 2.45 |
Goaltender #2
| Category | Antti Raanta | Jeremy Swayman |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Antti Raanta | Jeremy Swayman |
| Record | 15-5-4 | 23-14-3 |
| Save % | .912 | .914 |
| GAA | 2.45 | 2.41 |
Game Notes
- It’s been a really, really long time since these two sides have played. The last time the Canes hit the ice against Buffalo was Nov. 14, 2019.
- In the all-time series, Carolina’s record against the Sabres is 85-96-18-6. That record is much better in PNC Arena at 21-11-1-2.
- A good note for the Canes: Carolina is 10-0-0 in its last 10 games against the Sabres. That’s the third-longest active winning streak for any NHL team over another (Boston has won 16 straight against the Coyotes, the Devils have won 11 straight over the Canucks).
- Teuvo Teravainen finally scored his 100th NHL goal in the loss to Ottawa, but there’s still another milestone in sight for the Canes. Brady Skjei is just one assist shy of 100.
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