The Carolina Hurricanes are hoping that two days off won’t affect the momentum and good feelings they got from their 10th Anniversary Cup celebration and strong win over the Islanders this past weekend.
As is the case with every game this time of year, whether it be against a conference leader or basement dweller, wins and points are paramount. The Canes are hoping to gain two more on their Eastern rivals tonight at the PNC Arena.
More from Cardiac Cane – Carolina Hurricanes Playoff Battle – February 16th
The weekend was good, but not perfect for the Hurricanes, gaining three points in the standings out of a possible four. The way they played on Saturday night is the way they need to play every night for the rest of the season. Coach Peters and the Caniacs are hoping they hit the ice ready.
Here is everything you need to know about the game.
Game Information
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Winnipeg Jets
Tuesday, February 16, 2016, 7:00 pm (EST)
PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
Fox Sports Carolinas/99.9 FM The Fan
Season Records
Carolina Hurricanes – 25-21-10 – 60 points – 6th in Metropolitan – 10th in East – 4 points out of Wild Card spot
Winnipeg Jets – 25-27-3 – 53 points – 7th in Central – 13th in West
Team Records – Last 10-20-30 with Points %
Carolina Hurricanes – 5-3-2 (60%) – 10-5-5 (63%) – 16-8-6 (63%)
Winnipeg Jets – 4-6-0 (40%) – 9-10-1 (48%) – 14-15-1 (48%)
Team/Game Notes
- The Hurricanes will be without star defenseman Justin Faulk and goalie Cam Ward. Faulk is still recovering from a lower body injury sustained at practice on Friday, and Cam was apparently injured during the game Saturday while making a save. Cam was on the ice prior to practice on Monday, but skipped the full session. Faulk didn’t take the ice at all. Both are listed at day-to-day.
- The Canes are hoping to repeat the final results of their last meeting with the Jets, but perhaps not the effort in the second period that night. If you will recall, the Hurricanes built a quick 4-0 lead in Winnipeg on February 5th, only to see the Jets storm back in the second to make a close game of it. Thankfully the Canes had the line of Jordan Staal, Andrej Nestrasil and Joakim Nordstrom, who combined for a total of 3 goals and 4 assists on the night.
- Young defensemen Noah Hanifin and Jaccob Slavin are both stepping up even more with their All Star linemate out with an injury. In Saturday’s game they both played a stellar all around game for the Canes on the blue line. Hanifin chipped in a goal, was a +2, had 3 shots, blocked a shot, and had a pair of takeaways. Slavin registered an assist, had 3 shots, and was credited with a game-high 4 blocked shots. Both Hanifin and Slavin were dominant in their own end, making it impossible for the Islanders to set up their offense.
- The Jets arrive in Raleigh riding a four-game road winning streak after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in a shootout on Saturday night.
- Winnipeg was very happy to get their #1 goalie, Ondrej Pavelec, back between the pipes after he had missed almost three months with a serious knee injury. He played well throughout regulation, overtime and in the shootout, which included a save on rookie phenom Connor McDavid.
- Although the Jets secured big defenseman Dustin Buyfuglien with a contract extension on February 8th, the fate of Captain Andrew Ladd still hangs over the team. Rumors about his ultimate destination are flying at light-speed everyday, but there is no solid news yet to report.
Next: Hurricanes' Honor the Past and Play for Playoffs
The Hurricanes played very well for two periods against the Jets earlier this month, and played a full 60 minutes in dominant fashion against the Islanders on Saturday night. The Coach and the Caniacs are hoping they put it all together again tonight, and gain two very valuable playoff battle points.
Go Canes!