Carolina Hurricanes vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 3: Game Preview and Storm Advisory

It’s game three of a four game set between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes as the series moves to the sunshine state. Carolina won game one while Tampa roared back to hand the Hurricanes their first regulation home loss on Monday night.

It’s another early (5 p.m. ET) start due to NBC holding the rights to the Wednesday night time slot. That means both teams will get a couple extra hours worth of rest tonight before facing off once again tomorrow night to conclude the series. The Hurricanes still have not lost back-to-back games this year and they will look to extend that stat tonight.

Game Notes

• Before Monday’s contest, Rod Brind’Amour said Teuvo Teravainen would be out for a couple games. We now know that Teravainen has been diagnosed with a concussion and did not travel with the team to Tampa.
• Antoine Bibeau has been assigned to the Chicago Wolves, which is interesting as teams are required to carry three goalies at all times this season. As of yesterday Brind’Amour had this to say about Petr Mrazek’s recovery: “Until he puts a stick in his hand, he’s not really there yet. Looks good on everything else, but he’s still a ways away apparently.” The Canes can always recall Bibeau before the game tonight.
• Jake Bean and Martin Necas are both on three-game point streaks. Bean has been nothing but excellent since entering the lineup and he has forced the coaching staff to put veteran guys like Jake Gardiner and Haydn Fleury in the press box to make room on the active roster.
• Being a back-to-back situation, both goaltenders will likely see one game each. James Reimer was the best player on the ice for the Canes in Monday’s loss while Alex Nedeljkovic shut out the Lightning Saturday.
• For Tampa, Anderi Vasilevskiy has played all but two games this season with Curtis McElhinney not exactly shining in his two starts. It will be interesting to see which goalie each team goes with in each game.
• After tonight the season series with the Lightning will be halfway over. While Tampa has been a dominating force in the league over recent years the Hurricanes have gone 4-2-0 against the Lightning over their past six meetings.

Storm Advisory

Yesterday’s News Today

• Quick Whistles: Jake Bean’s Impact, Jesper Fast’s Breakout Game, Getting Petr Mrazek Back
• They said it: Brind’Amour, Pesce, Lorentz speak following practice
• Lastly, our fearless leader Brian LeBlanc has announced that he is retiring stepping down as the Manager of Canes Country. Find out why he’s come to this decision and feel free to drop some kind words in the comments as he heads back to the real working world.

Reading Assignments

• The Hurricanes have announced two changes to their schedule for this season. [Hurricanes]
• Canes Cast features a special guest this week for Black History Month. Larry Perkins, the Vice President of Guest Relations and an Assistant General Manager for PNC Arena, joins the podcast to discuss his experiences with racism, his humble beginnings in North Carolina, and how he got to where he is today. [Hurricanes]
• The Hurricanes aren’t the only ones getting their schedule changed around. The NHL revised 20+ games and start times. [USA Today]
• Paul Maurice 20 Questions: On Whalers, Stanley Cup hope and ‘Cool Hand Luke’. [The Athletic $]
• Things you love to see:

• 31 Thoughts touches on the outdoor games in Lake Tahoe, the situation in Buffalo, and how the Dallas Stars have had to fight through all kinds of adversity this year. [Sportsnet]
• Inside the Seattle Kraken’s strength and conditioning program. [ESPN]
• New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin is taking a leave of absence after assault allegations surface. [ESPN]
• Jeff Skinner has been benched for two straight games in Buffalo. What does it mean for Skinner, head coach Ralph Krueger and the Sabres organization. [The Athletic $]
• Why the NHL’s chaotic weekend in Lake Tahoe worked. [CBS]