Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators: Game Preview and Storm Advisory

The Carolina Hurricanes will look to bounce back from a two-game slide as they play their final regular season game in Canada.

With just three games remaining in the regular season, it’s imperative that the Canes try to iron out some of the wrinkles that have popped up as of late, namely the defensive lapses and stagnant power play.

There’s also an open door for either goaltender to take the reins and try to start picking up steam for the postseason.

Regardless, the Hurricanes can only take it one game at a time and that starts tonight. A win could go a long way to easing some tension and getting them going for the playoffs.

Game Notes

• Milestone Watch: Jordan Martinook is one assist shy of 100 career NHL assists and one point shy of 100 Hurricanes points; Brady Skjei is one goal shy of the Carolina Hurricanes single season, team record for goals by a defenseman (19) and two points shy of 200 career NHL points.
• Stefan Noesen missed Saturday’s game in Buffalo with a lower-body injury but still practiced with the team on Sunday, so he is still a potential option for tonight.
• The Hurricanes could sweep the season series against the Senators with a win tonight. They defeated the Senators 4-0 in February and 3-2 in overtime on April 4.
• With an assist last game, Jesperi Kotkaniemi reached the 40-point mark for the first time in his career and became the fifth Hurricane player to reach that mark this season.
• On the opposite side, Ottawa forward Claude Giroux is two points shy of 1,000 career NHL points.

Storm Advisory

• The Quinnipiac Bobcats became champions last weekend as they won their first ever NCAA D-I Championship on Saturday.

• The championship also gave way for a very proud father moment as Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind/’mour got to witness his son, Skyler, win the championship with Quinnipiac.

• A few NHL teams will be bolstering their rosters as a handful of NCAA players turn pro, namely Matthew Knies to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brock Faber to the Minnesota Wild and Luke Hughes to the New Jersey Devils.

• The Boston Bruins have set the NHL record for wins in a single season and now sit one point back of the single season points record [NHL].

• A Q&A with Hurricanes Athletic Trainer Doug Bennett [NHL].
• The Toronto Maple Leafs signed University of Toronto goaltender Jett Alexander to an amateur tryout agreement in order to serve as an emergency backup on Saturday, but he got to make his NHL debut with 1:10 remaining on the clock [Sportsnet]
• NHL Awards Watch [ESPN+] ($)