Carolina Hurricanes Look to Take Season Series From Penguins

The Carolina Hurricanes look to pick up a huge win against the Pittsburgh Penguins to clinch the 5-game season series.

The Hurricanes have 12 games remaining on the schedule this year, and every single one is crucial as they sit only five points out of the last Eastern Conference Wild Card spot. The Canes have picked up points in all six of their games since the fateful trade deadline, an impressive run for a team that has recently lost five impact players to trade and injury.

Despite adversity, the team impressed on Tuesday night by taking the Washington Capitals to overtime and picking up a crucial point in the standings. The Hurricanes iced a defense made up of four NHL rookies, yet still managed to match the league leading Capitals through 60 minutes of play. They will battle to pick up points and win a season series tomorrow as they take on the Penguins in the Consol Energy Center.

Leading Scorers

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Thursday, March 17, 2016, 7:00 pm (EST)

Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fox Sports Carolinas/99.9 FM The Fan

Team Records

Carolina Hurricanes – 31-26-13 – 75 points – 6th in Metropolitan – 10th in East – 5 points out of 2nd Wild Card spot

Pittsburgh Penguins – 37-24-8 – 82 points – 4th in Metropolitan – 7th in East – Hold first Wild Card spot

Leading Scorers

Carolina Hurricanes – Jeff Skinner (25 goals), Elias Lindholm/Victor Rask (25 assists), Jeff Skinner (43 points)

Pittsburgh Penguins – Sidney Crosby (29 goals), Sidney Crosby (41 assists), Sidney Crosby (70 points)

Team/Game Notes

• The Hurricanes are 3-0-3 and the Penguins are 4-4-1 since the trade deadline on February 29th.
• The Penguins have lost impact center Evgeni Malkin for 6-8 weeks with an upper body injury. This leaves a big hole in the Penguins lineup, can the Canes capitalize on it? The Penguins have not lost a game since Malkin’s injury, beating two tough Metropolitan teams above them in the standings.
• The Hurricanes are 2-1-1 against the Penguins this season, the Thursday night game will determine who wins the competitive five-game season series.
• Sidney Crosby has quieted critics after a slow start to the year. He enters this game with 70 points; only 4 players have tallied more this season. Sid will be carrying extra scoring responsibility with Malkin out of the lineup.
• Goaltender Eddie Läck played an impressive game between the pipes, saving 29 of the 31 shots he saw for a .935 save percentage against the Caps on Tuesday. The Swede made multiple incredible saves against a lethal Washington offense that kept Carolina in the game.
• Forward Brody Sutter and defensemen Trevor Carrick earned their NHL call ups from the Charlotte Checkers before Tuesday’s contest, and both played impressive games against the best team in the NHL. Late in the game, Sutter fired a high and hard wrist shot that beat Braden Holtby but only found iron. The 6’5″ forward stood out using his size and defensive ability to play a solid checking game.
• Justin Faulk was injured in practice on February 11th and has played in only one game since then. He current status is week-to-week, but his return at all this season remains questionable. His absence leaves a huge hole on a Hurricanes blue line that already lost veteran leader John-Michael Liles at the trade deadline.  To make things worse, Ron Hainsey missed Tuesday’s game with the flu. Hainsey practiced with the team Wednesday, but his return for Thursday’s contest is unclear.
• In Tuesday’s matchup against the Capitals, the average age of Carolina’s defense was 21.5 years. Out of six blue liners, four of them were NHL rookies; three were on a college campus at this time last year. 
• The Hurricanes are five points out of the last Wild Card spot occupied by the surging Philadelphia Flyers, but the Detroit Red Wings are just one point in back of them.  The Hurricanes will need to string together an impressive win streak in order to leapfrog the Wings and catch a hot Flyers team.

Next: Breaking Down the Final play Against the Capitals

The Hurricanes are leading a surprising charge after key losses at the trade deadline. While a playoff berth is a long shot for this club, its fun to watch the young team hit the ice and compete hard every night against the toughest squads in the league. One thing is for sure, Bill Peters’ team is not laying down; they will battle until the bitter end. They will look to be on the winning side of the fight in Pittsburgh Thursday night.