Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Anton Khudobin was named the NHL’s No. 1 star Monday for the month of January after going 10-4 and leading the Canes back into the playoff picture.

Cam Ward may finally be back, but for now Anton Khudobin is the No. 1 goaltender in Carolina — and the whole NHL.

Khudobin was rewarded for a stellar January in which he went 10-4 with 2.19 goals-against average and .927 save percentage by being named the NHL’s first star for the month. Toronto’s Phil Kessel and San Jose’s Joe Pavelski were named the league's second and third star, respectively.

Those 14 January appearances match Khudobin’s previous season high from last year, when he went 9-4-1 for the Bruins. Making it even more impressive is the fact that Khudobin couldn't have done much to win the four games he lost: Carolina was shutout three times, and in the other loss Khudobin was brought on in relief after Justin Peters allowed three goals to Tampa Bay in a 5-3 loss on Jan. 19.

Here's the release from the team:

KHUDOBIN NAMED NHL’S FIRST STAR FOR JANUARY
Goaltender is fifth player in team history recognized as player of month

RALEIGH, NC – The National Hockey League announced today that Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Anton Khudobin (HOO-doh-bihn) has been named the league’s First Star for the month of January. It marks just the fifth time in franchise history that a member of the team has earned the league’s player of the month honor.

Khudobin, 27, matched a Hurricanes franchise record for wins in a month in January with 10, registering a goals-against average of 2.19 and save percentage of .927 in 14 games. A native of Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, Khudobin is 12-4-0 with a 2.16 goals-against average and .927 save percentage this season for Carolina, after signing as a free agent in July 2013. Khudobin was originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, and has a career NHL record of 26-9-1 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in 38 games with Minnesota, Boston and Carolina.

This marks the fourth time a Carolina Hurricanes player has been named the league’s player of the month, and the first since Cam Ward was named First Star for March 2009. Goaltender Arturs Irbe was the NHL’s Player of the Month in October 1998 and center Eric Staal was named the league’s offensive player of the month in October 2005. Only one member of the Hartford Whalers was ever named the NHL’s Player of the Month – Mike Rogers in December 1980.

Look I just really want to scratch this off this week's "To-Do" list, okay?

Here are the five funniest hockey-related tweets of the week ending 2/2/14:

#5

Today after exersice...i have a lot of new young friends:-D..fun must be alwalys:-)) pic.twitter.com/oM005RF2Py

— Tomáš Hertl (@TomHertl) January 31, 2014

A look at Tomáš Hertl's rehabilitation regimen: pic.twitter.com/WpdwvJn8ih (via @Michal_68) #sjsharks

— Brodie Brazil (@brodiebrazilCSN) January 31, 2014

These could very easily have taken the "funniest tweet" spot this week and for all the rest of the weeks until there are no more weeks, but it hardly seems fair to compare these to normal, everyday tweets. This is a whole new level.

#4

@BlueJacketsNHL Don't count on it.

— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) February 3, 2014

#3

Original Six? That used to be me. Hi, I'm Jamie Langenbrunner for ExtenZe.

— David Ellingson (@dellingson91) January 30, 2014

The retweet to fav ratio on this one tells me that a lot of people out there are too afraid to retweet dick jokes.

#2

Ben Scrivens is really playing like he doesn't want to use his Cornell degree in Hotel Administration.

— Steph (@ThatGirlStimpy) January 30, 2014

#1 - The Fake Dan Ellis Memorial Tweet of the Week!

On the Kings' next goal we should all drive over to Dodgers Stadium and cheer.

— Earl Sleek (@earlsleek) January 28, 2014

Congrats to Earl and all the other winners this week.

Remember, if you see a funny hockey tweet that you think deserves a spot in this feature, send it to me @MegalodonBOC.

Paul Maurice is back in Raleigh, and so is Cam Ward, as the Hurricanes take on the Winnipeg Jets at PNC Arena tonight.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Winnipeg Jets
February 4, 2014 - 7:00 pm ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 The Fan

SB Nation Rival Blog: Arctic Ice Hockey (twitter @arcticicehockey)

Hurricanes Record: 25-20-9 (59 pts.)
Jets Record: 27-25-5 (59 pts.)

Division rivals for many years, the Hurricanes and Jets are now split by conference and will face each other just twice this season, tonight's game being the first of the two.

For the Jets, the big story is the return to Raleigh of Paul Maurice, who was the Whalers/Hurricanes bench boss for 920 games across 13 NHL seasons. After a successful coaching stint in the KHL followed by a role as an analyst for TSN and the NHL Network, Maurice was hired on January 12th as the Jets interim coach after the firing of Claude Noel. The hope was that Maurice would set this young team back on a steady course. And ten games into his coaching tenure, with an 8-2-0 record, Maurice is fielding a team that has speed, size, and solid defense, giving up only 21 goals in their last ten games.

The Jets are playing their second game of a four-game road trip, winning in Montreal on Sunday before heading to Raleigh. They held a full morning practice yesterday but several players (Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler, Devin Setoguchi, and Toby Enstrom) did not skate. All are expected in the line-up tonight.

Wheeler (22g, 23a) and Bryan Little (17g, 28a) are tied for the team scoring lead with 45 points. Wheeler has 12 points in his last 10 games. Captain and ex-Cane Andrew Ladd has six points in his last five games. Michael Frolik has goals in two straight games.

Forward Evander Kane has been placed on injured reserve with a hand injury and will be out of the lineup until after the Olympics. Forwards Jim Slater (hernia), Matt Halischuk (forearm) and defenseman Grant Clitsome are out of tonight's game, and defenseman Paul Postma (blood clot) is on a conditioning assignment in the AHL.

Ondrej Pavelec is expected to get the start in net for the Jets. Pavelec is 6-7-2 with a 3.64 GAA in 16 career appearances. Al Montoya is 0-1-1 with a 2.93 GAA.

Projected line-up (based on Montreal game):

Andrew Ladd - Bryan Little - Michael Frolik
Chris Thorburn - Mark Scheifele - Blake Wheeler
Devin Setoguchi - Olli Jokinen - Dustin Byfuglien
Eric Tangradi - James Wright - Anthony Peluso

Zach Bogosian - Tobias Enstrom
Mark Stuart - Jacob Trouba
Adam Pardy - Keaton Ellerby

Ondrej Pavelec
Al Montoya

The Hurricanes enter February coming off their best month (10 wins) since March 2009, capping off the month with a solid 3-1 win against Western Conference powerhouse St. Louis Blues on Friday night. After wins last night by the Blue Jackets, Flyers, and Red Wings, the Canes wake up this morning in fifth place in the Metro division, three points out of a playoff spot but with games in hand. With the playoff pace now projected to push at least 91 points for the division, the Canes will need at least four points out of the next three games in order to stay at a playoff pace at the Olympic break.

Talk coming into tonight's game has centered around the goaltending. After missing the entire month of January with a lower body injury, Cam Ward was activated from injured reserve last Thursday and spent the weekend in Cleveland with the Charlotte Checkers where he stopped 59 of 63 shots for a .937 save percentage in two games. Ward returned to Raleigh yesterday for practice and he'll be eligible to rejoin the lineup today. In yesterday's post-practice interviews he announced that he was ready to "rock and roll".

Meanwhile, all Anton Khudobin did was post a 10-4-0 record in January (three of those losses coming in shutouts by the opposing team), with a 2.19 GAA and .927 save percentage, good enough to earn him the NHL's First Star for the month, an award that hasn't been given to a Hurricanes player since March 2009 when the recipient was... Cam Ward. Dobby is 12-4-0 for the season, and among Hurricanes goaltenders with at least 15 games played, his 2.16 GAA is a franchise best.

Kirk Muller hasn't divulged tonight's starter ahead of time, but indications are Khudobin will remain in net, with Ward backing up and perhaps getting a look in one of the upcoming weekend's back-to-back games. Khudobin has never faced the Jets in his career; Ward is 21-11-4 with a 2.99 GAA and one shutout in 37 career games.

Alex Semin led the Hurricanes in goals (7) and points (13) in January. He and Eric Staal are point-per-game players against the Jets.

The forward lines and defensive pairings were not changed from Friday's game as of yesterday's practice:

Jiri Tlusty - Eric Staal - Alexander Semin
Jeff Skinner - Jordan Staal - Elias Lindholm
Nathan Gerbe - Manny Malhotra - Patrick Dwyer
Drayson Bowman - Riley Nash - Tuomo Ruutu
Radek Dvorak

Andrej Sekera - Justin Faulk
Ron Hainsey - John-Michael Liles
Brett Bellemore - Jay Harrison
Mike Komisarek

Anton Khudobin
Cam Ward
Justin Peters

A few news clips for your pre-game clicking pleasure:

• January 2014 Monthly Report [ch.com].
• Kirk Muller [audio] and Paul Maurice [video] from yesterday's practices.
• On Cam Ward's return [ch.com] and [N&O]
• Relive Anton Khudobin's First Star Month [ch.com].
• On Paul Maurice's return to Raleigh [N&O].
• Jiri Tlusty will be the guest of Mike Maniscalco at the Backyard Bistro Canes Corner tomorrow night [details here].
• The Hurricanes held their annual Casino Night fundraiser benefitting the Kids 'N Community Foundation, raising over $282,000, a new record [and a few photos].

We'll have tonight's game thread ready to roll by 6:30 pm. See you at the rink.

The Winnipeg Jets find themselves in the familiar confines of the PNC Arena in a match-up that will hold meaning for many.

The Winnipeg Jets face a familiar former divisional rival, coach Paul Maurice faces his old team and Hockey Related Ron Hainsey gets the opportunity to score more goals against the Jets than he did for the team over the last two seasons.

Both sides will be looking at a glut of familiar faces, both sides are surging and both sides are looking for points.

Keys to the Game

Winnipeg Jets

Oh What Khudobin. On paper the Winnipeg Jets are the better team. They have better possession numbers, they score more, they have a better goal differential and are better on both special teams units. The Canes hold a slight edge in goals against - mostly due to goaltending. Anton Khudobin has been white hot and is coming off a player of the month award. The Jets need to find a way to beat him repeatedly if they want to leave with a victory.

Eric or Jeff? Eric Stall has carried this team for years and he is once again their leading point getter, but Jeff Skinner is actually leading the Hurricanes in per game scoring. This creates a dilemma for the Jets as Stall and Skinner play on different lines. The Jets need to figure out which line deserves the most attention and sick Andrew Ladd, Byran Little and Michael Frolik on them.

Will Scheifele Staal? Super Rookie Mark Scheifele's possession numbers have taken a steep down turn of late. This has been somewhat masked by the fact that he is still scoring, but it is something to watch. Opposing teams are giving Scheif tough matchups and he isn't quite winning them yet. Scheifele will need help from his linemates to keep his two-way game rolling - problem is Wheeler is a gambler and Chris Thorburn is largely a disaster. Three scoring lines have powered this team under PoMo, they need Scheifele and Co to have another strong showing.

Carolina Hurricanes

Figure Out Which Jet is the Jettiest. Since moving Dustin Byfuglien to forward the Winnipeg Jets have had 3 different lines contributing on the score sheet. There is no way of knowing who will be rolling tonight. With last change Carolina will have their pick of who to shut down. They need to exploit this advantage.

Is Jordan Better?Jordan Staal is one of the best shut down centres in the NHL. That said, historically the line of Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler has given him fits. That line doesn't exist any more. Who will Jordan face? Will it be Scheifele? How will he fair? Odds probably favor Staal if that is the match-up. This match up may decide the outcome of the game.

Hainsey Scores Goals. Some may cringe hearing this, but the loss of former Winnipeg Jet Ron Hainsey was a major factor in the Jets' early season struggles. Over his career, Zach Bogosian had been at his best when paired with HRR and it took Zach a while to figure out how to play without Ron. To compound the bitterness, Hainsey is scoring goals this year. He has 4 goals on the season, which is more than either Zach Bogosian or Mark Stuart. This is after scoring ZERO as a Jet. Ron logs big minutes in Carolina and they need another strong showing tonight.

Player to Boo Mercilessly

John-Michael Liles used to be a Leaf and the Leafs are stupid. Boo that man!

Prediction

Jets 3

Canes 2

Sophomore Brett Pesce has three goals and five assists for the No. 20 Wildcats.

Casual observers with lesser knowledge of the game insist Brett Pesce isn't flashy or doesn't do anything special out on the ice, but to keen observers, he is a solid, very dependable young defenseman.

"He's not flashy at all. He makes plays that make him seem flashy at times because he skates so well. He battles in the corners so well and he does the little things that make him a great hockey player. He's not a huge goal scorer even though he turned into one this weekend," said UNH captain Eric Knodel.

The Tarrytown, NJ native has taken on a bigger role for the No. 20 New Hampshire Wildcats the past two weeks with the absence of Trevor van Riemsdyk who is out with an injury.  Pesce has been paired on the top defensive unit with Knodel, a Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick.

"I love playing with Brett. Last year when he was a freshman I played with him the majority of the year. I really know how he plays and we feed off each other very well," said Knodel. "It's been working well for us."

Coaches and teammates have raved about Pesce's work ethic and drive for years, and it is evident with how he plays that he works hard on his game and doesn't take shifts off.

"He was unbelievable this weekend how he battled. I can't say enough about that kid and how he plays. No matter the situation he just goes full head of steam in there.

"He was tremendous. He was a real warrior out there this weekend. He got the game puck last night [against Notre Dame]. He could have probably got it again tonight," said UNH head coach Dick Umile after his team swept the Fighting Irish in a Hockey East series.

Pesce, the Hurricanes third round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, has a keen sense of awareness in his own zone and rarely makes a mistake or gets caught out of position, but his ability to win puck battles is one of his biggest attributes.

"He didn't get drafted by the NHL for nothing. He's a sophomore that is just coming on and playing with a lot of confidence. He's physically strong on the puck. He's a hard guy to knock off the puck," Umile explained.

Pesce grew up in the North Jersey Avalanche program and played a year of junior hockey for the Jersey Hitmen in the EJHL before matriculating to UNH. He also gained valuable international experience competing for the US National Development team and skating for the red, white and blue in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

That international experience in big games will help Pesce as he and his teammates make a final push for the Hockey East playoffs and the NCAA Tournament over the final month of the regular experience. The Wildcats host the University of Vermont for a pair of Hockey East contests this weekend at the Whittemore Center.

Pesce is working on his offensive game, as evidenced by his two goals and three assists over the last three games, but he projects as a solid, dependable stay-at-home blue liner at the next level. But before he turns the page to the next chapter in his hockey career, Pesce and his UNH teammates have some team goals they'd like to accomplish.

More from SB Nation College Hockey

Follow @SBNCollegePuckFollow @SBNation

• Walter Brown Award Semifinalists Named: Three Eagles lead the list
• Beanpot 2014: Boston College's Kevin Hayes continues senior season on overdrive
• Beanpot 2014: Mike Szmatula continues to shine for the Huskies
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Jeff Cox covers college, junior and high school hockey, NCAA recruiting and NHL Draft prospects. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.

Chris Thorburn played the role of hero tonight scoring the game winning goal as the Jets bested the Hurricanes 2-1.

The Winnipeg Jets face a familiar former divisional rival, coach Paul Maurice faces his old team and Hockey Related Ron Hainsey gets the opportunity to score more goals against the Jets than he did for the team over the last two seasons.

Both sides will be looking at a glut of familiar faces, both sides are surging and both sides are looking for points.

Keys to the Game

Winnipeg Jets

Oh What Khudobin. On paper the Winnipeg Jets are the better team. They have better possession numbers, they score more, they have a better goal differential and are better on both special teams units. The Canes hold a slight edge in goals against - mostly due to goaltending. Anton Khudobin has been white hot and is coming off a player of the month award. The Jets need to find a way to beat him repeatedly if they want to leave with a victory.

Eric or Jeff? Eric Stall has carried this team for years and he is once again their leading point getter, but Jeff Skinner is actually leading the Hurricanes in per game scoring. This creates a dilemma for the Jets as Stall and Skinner play on different lines. The Jets need to figure out which line deserves the most attention and sick Andrew Ladd, Byran Little and Michael Frolik on them.

Will Scheifele Staal? Super Rookie Mark Scheifele's possession numbers have taken a steep down turn of late. This has been somewhat masked by the fact that he is still scoring, but it is something to watch. Opposing teams are giving Scheif tough matchups and he isn't quite winning them yet. Scheifele will need help from his linemates to keep his two-way game rolling - problem is Wheeler is a gambler and Chris Thorburn is largely a disaster. Three scoring lines have powered this team under PoMo, they need Scheifele and Co to have another strong showing.

Carolina Hurricanes

Figure Out Which Jet is the Jettiest. Since moving Dustin Byfuglien to forward the Winnipeg Jets have had 3 different lines contributing on the score sheet. There is no way of knowing who will be rolling tonight. With last change Carolina will have their pick of who to shut down. They need to exploit this advantage.

Is Jordan Better?Jordan Staal is one of the best shut down centres in the NHL. That said, historically the line of Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler has given him fits. That line doesn't exist any more. Who will Jordan face? Will it be Scheifele? How will he fair? Odds probably favor Staal if that is the match-up. This match up may decide the outcome of the game.

Hainsey Scores Goals. Some may cringe hearing this, but the loss of former Winnipeg Jet Ron Hainsey was a major factor in the Jets' early season struggles. Over his career, Zach Bogosian had been at his best when paired with HRR and it took Zach a while to figure out how to play without Ron. To compound the bitterness, Hainsey is scoring goals this year. He has 4 goals on the season, which is more than either Zach Bogosian or Mark Stuart. This is after scoring ZERO as a Jet. Ron logs big minutes in Carolina and they need another strong showing tonight.

Player to Boo Mercilessly

John-Michael Liles used to be a Leaf and the Leafs are stupid. Boo that man!

Prediction

Jets 3

Canes 2

The Jets were able to survive a late onslaught from the Hurricanes and got an unsuspecting game winning goal from Chris Thorburn.

Well, that was fun. Tonight the Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes partook in a hockey game that featured so much panache it would have made the great Ric Flair "WWWOOOO!" with glee.

Both teams were hot out of the gate, trading quality chances in the first period. However, both Ondrej Pavelec and Anton Khudobin were stout, combining for twenty saves and a pristine 1.000 save percentage to end the frame.

It was just past the midway point of the second period that Michael Frolik scooped up a face-off win in the defensive zone, taking it coast-to-coast and shovelling a backhand into Khudobin's pads, creating a rebound that Andrew Ladd was able to flick past Carolina's netminder for the first goal of the game.

The Jets found themselves in penalty trouble soon after their goal as Zach Bogosian was levied with a holding call against Russian Olympian Alexander Semin. During Carolina's man-advantage Winnipeg took a too many men call giving Carolina an extended two-man advantage. Backed by competent goaltending by Pavelec, the Jets penalty killers weathered the storm and maintained their one goal lead heading into the game's final stanza.

Unfortunately for Winnipeg, the third period got off to a shaky start. Riley Nash notched his seventh of the season, capitalizing on the defensive breakdown of the Jets' fourth line and knotting the score at 1-1.

The game would remain tied until the waining moments of the third period. Although the Hurricanes were coming in waves, it was the unlikely pugilist turned goal scorer Chris Thorburn who carried the Jets to victory. Thorburn found the puck on his tape after a great cross crease pass from Jacob Trouba, snapping it into a yawning cage with sixty-three seconds of game play remaining.

Winnipeg would hold on in the final seconds, earning their ninth win under Paul Maurice in eleven games. They will have Wednesday off before visiting the Washington Capitals Thursday night at the Verizon Centre.

Ten thoughts:

• Paul Maurice returned to old digs at the PNC Arena and earned yet another win as Winnipeg's bench boss. Under his watch, the Jets' just keep rolling. This reminds me of when Bruce Boudreau took over as head coach of the Washington Capitals and led them to an improbable playoff appearance. The only difference is that Washington actually outplayed their opponents consistently. Et tu, Paul?
• Face-offs were yet again terrible. Mark Scheifele won two of ten draws (20%). Bryan Little was five of nineteen (26%). This is inexcusably bad. Get well soon, Jim Slater.
• Despite what Mike Johnson tells you, Chris Thorburn was not effective on Winnipeg's second line. Sure, he, Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele created a few shots, but they were out-chanced all night resulting in the worst Corsi rating of all forwards. It just so happens he scored the winning goal, so I guess I should ease up.
• Props to Ondrej Pavelec tonight. We all bemoaned Maurice's (or maybe Chevy's depending who you ask) decision to start him, but for all intents and purposes, he preformed up to Al Montoya's level despite flopping around like a fish. To me it looked like Anaheim redux only without his teammates being vastly outplayed. Still, he was effective, regardless of his unconventional ways.
• Michael Frolik continues to produce. What an absolutely dynamic play he made on the rush to create Andrew Ladd's goal. We sound like a broken record around here but he was a fantastic pick up.
• Bryan Little is beyond snakebitten right now. He led all Jets with five shots on goal tonight but could not sneak one past Anton Khudobin.
• Speaking of Khudobin, he was voted the NHL's first star for the month of January and tonight he showcased those talents. That sound you're hearing faintly on the horizon are the dulcet sobs of Cam Ward. He did more than enough to give his team a chance to win.
• Alexander Semin didn't take a single penalty. Stock up on rations people, the rapture is coming.
• Eric Staal was held in check all night, which is surprising since he usually light's up this franchise. Guess he was due for a poor performance.
• Ron Hainsey played a quiet eighteen minutes of hockey, but can you guess who was out there on Thorburn's game winner? That's right, Ron Hainsey.

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Winnipeg scores with just 1:03 left to steal point from Carolina

If the Carolina Hurricanes end up missing the playoffs by a point, this could be the game that will stand out to them.  As time was winding down, a wide open Chris Thorburn scored his second goal of the season to give the Winnipeg Jets a 2-1 win over the Hurricanes in front of 14,033 at PNC Arena.

The Canes seemed to be gaining momentum in the third period and looked to be the fresher team, but after Riley Nash tied things up early in the period, they could not solve Ondrej Pavelec again, who made 28 saves on 29 shots for the game.

The Canes defense had a collective gaffe in their own end late in the game as they failed to clear a puck that looked to be easily cleared.  Then Jacob Trouba skated the puck behind the net as Ron Hainsey chose to try to cut him off.  Trouba then passed to Thorburn, who broke in behind the play all alone as the Carolina players were all standing watching the puck.  The goal was scored with just 1:03 left in the game.

Anton Khudobin, the NHL's first player for the month of January, made 25 saves on 27 shots and had no chance on the game-winner.

After a scoreless first period, the Jets took the lead midway through the second after Michael Frolik beat Justin Faulk into the Carolina zone.  When both Andrej Sekera and Nathan Gerbe went to cover him, that left Andrew Ladd all alone to clean up a juicy rebound after Frolik shot the puck hard into Khudobin's pads.

The Canes powerplay failed to generate anything for the club again this game.  The team could not put a shot on goal their first chance and then could not capitalize during a 50 plus second, 5-on-3.  John-Michael Liles did hit the post with a long shot, but there was no taking advantage of their two extra men.

The Jets did not have a powerplay chance in this game, although Eric Staal was somehow called for a slash during a late faceoff when Bryan Little was called for cross checking.

The Canes have two more games in their current homestand this Friday and Saturday night before the Olympic break.

Game Notes:

• Carolina outshot the Jets 29-27.  Alexander Semin led the way with six and Jeff Skinner was next with five.
• Manny Malhotra won a game high 73% of his faceoffs.  The team won 64%.
• Check out post game interviews at Canes PR.com.

Despite having a pretty successful 2014 so far, the Carolina Hurricanes are basically just weathering the storm as their Eastern Conference playoff competition are also playing quite well. All the Hurricanes can do is continue to win some games and hope that things sort themselves out as the season moves along.

You can't fight mother nature and the Canes can't control how the rest of the Eastern Conference does. Carolina started the new year 12th in the East and 5 points out of a playoff spot. They then preceded to win 10 of 15 games for the 5th best winning percentage in the NHL. But 2 of the teams that were better are Carolina's direct competition for a playoff spot. While the Hurricanes have picked up 20 points since January 1st, only 2 teams currently ranked between 4th & 13th in the Eastern Conference have picked up less than 17 points. In this time, Carolina collected 10 points from this group and yielded only 5. They have improved in the standings, but not by much. As of today, they sit 11th in the East and 3 points out of a playoff spot. So all the Canes can do is weather the storm, continue to win games and hope things work themselves out. This week the Canes split there 2 homes games with a win over the mighty Blues and a last minute lost to the surging Jets. It certainly puts a lot of pressure on Carolina as they have a back-to-back before the Olympic break. 2 wins and they should still find themselves in the thick of things, 2 losses with an upcoming west coast road trip and the Canes could be sellers at the trade deadline. Here are the stats for the week of 1/29/14 though 2/4/14.

Canes Weekly Stats

Weekly Advanced Stats

Here is a little key to some of my abbreviations. F - For, A - Against, CF% - Corsi For Percentage, FF% - Fenwick For Percentage, SF% - Shots For Percentage, OZst% - Offensive Zone Start Percentage, NZst% - Neutral Zone Start Percentage and DZst% - Defensive Zone Start Percentage. If you would like more advanced statistics, this information was collected from www.extraskater.com.

Who's Hot

• Anton Khudobin - A 0.945 save percentage and 1.51 goals against average, their really isn't much more to say. Since returning from injury, Dobby has been the Canes best & most consistent player. He was named NHL 1st Star for the month of January and continued his superb play to start February. In the 5 games Dobby has lost this year, the Canes have only scored 4 goals (and the Canes actually outscored the Lightning after Khudobin came in, but he was credited for the loss). So it really seems to be more of an issue of the team not scoring, rather than Khudobin letting them down. He has to be Jim Rutherford's best free agent signing this season, if not longer. But now the questions is, what will it take to keep him in Carolina? With Cam Ward back, JR has some very tough decisions to make, but Dobby has certainly aced his test so far.
• Alexander Semin - Carolina had no multi-point players this week, so this was tough picking. But I thought Semin continued to play well and be a force on the ice. Goals aren't coming as easy for him as they were the past couple of weeks, but he's still create very good scoring chances. He tied for the team led in goals & points and was 2nd in shots with 10. But the most impressive thing to me was his possession numbers. He was in the top 4 of every category I follow and was over 72% in All Situations & 5 on 5 Close Shots For percentage. When he was on the ice, Carolina was getting pucks on net and not allowing them. The only real negative in Semin's game is that he continues to take some rather weak penalties. The Canes are really not good enough on the PK to allow for this, so stay out of the box and play the responsible game we all know you can.
• John-Michael Liles - Liles didn't have any points this week and even finished -1 for the week, but he continues to be a very effective puck-moving defenseman. He actually got more ice time this week than Ron Hainsey and led all defensemen with 4 shots on goal. But like Semin, the most impressive thing was his possession stats. He was in the top 4 in every category and was 10% to 20% higher than Justin Faulk & Andrej Sekera in those categories. He has come into this organization and has filled a need in this team's top 4. It also appears that Tim Gleason is playing much better and filling a role in Toronto. So this seems to have been one of those hockey trades that worked out well for both teams. Now we just need Liles to add icing to the cake and start contributing more points, particularly on the PP.

Who's Not

• Manny Malhotra - Everybody loves Manny and he is a good player and good leader, but I believe this past two weeks have proven that he isn't a 3rd liner. While he did have some points the week before, he continues to be a horrible possession player. Just take a look at his new linemate, Nathan Gerbe. Gerbe was one of the Canes best possession players when on a line with Jordan or Eric Staal, but since being lined up with Malhotra, his possession numbers have fallen off the map. Manny was on the ice for every goal against this week and if you watch, the opponents cycle his line to death. I understand he starts the vast majority of his time in the defensive zone, but for someone that wins faceoffs like he does, you would think his possession numbers would be better. Malhotra finished the week tied for a team worse -2 and was in the bottom 3 in every possession category. I want this guy resigned, but I also want him on the 4th line and for the Canes to find a 3rd line center.
• Justin Faulk - Faulk really didn't have a bad week statistically, but my observations are telling me a different story. Too often lately, it appears that Faulk is tired and he is differing way to often to Sekera. Faulk came into this league as a solid two-way defenseman, but was a little more offensive than defensive. Lately, it seems like he doesn't even want to touch the puck. Him carrying the puck up the ice has decreased and last night on the PP, he wasn't even looking to shoot the puck. I'm extremely happy that he was selected to Team USA, but I also would love to see him get some time off to rest. He's having to play a lot of hard minutes for this team and while he is doing a good job, I think he could be better. I'm really not trying to say Faulk was bad this week, but a few changes here and there could make this team better.
• Eric Staal - Here is another guy that really wasn't bad this week, but the Hurricanes need more out of him. Eric had very good possession numbers and was fabulous in the faceoff circle, but 3 shots on goal, really! The last time the Canes made the playoffs, Eric averaged over 4.5 shots per game. This team depends on Eric for a number of things, but first and foremost is scoring. It doesn't all have to be about goals, setting up teammates works just as well, but shooting the puck does both of these things. Eventually some shot will get through or rebounds will be created, but I really can't think of any time that shooting is a bad thing. For this team to get where it wants to be, Eric's line needs to be dangerous almost every time on the ice and that line should generally create a goal per game. That's asking a lot, but that is what this team requires.

Notable Weekly Team Stats

• The Canes scoring dropped off quite a bit this week, down to 2.00 goals per game. That ranked tied for 21st with 5 other teams.
• Carolina's PP was very close to their season average, which is really sad. They were 1 of 7 on the PP for 14.3% and really could have used one against the Jets. They ranked tied for 15th for the week.
• The PK had a poor showing at 75%, tied for 21st in the league. But they only allowed 4 opportunities this week, which tied for best in the NHL with Florida.
• The Canes Corsi For percentage increased to 53.9% at 5 on 5, but their Fenwick For percentage was only 49.7%. The team had a number of shots blocked, particularly in the St. Louis game.
• The Canes shots for and shots against were respectable. They averaged 30 shots for per game, tied for 19th in the league. They gave up 27.5 shots against per game, which ranked 5th in the NHL.
• Carolina ranked 2nd in faceoff percentage at 56.6%. Of the guys that took at least 5 draws, Elias led the way at 80.0%, Eric was next at 64.9%, followed by Manny at 60.0%, then Jordan at 51.9% and ended with Riley at 12.5%.
• The Hurricanes only ended up in the top 10 in 1 other category. They finished tied for 6th in takeaways (26). They were middle of the pack in turnover margin at -8. And finished in the bottom 10 in the other categories I list. They were tied 23rd in giveaways (34), 28th in hits (42) and 30th in blocked shots (13).
• Team Stat of the Week - Goals Against per Game - 1.50 - Khudobin had a pretty solid week in net for the Canes, only allowing 3 goals in 2 games. The 1.50 goals against per game ranked 5th in the NHL for the week. Typically that would be good enough for nothing but wins, but the Hurricanes struggled some putting the puck in the net. If the goalie and the Carolina defense can keep this up, the Canes should make a strong playoff push if their offense can get anything going.

Former Canes Weekly Stats

The Hurricanes prepare for their final two games before the Olympic break.

A 3-2 rally against the Colombus Blue Jackets placed the Carolina Hurricanes in 3^rd place in the metropolitan division for a mere 24 hours before being shutout by the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 while also ending a four game winning streak.

January was a remarkable month for the team as they recorded their second best record for the month of January in franchise history going 10-4.Anton Khudobin showed his true colors while receiving the first star of the month.Jeff Skinner, Andrej Sekera, and Khudobin were all honored within the top 3 stars during the month.

If you read my last column you would have thought the entire roster read it as well.Semin stepped up his game and played exceptionally well after getting the nod to play for his home country of Russia in the Olympics.Staal’s season continued to incline in points, as it should.It is notably obvious when a star captain like Staal plays well, it is reflected within the teams’ performance.A captain is there to lead the way and he did exactly that.Semin and Staal had consecutive points going in to the game against Montreal.

The last time the hurricanes recorded a 10-win month was in 2009 and they proceeded to the Eastern Conference final.Coincidence? I think not.

Nathan Gerbe put up a goal in January that was featured on Sports Center’s Top 10, and we all know Sports Center doesn’t favor hockey necessarily.The between-the-legs move made notable by Marek Malik in a shootout was attempted by Gerbe while hauling full speed towards Philidelphia goalie Steve Mason.As the puck bounced over Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn inside the Hurricanes zone, Gerbe’s accelerated speed propelled him towards the puck giving him a breakaway opportunity.Gerbe then made the effort to place his stick between his legs and flip the puck past Mason.The successful attempt by the 5’5" forward was made after practicing trick shots during practice.

Nathan Gerbe goes between-the-legs to score (via NHL)

After the New Years rally against Montreal, the Hurricanes appeared to find the momentum they had been looking for. Since then, the Canes have been playing a more aggressive style. For one, they are doing very well at controlling the puck more and making smart plays. Although the consistency is lacking a little in that category, they’re doing much better compared to the first half of the season.

A critical, tight–checking game is essential at this point of the season especially considering how tight the standings are within the Metropolitan division.While the Hurricanes sit in fifth place in the division, they are four points out of a playoff spot as well as New Jersey and Washington.Carolina was caught slipping late in the third period in their 2-1 loss against Winnepeg, a game that could have easily gone down to the wire.For the most part, the Hurricanes maintained the flow throughout the first and second periods.Several Hurricanes’ chances rung the post and a Jiri Tlusty one-timer feed from Semin skimmed past the net.As much of an impact points play at this time of year it’s important that the Canes keep their cycle running efficiently in the offensive zone and keep battling for the puck in the corners.Their game against the Winnipeg Jets showed that a minor mistake could cost the game.

The Hurricanes play back-to-back games before the Olympic Break.Anticipating the return, Cam Ward should be no less than one hundred percent.Carolina’s goaltending situation as of now isn’t necessarily ideal, but it could be the factor that helps them clinch a playoff spot.The Fourth Period reported the ‘Canes could have interest in adding Florida Panther’s Marcel Goc or Buffalo’s Steve Ott to add depth to the center position.Ott’s presence would be ideal as he adds an aggressive style of play that could help the Hurricanes improve on their own.

Best of luck to Justin Faulk,Tuomo Ruutu, Andrej Sekera, and Alex Semin in the Olympics with their respective countries.

Max Pacioretty had not one, but two penalty shots in the same period on Thursday night. He failed to score on both.

Getting one penalty shot in a game is pretty rare. The same player getting two of them in the same game, in the same period, and just two minutes apart is pretty much unheard of. But that's what happened to Montreal's Max Pacioretty on Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks. Incredibly, he failed to score on both of them.

On the first one, Pacioretty just completely missed the net, shanking the shot wide and firing it off the glass. On the second one he simply could not get any elevation to lift it over Roberto Luongo's leg.

If nothing else, he at least put himself in the record books. So he has that going for him.

#Habs Max Pacioretty is the first player in NHL history with 2 unsuccessful penalty shots in the same period.

— Sportsnet Ticker (@SportsnetTicker) February 7, 2014

The only other player in NHL history to get two penalty shots in the same game is Erik Cole, then a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, back in 2005. He scored on one of them.

It wasn't all bad news for Pacioretty and the Canadiens though. Montreal not only won the game, 5-2, but Pacioretty also recorded a hat trick in what might be one of the craziest single game stat lines you will ever see.

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It's home-and-home, back-to-back, Cats and Habs as the Canes wrap up their pre-Olympic schedule this weekend.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers
February 7, 2014 - 7:00 pm ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 The Fan

SB Nation Rival Blog: Litter Box Cats (twitter @LitterBoxCats)

Hurricanes Record: 25-21-9 (59 pts.)
Panthers Record: 22-28-7 (51 pts.)

On Sunday the NHL goes on hiatus for two weeks as the league breaks to send its best and brightest to Sochi. Between now and then the Hurricanes will work in two games starting with tonight's game against the Florida Panthers and wrapping up tomorrow night against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Canes and Panthers have met once so far this season, a 3-2 win here in Raleigh on January 18th. They'll play once more in Florida in March. The Canes are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Jets on Tuesday night. The Panthers hosted the Red Wings last night in Sunrise and came away on the losing end of a 3-1 final, so the Canes will be catching them on the back end of a back-to-back tonight.

The Panthers likely won't practice before tonight's game. Here's how they lined up against the Red Wings:

Sean Bergenheim - Aleksander Barkov - Brad Boyes

Jonathan Huberdeau - Nick Bjugstad - Scottie Upshall

Tomas Fleischmann - Marcel Goc - Tomas Kopecky

Jesse Winchester - Shawn Matthias - Scott Gomez

Brian Campbell - Tom Gilbert

Ed Jovanovski - Erik Gudbranson
Mike Weaver
- Dmitry Kulikov

Tim Thomas

Scott Clemmensen

Thomas was in net for last night's loss so the Canes could see Scott Clemmensen. Clemmensen is 3-6-0 with a 3.16 GAA in eleven career games; Thomas is 10-11-1 with a 2.70 GAA and one shutout.

Forwards Brad Boyes (15g, 11a) and Scottie Upshall (10g, 16a) lead the Panthers with 26 points each. Upshall scored the lone goal for the Panthers in last night's game. The Panthers are getting good production from their blue line with Bryan Campbell and Tom Gilbert next in points with 25 each.

The Panthers have the dubious honor of having the 30th ranked power play in the NHL, converting on just 9.1% of their man advantage opportunities. They are five full percentage points below the next lowest group which are all tied around 14%, including the Canucks, Sabres, Kings, and yes, the Hurricanes.

After last night's game results the Canes enter tonight 6th in the Metro division, 12th in the Eastern Conference, five points back of third place and four points out of a wild card spot with only four points available by winning out before the break.

The Canes have a full healthy roster and there have been no noticeable changes in the lineup over the last two days of practice. Much of the focus has been on the power play and generating more shots and developing more hunger around the net (Kirk Muller audio from Wednesday and Thursday).

The Canes are playing in their 14th set of back-to-back games this season. They'll play 20 total, only New Jersey (22) will play more. The Canes are 12-10-4 in those back-to-back games, and went 5-0-0 in the front end of back-to-backs in January.

No starting goaltender has been named but it's expected that Anton Khudobin will get the start, which would be his second against the Panthers (he won his first start in January). Cam Ward is 15-10-2 with a 2.91 GAA in 30 career appearances.

Tuomo Ruutu will play in his 600th NHL game tonight.

Projected line-up:

Jiri Tlusty - Eric Staal - Alexander Semin
Jeff Skinner - Jordan Staal - Elias Lindholm
Nathan Gerbe - Manny Malhotra - Patrick Dwyer
Drayson Bowman - Riley Nash - Tuomo Ruutu
Radek Dvorak

Andrej Sekera - Justin Faulk
Ron Hainsey - John-Michael Liles
Brett Bellemore - Jay Harrison
Mike Komisarek

Anton Khudobin
Cam Ward
Justin Peters

For your pre-game listening, here's Episode 12 of the Hurricanes Report Podcast.

Check out Storm Surge for live updates of the morning skate and other features at 10:30 am on the Hurricanes webpage.

The Canes will be in their black alternate jerseys tonight. And speaking of jerseys, before the game (tonight and tomorrow), check out the Canes players' Olympic jerseys on display outside Section 108. Bring a book to help the Book Harvest and Feed and Read, and become eligible for cool prizes.

We'll have the open game thread ready to go by 6:30 pm. See you at the rink.

The inconsistent Cats head into their second of back to back games as they travel to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes.

Ah, that's the team we know and love. After thoroughly dominating the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night by a score of 4-1, the Panthers returned to form against the Red Wings last night, playing basically a 30 minute game and getting outshot 23-8 in the first two periods. The Panthers reverted to a team that only seems interested in playing hard for certain stretches within a game, and the complete team effort was once again not present. After pretty much controlling the entire game against the Leafs, you really have to wonder why the Panthers can't put that kind of effort forth night in and night out.

With the loss to Detroit behind them, the Panthers head up to Raleigh to face off against old division buddies the Carolina Hurricanes who, despite not having an incredible season, sit only five points away from Detroit for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Canes definitely have the chance to reach the playoffs thanks to the play of Eric Staal and Anton Khudobin, the latter of which has had 15 straight starts and was recently named one of the three stars by the NHL for the month of January. Staal has been on somewhat of a scoring tear lately, potting 11 points in his last 12 games, and third-year sniper Jeff Skinner has 23 goals scored on the season so far playing alongside Jordan Staal. That 23 goal total is eight more than the Panthers leading goal scorer, Brad Boyes, and Skinner's played in 11 less games. Yikes.

Tune in for another episode of Jekyll and Hyde: Florida Panthers Edition tonight at the LBC GameThread, and peep one of the worst third jerseys ever created over at Canes Country. After tonight's game, the NHL is on hiatus until the end of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, so the Panthers next game will be against the Washington Capitals on February 27. Until then, enjoy the international hockey action and may Aleksander Barkov not get injured!

Players to Watch

• Alexander Semin - Semin torched the Panthers for two goals when they last played in January, and should be a prime target for some physical play tonight. He was called out the day before by Carolina GM Jim Rutherford for his lack of effort at times, and responded with one of his best games of the season. Let's hope Rutherford doesn't have anything to say this time before the game; I'd be fine seeing the lazy backchecker we've come to know and love from his time with Washington.
• Scottie Upshall - Upshall played a spirited game against the Red Wings last night, one of the few Panthers to do so. He's at his best when he's running around the ice taking (clean) shots at the opposition and causing havoc around the crease. The Panthers need him to do that every night, all night, and they need about six other players I can think of to do the same. Upshall's not the most talented or fastest or smartest, but at times he's the best player on the ice regardless and the rest of the roster should learn from that.
• Nathan Gerbe - The little sparkplug from Buffalo is on pace to break his career-highs in all categories, despite playing for a team that's 21st in the league in scoring. He has found a good home in Carolina and is another offensive threat for the Canes, if not a physical one. Both Gerbe and Skinner are smaller guys but very talented with the puck and know how to hit the twine. The Panthers will have to do a very good job keeping these two shifty forwards on the perimeter and not letting them sneak into the slot.
• Tomas Kopecky - After his terrible turnover against Toronto that led to a goal, and the ridiculous unsportsmanlike penalty he took last night against the Wings, in which he shot a puck directly at a referee, I would be scratching Kopecky. I don't see anything near enough from him on a nightly basis to justify his spot over someone like Drew Shore, Scott Gomez, or even Krys Barch at this point. Sit him and light a fire, hopefully he gets the message.

The 2014 Olympic games began yesterday, and the Sabres season is now on a two week hiatus. Here's what to expect from the league, the Games, and this fine website.

How long does the NHL Olympic break last?

The NHL is on hiatus from Feb 9-25, and the Buffalo Sabres have the honor of kicking the rest of the season off thanks to their rescheduled game against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, teams can call their players back to practice as early Feb 19 at 2pm, giving most of the league about 10 days off.

The actual Olympic games are taking place from Feb 7-23 in Sochi, Russia, which is nine hours ahead of EST for those of you interested in watching live. Get ready to set your alarms for 3am if you want to catch the early games live - late games will start at 7:30am EST.

Can NHL teams still make trades or other roster moves?

Sorry, jack. A league-wide trade freeze went into effect today at 3pm, and won't lift again until 11:59pm on Feb 23, which will be the day of both the hockey gold medal game and the closing ceremonies. As far as roster move, this article from James Mirtle of the Globe & Mail sums up all the possibilities nicely. In short, you can do a few things, but can't do most things.

Team USA Olympic roster, schedule

Get to know the players and the schedule for Team USA'a Olympic men's hockey team, including Buffalo's own Ryan Miller.

So when does the hockey portion of the Olympics start?

The Men's Olympic Hockey Tournament, aka the best reason to watch the Winter Olympics, begins on Wednesday, Feb 12, and will run every day except for two through the end of the Olympics, the 23rd. The USA starts their tournament on the 13th, and will play Slovakia, Slovenia, and host Russia in the round robin part of the tournament.

The women's hockey tournament starts tomorrow morning at 3am EST, as Team USA takes on Finland. You can find the full schedule for the women's tournament, where Teams USA and Canada are the heavy favorites, right here.

What will DBTB be doing for the Olympics?

Glad you asked! We certainly won't be shutting down for two weeks - not only will we still be reporting the relevant Sabres news and trade rumors on the daily, but we'll be covering the Olympics as well.

Every morning we'll put up a post with that day's Olympic hockey games, and will feature any Sabres players in those games. This thread will double as our Game Thread for any and all Olympic contests that day, so feel free to chat about Ryan Miller, Team Latvia, or the Jamaican bobsled team if you like. We'll also post recaps of the day's events with again, a focus on the Sabres players, and will cover any breaking Olympic news regarding certain starting goaltenders.

What will the non-Olympic Sabres be doing during their break?

I dunno, going to the beach? In all seriousness, getting away from this no-good-very-bad season for a few daysshould be good for everyone, and we'll likely see a re-energized team once the league reconvenes at the end of February. This will also be a chance for guys like Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, and the like to fully heal from their minor injuries. We also foud out today that Chad Ruhwedel and Phil Varone to Rochester, and have placed Linus Omark on waivers. Should he clear, he'll join Mark Pysyk, Brayden McNabb, Kevin Porter, and Johan Larsson as potential future Sabres playing in the AHL through the Olympic break.

As for new GM Tim Murray, the next few weeks will be critical times, indeed. Just because there's a trade freeze, doesn't mean that the GMs can't talk with each other. I'm sure there will be plenty of he-said she-said rumors that will leak out during the break, and there could be a flurry of activity as soon as the games end. He'll also be able to focus on the Amerks, and can finish up any start-of-the-job loose ends.

Let us know if you have any other questions about the break, the games, or anything we forgot, and Happy Olympics!

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UMass Lowell is in second place in Hockey East, eight points back of Boston College.

BOSTON -- UMass Lowell will pay a visit to Agganis Arena Friday night for the second and final regular season matchup between the River Hawks and the Boston University Terriers this season.

Norm Bazin's club won the first meeting, 3-1, back on Jan. 18 at Tsongas Arena. Scott Wilson, Terrence Wallin and Joseph Pendenza tallied markers and Connor Hellebuyck was only forced to make 11 saves in the victory.

UML comes into Friday's game on a three-game winning streak, including a victory over Providence and two over Merrimack. BU fell to Boston College in the first round of the Beanpot on Monday night, 4-2.

Boston University will start Matt O'Connor between the pipes while UMass Lowell will counter with Connor Hellebuyck.

UMASS LOWELL

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

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Jeff Cox covers college, junior and high school hockey, NCAA recruiting and NHL Draft prospects. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.

Khudobin with another strong game and Canes jump on Panthers

Anton Khudobin, who was recently named the NHL's first star for the month of January, continued his strong play and made 34 saves on 35 shots while leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers in front of 16,132 at PNC Arena on Friday night.

The goalie has now played in 16 straight games for the Hurricanes and will most likely start again on Saturday night, although coach Kirk Muller would not confirm that when asked after the game.

The Canes jumped out to a lead early on the Panthers as Riley Nash, Alexander Semin, and Brett Bellemore all scored goals in the first period.  Carolina is now 15-1-4 when scoring first in a game.

Nash got the scoring started 9:17 into the game when he found an opening in front of the Florida net and beat Tim Thomas with a well-placed wrister.  Tuomo Ruutu set him up with a sharp pass.

A minute and change after that goal, Semin scored his after an Andrej Sekera shot bounced out to him past the slot area.  A Panther touched the puck, so Sekera did not get the assist, but Semin beat Thomas on a long, wicked shot the goalie probably did not even see.

About five minutes later, the Panthers would make it 2-1, but Bellemore rifled his shot just beyond the slot area to reclaim the two goal lead for the home team, with just 1:39 left in the opening period.  Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner were both working the puck hard before it got to the defenseman and they both earned assists on the play.

Bellemore would get a rise out of the crowd once again later in the second period when he dropped the gloves with Erik Gudbranson.  Neither player could land any huge hits, but Bellemore flipped him on his back to the ice for the take down and win.

When asked about getting close to the traditional "Gordie Howe hat trick" after the game Bellemore joked, "yeah, "Harry" (Jay Harrison) said to get him the puck and he would make sure I got the assist I needed".

Jiri Tlusty made it, 4-1 at 4:36 into the second period on an easy goal right in front of an open net.  Tim Thomas was replaced at this point and Scott Clemmensen came in.

Bellemore would not get his assist but Sekera would score another goal, to add to his career best total of nine.  The goal came from a shot on the point during a powerplay opportunity during the third period and made the score, 5-1.

In between the Carolina goals, Khudobin was making a variety of saves when needed, a couple of them sparkling ones made on open breakaway chances.

The Hurricanes will play their final game before the Olympic break on Saturday night, with an early 6 p.m. start.

Game Notes:

• Sekera led the team with six shots on goal.  The team was outshot 35-32 for the game. 
  
• The Canes blocked 24 shots in this game and were led by Justin Faulk with six and John-Michael Liles with five.  Liles left the game early and his status is unknown.
• Faulk played a game high 23:04. The lines were shuffled very well as Nathan Gerbe was low man with 12:35.
• Eric Staal won 63% of his faceoffs and finished at +3 in this game.  Manny Malhotra won 58% of his.  The team was at 57%.
• Ruutu led the team with five hits and had excellent passing on this night.  After the initial assist for Nash early, he found Nash for another great chance later in the game but the goalie got a piece of that shot for the save.

Ten days removed from a shutout victory over Carolina, can the Habs take another victory from the Hurricanes?

Check out True Rivalry

The Carolina Hurricanes are playing their best hockey of the season.

After a dreadful start, their play has been on a steady upward trajectory, and they aren't showing signs of slowing down. The Hurricanes have gone 11-5 since the calendar flipped to 2014, and are averaging almost four goals per game in those victories. Coincidentally, goaltender Anton Khudobin has provided 11 quality starts in 2014 as well, stabilizing what had been an unsteady situation in net. The reunited line of Alexander Semin, Eric Staal, and Jiri Tlusty has been formidable, while Elias Lindholm's promotion has given the Hurricanes a top six that can compete with the NHL's best.

Kirk Muller's squad have some solid underlying numbers as well. Carolina bottomed out at 42% fenwick close in the very early going of the 2013-14 season, but the 'canes have been constantly improving since then. Their overall performance for the season sits at only 48%, but that number is sabotaged by Carolina's slow start. Looking at only the last ten games, the Hurricanes come in at 52%, the mark of a strong playoff team. Three points out of a wildcard spot, but with a game in hand on the Detroit Red Wings, Carolina is not to be taken lightly.

Of course, apparent amidst their recent encouraging play have been a couple of lacklustre losses. Of the five setbacks they've suffered, three have come by shutout. When not being shutout, Carolina has rarely failed to score fewer than three goals, making them something of a boom-or-bust offensive team in recent weeks.

The Canadiens have experienced both versions of the Hurricanes, giving up five goals on New Years' Eve before shutting out Carolina two Tuesdays ago. That shutout victory came courtesy of Carey Price, who pocketed another shutout win a week later when he beat Calgary four days ago. During TSN's broadcast of Habs-Canucks on Thursday, the network characterized Price's February as a return to form. This doesn't do justice to the play of the Canadian Olympian, who spent the better part of three months swimming against an unrelenting tide of scoring chances. Nevertheless, it's nice to see Carey get results commensurate with his efforts.

Tonight, C3P1 will likely need some assistance in deciding the fate of the bleu, blanc, et rouge. While score effects were most certainly at play, and the bottom of the Habs' lineup thrived against the undermanned Canucks, the top of the lineup still had trouble keeping Vancouver from putting shots and scoring chances on Price. As discussed above, the Hurricanes have two dangerous lines at the top of their forward group, and those skaters are likely to pose a greater threat than the Habs' Henrik-less opponents were able to on Thursday. If the Plekanec and Eller lines can't keep pressure off of the Habs back-end, the dangerous trio of Pacioretty-Desharnais-Gallagher may not be able to produce enough offence to offset the contributions of Staal and Co.

Of equal concern is the injury to Michael Bournival, who will not play this evening. Bournival had been an important contributor to a much improved fourth line for the Canadiens, and his absence will require some rejigging of the roster. If the Habs offer Bournival's spot back to George Parros, the Canadiens forward depth would be significantly eroded. With their young forward likely concussed, however, and no further games to play until after the Olympics, the Canadiens have may little other choice than to take their chances with a shallower lineup than usual.

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The struggling Cats have now dropped five of their last six games.

Playing their last game before a twenty-day break for the Olympics, the Florida Panthers dropped a 5-1 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh last night. It was the Cats fourth straight loss on the road. Florida has been outscored by an ugly 21-7 margin in those four contests.

Riley Nash and Alexander Semin scored a 1:27 apart midway through the first period to stake the Hurricanes to a 2-0 lead that would hold up the rest of the way.

Nick Bjugstad netted the Panthers only goal by sweeping a shot past Anton Khudobin at the 15:30 mark for his thirteenth of the season. Dylan Olsen, who returned to the lineup after spending three games in the press box, and Scottie Upshall drew the assists.

Brett Bellemore beat Tim Thomas a few minutes later to restore the Canes two-goal advantage. Thomas finished the game with just ten saves on fourteen shots after getting yanked in the second period.

The Cats came out and were taking the play to the Canes in the early stages of the middle frame, until Ed Jovanovski's ill-advised pass attempt up middle in his own end. The errant pass hit Sean Bergenheim in the skate, causing him to fall to ice, and then came to Eric Staal, who quickly rifled the puck at Thomas. The veteran goaltender made a sparkling stop, but the rebound went off Erik Gudbranson's skate right to a wide-open Jiri Tlusty who deposited the puck into the empty net, sending Thomas to the bench.

Scott Clemmensen would come on in relief and do a fine job of mopping up, stopping 17 of the 18 shots he faced.

The Panthers had plenty of chances to close the gap but between their general lack of finishing ability, Khudobin, and the post, they would not light the lamp again.

Andrej Sekera closed out the scoring with a third period power-play goal from Jeff Skinner (his second assist) and Jordan Staal.

Gimme a break, I sure could use one... Thank goodness for the 20-day Olympic hiatus, because it's getting real hard to watch this team right now. After two games of tightening things up in their own end, the defensive breakdowns returned in spades last night. I lost count of how many times the Cats just gave away the puck in their zone for no reason or without much prompting from the Hurricanes. Carolina was just as sloppy, especially after going up by three. Another team would have made the Canes pay for the lackadaisical approach to closing out the game, but not the Panthers. They can't score, no matter how many open looks, power plays, or breakaway attempts they get.  Hopefully, when the Cats return on February 27th, we'll see the team that thumped Toronto the other night, but I doubt it. With the Panthers out of the playoff chase, I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of what we witnessed last night.

Odds & Ends

• I hate to play armchair coach here, but with Tim Thomas not at his best lately and playing the night before, I really felt Peter Horachek should have given Scott Clemmensen the start in this one. The Clem-dog came in with a potentially ugly blowout brewing and gave the team a fighting chance to mount a comeback. Nothing against TT, but with the playoffs a pipe dream now, there is no reason for him to keep wearing himself out by making start after start after start. Enough already.
• In addition to his power-play goal, Andrej Sekera led the Canes with six shots on goal. Sekera now has a career-high 9 goals and 32 points. Good pick up by Carolina GM Jim Rutherford this offseason, real good.
  
• Nick Bjugstad has become one of the only Panther players I care about anymore. The kid shows up, plays hard and actually knows how to find the back of the net. Bjugsy led the Panthers with five shots and almost had a second goal, but was barely denied by Anton Khudodin.
• Khudobin ended up stopping 34 shots to raise his record to 13-5 and lower his GAA to 2.09. It was his sixteenth straight appearance for Carolina. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and with the high-priced Cam Ward under contract for two more years, he could very well end up somewhere other than Raleigh. Khudobin definitely should be on Dale Tallon's radar this summer.
• Carolina is 30-7-4 all-time at PNC Arena against the Panthers. Yikes. Maybe the Cats should just start forfeiting their road games against the Canes.
• Hurricanes' leading-scorer Eric Staal finished the game +3 and his assist gave him 36 points in his last 35 games.
• Defenseman Dylan Olsen's turnover led to the Nash goal but he redeemed himself with a helper on Bjugstad's marker. Despite the mistake, Olsen needs to be playing over some of the Panthers deadweight veterans.
• For more on the game, head over to Canes Country.
  

The Hurricanes wrap up their pre-Olympic schedule and honor their Sochi athletes tonight as they take on the Canadiens.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens
February 8, 2014 - 6:00 pm ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 The Fan

*** NOTE EARLY START TIME ***

SB Nation Rival Blog: Eyes on the Prize (twitter @HabsEOTP)

Hurricanes Record: 26-21-9 (61 pts.)
Canadiens Record: 31-21-6 (68 pts.)

"Resolved... to close out 2013 on a positive note."

I wrote that on New Years Eve. At the time, the Carolina Hurricanes were 14-16-9, on pace for 78 points, and in the middle of a five-game winless streak, trying to salvage something, anything, from a season that was mired in mediocrity. And down 3-0 at the end of the second period against the Montreal Canadiens, it looked like the spiral was continuing downward.

But during the second intermission, head coach Kirk Muller, who celebrates his 48th birthday today, told his players "This could be the period that turns the season around." And so far, it has been. Since that night, and that 5-4 overtime win, the team is 11-5-0 in 2014 and is back in the playoff chase as they wrap up the first segment of the season and head into the Olympic break tonight.

Of course, that wasn't the last time the Canes and Habs played. One of those January losses was to the Canadiens, a 3-0 shutout at the hands of Carey Price on January 28th.  As key as the games between the Canes and Habs have been to date, tonight is just as important if the Canes want to enter the Olympic break on a pace that allows them to contend for a playoff spot with a post-Olympic schedule that will be compressed and road-heavy.  A win tonight would send them into the break on pace for 91 points which would keep them in sight of both the Metro division and wildcard spots.

The Canadiens come back to Raleigh victorious in a 5-2 win against the Canucks on Thursday night. Despite failing to convert on two penalty shots, Max Pacioretty logged a hat trick in the win, and Carey Price made 42 saves. Price is 3-1-1 in his last five starts, and is headed to Sochi to represent Team Canada. He will likely get the start again tonight. Travis Moen (lower body), Alex Galchenyuk (broken hand) and Michael Bournival (facial injury) did not travel with the team.  With Bournival out of the lineup, George Parros will likely return in his place.

Brandon Prust and P.K. Subban did make the trip, and are looking quite fine.

Ugly suit trip! @PKSubban1pic.twitter.com/mScqKbyo55

— Brandon Prust (@BrandonPrust8) February 7, 2014

With an early start, the Hurricanes are getting an hour less of rest heading into the back end of a back-to-back series. Fortunately, jumping out to a lead against the Panthers allowed Muller to balance the lines and spread out ice time evenly. John-Michael Liles left the game early with a lower body injury and is questionable for tonight's game, but otherwise the lineup should look the same. Anton Khudobin had another stellar night in net with 34 saves, and he'll probably give it a go again tonight as long as he feels ready.  The Canes aren't skating this morning.

Probable lineup for the Le Club du Hockey:

Daniel Briere - Tomas Plekanec - Brian Gionta
Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Brendan Gallagher
Brandon Prust - Lars Eller - Rene Bourque
George Parros - Ryan White - Dale Weise

Josh Gorges - P.K. Subban
Andrei Markov - Alexei Emelin
Douglas Murray - Nathan Beaulieu

Carey Price
Peter Budaj

Probable lineup for the Hurricanes (pending status of JML):

Jiri Tlusty - Eric Staal - Alexander Semin
Jeff Skinner - Jordan Staal - Elias Lindholm
Nathan Gerbe - Manny Malhotra - Patrick Dwyer
Drayson Bowman - Riley Nash - Tuomo Ruutu
Radek Dvorak

Andrej Sekera - Justin Faulk
Ron Hainsey - John-Michael Liles*
Brett Bellemore - Jay Harrison
Mike Komisarek

Anton Khudobin
Cam Ward
Justin Peters

The Canes are planning several promotions tonight to send fans into the break with a bang. Check the promotions page for all the details.

First 10,000 fans in the building get one of these bad boys. You know you want one.

Support the Kids 'N Community Foundation by purchasing a Valentines bear, signed by a mystery Canes player, for your sweetie.

The jerseys of the four Canes Olympians (Ruutu, Semin, Faulk, and Sekera) will be on display on the concourse before the game for viewing and photos.

During the game, the Olympic banners will be raised, and after the game, the banners will be lowered to ice level for fans to view and take photos.

Now rising to the PNC Arena rafters... Have your photo taken on the ice with these banners: http://t.co/aRVABvfbk1pic.twitter.com/lKjcJQ15w6

— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) February 8, 2014

Don't forget the early start! We'll have the game thread ready to roll by 6:30 pm. See you at the rink.

In their final game against the Hurricanes this season, can the Canadiens finish their pre-Sochi section of the season on a high note?

Check out True Rivalry

The Carolina Hurricanes are playing their best hockey of the season.

After a dreadful start, their play has been on a steady upward trajectory, and they aren't showing signs of slowing down. The Hurricanes have gone 11-5 since the calendar flipped to 2014, and are averaging almost four goals per game in those victories. Coincidentally, goaltender Anton Khudobin has provided 11 quality starts in 2014 as well, stabilizing what had been an unsteady situation in net. The reunited line of Alexander Semin, Eric Staal, and Jiri Tlusty has been formidable, while Elias Lindholm's promotion has given the Hurricanes a top six that can compete with the NHL's best.

Kirk Muller's squad have some solid underlying numbers as well. Carolina bottomed out at 42% fenwick close in the very early going of the 2013-14 season, but the 'canes have been constantly improving since then. Their overall performance for the season sits at only 48%, but that number is sabotaged by Carolina's slow start. Looking at only the last ten games, the Hurricanes come in at 52%, the mark of a strong playoff team. Three points out of a wildcard spot, but with a game in hand on the Detroit Red Wings, Carolina is not to be taken lightly.

Of course, apparent amidst their recent encouraging play have been a couple of lacklustre losses. Of the five setbacks they've suffered, three have come by shutout. When not being shutout, Carolina has rarely failed to score fewer than three goals, making them something of a boom-or-bust offensive team in recent weeks.

The Canadiens have experienced both versions of the Hurricanes, giving up five goals on New Years' Eve before shutting out Carolina two Tuesdays ago. That shutout victory came courtesy of Carey Price, who pocketed another shutout win a week later when he beat Calgary four days ago. During TSN's broadcast of Habs-Canucks on Thursday, the network characterized Price's February as a return to form. This doesn't do justice to the play of the Canadian Olympian, who spent the better part of three months swimming against an unrelenting tide of scoring chances. Nevertheless, it's nice to see Carey get results commensurate with his efforts.

Tonight, C3P1 will likely need some assistance in deciding the fate of the bleu, blanc, et rouge this evening. While score effects were most certainly at play, and the bottom of the Habs' lineup thrived against the undermanned Canucks, the top of the lineup still had trouble keeping Vancouver from putting shots and scoring chances on Price. As discussed above, the Hurricanes have two dangerous lines at the top of their forward group, and those skaters are likely to pose a greater threat than the Habs' Henrik-less opponents were able to on Thursday. If the Plekanec and Eller lines can't keep pressure off of the Habs back-end, the dangerous trio of Pacioretty-Desharnais-Gallagher may not be able to produce enough offence to offset the contributions of Staal and Co.

Of equal concern is the injury to Michael Bournival, who will not play this evening. Bournival had been an important contributor to a much improved fourth line for the Canadiens, and his absence will require some rejigging of the roster. If the Habs offer Bournival's spot back to George Parros, the Canadiens forward depth would be significantly eroded. With their young forward likely concussed, however, and no further games to play until after the Olympics, the Canadiens have may little other choice than to take their chances with a shallower lineup than usual.

More from Eyes On The Prize

Follow @HabsEOTPFollow @iancmy1

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