The Carolina Hurricanes cut some salary on Wednesday by sending Tuomo Ruutu to the New Jersey Devils.

The New Jersey Devils wanted to add to their roster for a run at the playoffs and the Carolina Hurricanes wanted to shed salary.

Both teams accomplished their goals on Wednesday, less than an hour before the trade deadline, when the Hurricanes sent forward Tuomo Ruutu to the Devils in exchange for Andrei Loktionov and a conditional 2017 third-round draft pick.

Ruutu still has two years remaining on his contract that carries a cap hit of more than $4.7 million per season, which is a pretty big hit for a player that is now on the wrong side of 30, has had some injury problems, and has seen his offensive production drop. In 57 games with the Hurricanes this season he has just five goals and 11 assists.

Add that contract into some of the deals the Devils currently have on the books and they have a pretty significant portion of their cap tied into some aging, declining players (Ruutu, Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder, Dainius Zubrus).

Loktionov has four goals and eight assists this season.

"Andrei is a young, skilled forward who will play on our power play," Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said in a team statement. "Tuomo was a good player for the Hurricanes and we thank him for his contributions to our organization over the past seven years."

New Jersey is just two points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, while Carolina is six points back.

The New Jersey Devils made their first move on the day of the NHL's trade deadline: they acquired winger Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Andrei Lokitonov and a conditional 2017 draft pick. This is a reaction post to the move.

It has been a quiet day for the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline for the New Jersey Devils until the final hour began.  TSN reported that the New Jersey Devils acquired Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Andrei Loktionov.  The official Twitter account for the Devils noted that the deal also includes a conditional 2017 draft pick for Carolina.

#NJDevils have acquired Tuomo Ruutu from Carolina for Andrei Loktionov and a conditional third-round pick in 2017.

— New Jersey Devils (@NHLDevils) March 5, 2014

My first impression isn't positive.   The New Jersey Devils moved a 23-year old center for an 31-year old winger with an ugly contract.   They trade a player with four goals and eight assists in 48 games for a player with five goals and eleven assists in 57 games.According to CapGeek, Ruutu will make $5 million in each of the next two seasons and carries a cap hit of $4.75 million.  Likewise at CapGeek, Loktionov was an impending restricted free agent making $700,000.   The numbers at Extra Skater this season aren't kind.   Loktionov has been given very favorable zone starts this season and has driven play well at evens.  Ruutu has been given very favorable zone starts this season and has not. The Devils did need help at wing.  Surely they could have done better than taking a guy with a significant contract who hasn't been all that productive and is at an age where players don't tend to become more productive. Especially someone who hasn't scored since January 25 (eleven games, or less games than Michael Ryder).

However, there could be some good to be had here. For starters, it's not like Loktionov has been the cure for what ails the Devils - and no, he hasn't done a whole lot to suggest otherwise.   Ruutu has been a positive possession player in prior seasons without being given a load of offensive zone starts at evens.  This suggests he doesn't have to be as sheltered, which may give the Devils more flexibility with their roster. He also has shot the puck much more. Loktionov has a career average of 1.35 shots per game. Ruutu is at 1.88 for his career.  The Devils do need more shots so he could help out a little bit.   Given the style of offense the Devils like to play, Ruutu could be a great fit.   He may only be six feet and 205 pounds, but he definitely plays a strong and mean game without being a penalty machine.  He could make them stronger along the boards.  On top of this, he's been a pretty good percentage shooter.  If and when that cold streak ends, the Devils could benefit quite a bit.   That would easily make this a "just needed a change of scenery" sort of deal for Ruutu.   And as ugly as $5 million looks, well, you can thank David Clarkson for second/third liners getting paid real well because it's going to continue to happen for years to come. (OK, that was a cheap joke, but Tyler Dellow has noticed this happening for years now.)    Lastly and most pointlessly, Ruutu will easily be the best Finnish player the Devils ever had when he suits up for the first time.

Still, I'm not a fan of the move.  I don't think the Devils really needed to move Loktionov.  The Devils are still loaded on defense.  They are a bit weaker at center after the move.   I don't want Peter DeBoer to move Adam Henrique back to center given his hot streak along side Patrik Elias to account for it.  I'm not confident that Jacob Josefson can step in to do the same things Loktionov has been doing.  While he's getting closer to the point of his career where "he is what he is,"  Loktionov could very well be a good player in this league. Especially if he survives less favorable situations regularly.  He certainly has been able to pass the puck real well with his minutes. If he can fire more pucks, then Carolina may have a solid player.   If that happens, then I really don't like this move since he's on another team in the same division.  Mostly, if the team was willing to add a significant contract, then they surely could have attempted for someone who's at least been more productive.  I'd like to think there will be another deal because if this is it, then it's a bit disappointing.  (As for the conditional pick in 2017, well, whatever it's just a conditional pick in 2017.)

Nevertheless, please have your say about this trade in the comments.  Do you think this move can work out in the short term for New Jersey?  How do you see the Devils fitting Ruutu into the lineup?  What's your reaction?  Incidentally, here's Canes Country from the other end of this deal. Thank you for reading.

The Rangers erased a two goal deficit, but eventually fell to the Maple Leafs in overtime.

Tyler Bozak was put in two very quality scoring chances due to defensive lapses, and capitalized on both, as the Maple Leafs edged the Rangers 3-2 in overtime Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Bozak opened the game's scoring in the second after scoreless first period that saw the Rangers hold a 12-11 shot advantage. Just after the Leafs killed of a James van Reimsdyk minor penalty, Bozak got behind the Rangers defense and drew a hook from John Moore, earning a penalty shot. Bozak skated in for the penalty shot on Henrik Lundqvist, and beat him with a quick snapshot under the glove to give Toronto a 1-0 advantage.

The penalty shot was awarded right after the power play expired, after Brad Richards had rang the post with a shot that beat Jonathan Bernier.

The Rangers would press to try to find an equalizing goal, but struggled in their own zone at time with defensive assignment. On one sequence, the Rangers got caught as the Leafs transitioned up the ice. Phil Kessel was able to feed it cross ice to Jake Gardiner, who's wrist shot beat Lundqvist, and had the Leafs celebrating with the goal light on. But after a review, the goal was waved off as the puck hit both goal posts but never crossed the line.

On a player later in the period though, the Rangers would not come out unscathed. Anton Stralman turned the puck over behind the net. As the Leafs worked it back out front, Nikolai Kulemin was able to shovel it open to a wide open Nazem Kadri, who beat Lundqvist and gave Toronto a 2-0 lead.

After Stralman turned it over behind the icing line, the Rangers were unable to rotate and get bodies on Leaf players, as Stralman and Marc Staal were left defending the same player on one post, as Kadri sat all alone at the other.

It looked like the Leafs would have a chance to extend their 2-0 lead early in the third period after Brad Richards took a tripping penalty at the 5:18 mark. But sloppy play from the Leafs blue line led to not just one, but two shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill, marking the second time in four games Toronto has surrendered two goals on a power play.

The first play began with great up-ice pressure from Brian Boyle. After Boyle created a turnover, Dominic Moore followed up on the play and threw the puck on net. Ryan McDonagh was able to collect the rebound above the circles, and his shot toward the net deflected off the skate of Dion Phaneuf and past Bernier to cut the Rangers' deficit to 2-1.

Only 79 seconds later, the Rangers burned the Leafs power play unit again. Moore intercepted a cross-ice pass in his own zone, and broke out with Derek Stepan on a 2-on-1. Moore quickly fed the puck to Stepan, who gave it back to Moore in the Toronto zone with Phaneuf closing on him. With only Bernier to beat, Moore roofed it high to the blocker side to knot the game at two apiece.

Both teams traded chances for the rest of the third period, and the Rangers nearly won it before the end of regulation. McDonagh was left all alone in the high slot, and after walking the puck down, took a wrist shot that Bernier got a piece of. As the puck trickled toward the goal line, was cleared away by a Leafs defender.

The teams started overtime three aside with Derick Brassard and Kulemin in the box for matching minors, opening play up a bit. With both teams back at full strength, Phil Kessel was able to beat Dan Girardi to a puck behind the net. McDonagh left his spot to chip in, leaving Bozak all alone in front for Kessel to feed to, and Bozak potted the game-winner past Lundqvist.

It wasn't McDonagh's best game, despite scoring the goal and being a plus-one on the day. It's also worth noting he was 12 seconds shy of 30 minutes of ice time, and took a pretty nasty spill into the boards in the third period. Because he's normally so steady, his lesser efforts stick out a bit. Lundqvist was stellar in net, making a number of quality saves, including one on a Kulemin breakaway in the third, and another with the glove on Bozak in the second. He made another strong sequence of saves in the second period, ending in him getting a pad on a Joffrey Lupul rebound attempt.

The point moves the Rangers up to 72 on the season, as they remain in the thick of 10 teams in the East separated by 10 points that occupy the three to 12 spots. The Rangers will be back in action Friday as they travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes.

The Trade Deadline has come and gone and pretty much so has the Hurricanes postseason hopes. While it's not quite time to say goodbye to the season, it is goodbye to a great guy and fan favorite. Good luck to Tuomo Ruutu in New Jersey.

NHL hockey returned from the Olympic break, but the Carolina Hurricanes didn't seem to get the message. They hit the road and also hit the skids with 4 consecutive losses. The Canes finally break the streak Tuesday night with a win in San Jose, but is it too little, too late? Goaltending and team defense on the road trip was questionable, but scoring was also a big disappointment. With the trade deadline occuring, no Hurricane really increased their value and the organization only made one move. But it was a significant move as fan favorite Tuomo Ruutu heads to the Devils. The Canes did acquire a good, young player in Andrei Loktionov and a conditional 3rd Round Pick in 2017. While the team did get smaller and less physical, they did gain some assets and around $3+ million in cap space the next 2 years (depending on resigning Loktionov). Carolina also made another vital move by extended Anton Khudobin for 2 additional years. So now the Canes return home to face the New York Rangers and try to build off their overtime win against the Sharks. Here are the stats for the week of 2/25/14 through 3/4/14.

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

• Andrej Sekera - The man that's probably been the team's MVP this season continued to show his importance. Sekera led the team in points, assists, +/- and tied for a team high in goals. But stats don't tell the whole story. With Justin Faulk going down, Sekera had to step up his play even more and he delivered. He was a workhorse for the Canes and he played at a very high level. One of the highlights of the week was Sekera skating around the offensive zone against the Ducks, never giving up the puck before finding some space to get the Canes on the board. Even though down 5-0, he never gave up and tried to put the team on his back. His overall possession numbers were average to above average, but he definitely played the hardest minutes of any Canes during the road trip. Sekera has really been a bright spot all season and it appears that will continue.
• Alexander Semin - Semin got hurt, missed 1 game and most of another, but he still produced for Carolina. He tied for the team lead in goals with 2, tied for 2nd in points and tied for 2nd in +/-. The first part of the trip had him with his typical partner Eric Staal, but when he returned, he lined up with Jordan Staal & Jiri Tlusty. Either way, his line created scoring chances and dominated possession. He led in every possession stat for the week with his lowest number coming in at 63.4%. While Semin had a pretty solid week, the team needs their most talented player to continue doing what he is doing. Alex has 10 goals and 4 assists in his last 15 games and that is what Carolina paid to get!
• Eric Staal - If Eric isn't scoring a point per game, many fans are disappointed in him. Well, he didn't score a point per game this week, but he had a very solid week. He had a team high 5 takeaways, tied for the team lead in goals & shots and was tied for 2nd in points & +/-. Eric was also top 5 in every possession category and the team was significantly better with him on the ice rather than off. Eric also dished out 6 hits this week and was pretty good in the faceoff circle. But not all was good as he did end up with 12 penalty minutes. Eric in the box not only puts the Canes on the PK, but it also doesn't give them their most dangerous shorthanded offensive player. One of the most interesting things this week with Eric was the developing chemistry with Elias Lindholm. These two appears to be connecting and Eric was even playing some wing, which could be an interesting option for the future.

Who's Not

• Jordan Staal - It has been a rough transition for Jordan from Pittsburgh to Carolina, but he has been pretty solid this season in his own zone. This week though was pretty sad all-around. Jordan was pointless and was also a team worse -7. His possession numbers were average to below average, particularly poor were his 5 on 5 Close numbers. But his numbers did improve quite a bit when playing with Semin & Tlusty. Not everything was bad though. He did lead the team in hits and faceoffs and did end up with 11 shots. It will be interesting to see if the lines continue to see what exactly Jordan can do with some better linemates. Maybe if things work out, maybe Rutherford will try to find him a legit winger to play with next season.
• Cam Ward - Many, many things have been said about Cam Ward this week and IMO, he deserves some of the flak he is getting. Ward is suppose to be the Canes #1 goalie, but he hasn't been playing like it. He has struggled this season and the 2 games he played this week only made his numbers worse. A 0.846 save percentage and 4.02 goals against average is just not acceptable levels in the NHL. And when you're making over $6 million a season, fans are going to complain. Ward didn't get traded at the deadline, but the Khudobin extension lets him know where he stands in the organization. He's going to get some playing time, it would really be nice for him to figure out what is going on and fix what ails him. It will make it a lot easier for himself and the Hurricanes.
• Jeff Skinner - Skinner's streaky production continues and he's hit a cold streak at a bad time. In late December/early January, Jeff had 14 points in 8 games. Then went pointless in 5 games. Then recovered slightly with 5 points in 7 games. And now has gone 6 games without a point and is a -7 in those games. While he did tied for a team high 24 shots on goal, this team needs him to capitalize on some of those chances. He has struggled to find prolonged chemistry with any line mate and his defensive play has continued to struggle. For the week, Skinner had 3 giveaways and no takeaways and was the Canes worst possession forward in 5 on 5 Close situations with numbers in the 30s. At some point, Jeff is going to need to figure out how to help the team when he goes through these scoring slumps.

Notable Weekly Team Stats

• As I mentioned earlier, scoring for & against was a problem this week. The Canes averaged 2.00 goals per game, which was tied for 24th in the league. They gave up 3.40 goals against per game, which was 21st in the NHL. Both of these numbers have to improve to win some games.
• The PK was actually pretty solid this week at 90.0%, good for a tied for 8th. The issue is they gave up the second most PP opportunities in the league with 20, which is really unlike the Hurricanes.
• Carolina was 3rd in the NHL in shots of goal for the week with 36.0 shots per game. They ended up tied for 18th in shots against giving up 30.8 shots against per game.
• The Canes finished top 10 for the week in hits with 100 (7th), blocked shots with 61 (5th) and turnover margin at -5 (tied 10th). In giveaways, they finished with 26 (tied 17th) and in takeaways, they finished with 21 (tied 11th)
• Faceoffs continue to be a strong suit, ending up 6th in the league at 54.5%. Jordan was the leader at 64.9%, followed by Elias at 56.3%, then Eric at 56.0%, then Manny at 53.4% and pulling up the rear was Riley at 38.9%.
• While the results didn't show it, the Canes were pretty solid in possession stats this week. Their 5 on 5 Corsi For percentage was 51.9% and their 5 on 5 Fenwick For percentage was 53.0%. Both numbers are extremely similar to where the team was entering the Olympic break. But the bottom line is getting wins and that didn't happen.
• Team Stat of the Week - PP - 0% - The Hurricanes were 1 of 4 teams that did not score a PP goal this week. And they had 21 opportunities to do so, while the 3 other teams combined for 23 opportunities. This is not a new issue, but one of the most critical to this team's playoff chances. If the team could capitalize on 20%, they at minimum tied Buffalo and get a point. They probably don't give up to shorthanded goals to Dallas and maybe score 1, getting at least a point out of that game. They score 1 more against the Ducks and who knows what happens only down by 1. It's a problem that MUST be correct! Bring in a PP coach, find a specialist, do something, because it is killing this team. A 20% PP mean 16 more goals this season, who differently does that effect games and the playoff race?

Former Canes Weekly Stats

Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford addressed the media on Thursday afternoon

I had some time and attended the Carolina Hurricanes practice as well as the Jim Rutherford press conference on Thursday.  The team seemed pretty happy to be home and were in good spirits on the ice.

Newcomer, Andrei Loktionov was at practice and was skating with the fourth line along with Manny Malhotra and Drayson Bowman.  Coach Kirk Muller said that he would rotate the Russian around a bit and see where there is chemistry and where he fits in best.

Alexander Semin was off the ice and took a maintenance day.  He is expected to return on Friday.

Ryan Murphy was also on the ice, his first day of being recalled from Charlotte.

The top line stayed the same as Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, and Elias Lindholm skated in red.

Radek Dvorak filled in for Semin and skated with Jordan Staal and Jiri Tlusty.  Riley Nash, Nathan Gerbe, and Patrick Dwyer comprised the third line.

Loktionov speaks English very well and seemed pleased to have a fresh start.  When asked about scoring his first career NHL goal against the Hurricanes, he chuckled and said that the Hurricanes were his "lucky team".  He does not know any of his new teammates very well, but Semin did call him and welcome him to the group.  He said that he had talked before with Anton Khudobin as well.

Kirk Muller had a press conference after practice as usual and reiterated that he feels the team is playing well and deserved a better fate out west.  He likes his current first line and looks to keep them together for now. As far as the goalie situation, he plans to handle that on a day-to-day basis.

A bit later, Rutherford met with the media upstairs and answered questions about the team's trade deadline day.

Apparently, the GM agrees with his coach, that the team has played well on the road trip.  He said that they outplayed Buffalo, but the goalie was the first star of the game.  They were a bit set back from the Buffalo game and had a slow start in Dallas and got jumped on quickly.  They played an even game with the Kings that could have gone either way, and Anaheim was waiting for them.

"There is a fine line between winning and losing in the NHL and quite often the goaltending makes the difference," he said.

He went on to say that his primary objective yesterday was to dump Tuomo Ruutu's salary and he was successful in doing that, although the team will have to pay a portion, (reportedly 20%).  He went on to say that Ruutu had earned his contract back when he signed it, but after that the production went way down and they expected much more from him.

JR said that he could have dumped more salary if he wished, but he has not given up on this season yet.  He still feels that the group they have is capable of making the playoffs.

He did not feel that any deals were suitable to bringing in any other players to help though.  There were not any good fits.

When asked yet again about the poor record on the road trip, Rutherford said that the road trip is not the reason the team is where they are, they are in the place they are because of some poor, inconsistent performances while at home, earlier in the year.

He went on about the goaltending and said that will be sorted out this summer.  He did not say how it would be sorted, but that he had much respect for all of the goalies.  He said that Cam Ward's problems were more mental than physical.  He had never been pushed for a job like Khudobin has pushed him this season.

It sounded like the GM would be satisfied with a possible tandem of Khudobin and Peters next season.

Needless to say, the next three games against the Rangers/Devils/Rangers will be huge.

Link to the press conference is here:  CH.com

After a long break and a road trip, the Hurricanes finally return to PNC Arena tonight to take on division rival New York Rangers and their newest addition, Martin St. Louis.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers
March 7, 2014 - 7:00 pm ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV - Sports South
Radio - 99.9 The Fan

SB Nation Rival Blog: Blueshirt Banter

Hurricanes Record: 27-26-9 | 63 pts | 7th Metro | 13th EC
Rangers Record: 33-26-4 | 70 pts | 3rd Metro | 7th EC

Post-Season Picture:
Games Remaining: 20
Minimum Points Needed: 92
Points Back: 29 (1.45 points/game)
Playoff Chances (Sports Club Stats): 7.5%

Welcome back to PNC Arena, Canes fans. It's been almost a month since the Hurricanes played a home game, owing to the Olympic break and a long road trip. With the return back to the east coast, the Canes turn their attentions back to the Metro division, where they will play the next three games against division rivals. Tonight and Tuesday night the Canes and Rangers will square off here in Raleigh. In between, the Canes will travel to Newark to take on the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night.

Tonight marks the second of four meetings between the Canes and Rangers. The Rangers won the first game 5-1 at MSG, and they'll meet there again in April.

What to know about the Rangers:

• The Rangers are in playoff contention but recently fell from second to third in the Metro division, after losing in overtime to the Leafs Wednesday night to go 0-2-1 over their last three games.
• They have won their last nine straight games against the Canes and have scored at least four goals in seven of those games.
• The Rangers pulled off one of the biggest blockbusters at Wednesday's trade deadline, dealing captain Ryan Callahan and a 2015 first round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Martin St. Louis. St. Louis was able to join the team for the Toronto game on Wednesday, where he was reunited with his 2004 Stanley Cup line-mate Brad Richards along with Carl Hagelin. The line gelled well in their first game, and they should prove a formidable opponent. St. Louis has 87 points in 76 games played against the Canes, and Hagelin has nine points in seven games.
• In a less publicized trade, the Rangers also picked up defenseman Raphael Diaz from the Canucks in exchange for a 2015 fifth round pick. Diaz will join the team in Raleigh.
• 75% of the sod farm will be present on the ice as Marc Staal faces brothers Eric and Jordan.
• Ryan McDonagh has goals in consecutive games. Derek Stepan has five points in the last four games.
• Mats Zuccarello has been out with a broken hand and is a game-time decision.
• Head coach Alain Vigneault announced that Henrik Lundqvist will be in net tonight. King Henrik has allowed 13 goals in the last three games, but is 15-8-1 with a 2.21 GAA and a shutout in 24 appearances against the Canes.
• Updates from yesterday's practice via [Ranger Rants].

What to know about the Canes:

• The Canes are playing in their 16th of 20 back-to-back series this weekend. They are 9-5-1 on the front halves and 4-8-3 in the back halves of those series.
• After concluding a five-game road trip with a 3-2 overtime win agains the Sharks Tuesday night, the big news was Wednesday's trade deadline deal that brought forward Andrei Loktionov to the Hurricanes roster and sent Tuomo Ruutu to the New Jersey Devils. Loktionov arrived in Raleigh yesterday for his first practice with the team. He skated primarily on the fourth line with Manny Malhotra and Drayson Bowman. According to head coach Kirk Muller, he will likely start out tonight's game on that line but may move as he becomes comfortable with the team and system. He spoke with the media briefly after yesterday's practice [audio].
• Ryan Murphy also rejoined the team after being recalled from Charlotte. Murphy played in 39 games for the Canes before being assigned to the Checkers in advance of the Olympic break. While in Charlotte, Murphy played in 16 games and tallied 18 points, including assists in 11 straight games. Half of Murphy's points for the Checkers (9a) came on the power play [gocheckers.com].
• Justin Faulk remains out of the lineup with an upper body injury. He is expected to miss at least a week.
• Alexander Semin did not practice yesterday but is scheduled to be in the lineup tonight.Radek Dvorak skated in Semin's spot in practice but will likely be the healthy extra forward.
• Kirk Muller did not divulge his plans in net, stating that the decision would be made one day at a time with the goaltender who presented the best shot for a win. Anton Khudobin has never faced the Rangers. Cam Ward is 9-11-3 with a 2.46 GAA and two shutouts, and Justin Peters has one loss and a 3.85 GAA in two appearances.
• Andrej Sekera, who has points in five consecutive games, will play in his 400th NHL game tonight, and Nathan Gerbe is one point shy of 100 NHL points.
• Muller spoke about the trade for Loktionov, saying it was an exchange of physical play for skill and speed, and that playing a fast game would be key going forward because the personnel does not support trying to out-muscle other teams [audio].
• General Manager Jim Rutherford also spoke yesterday with his thoughts on the trade deadline and remaining games [audio]
• Current lines [ch.com depth chart]

We'll have the game thread up and running by 6:30 pm. See you at the rink.

Late miscues and pitiful powerplay cost Carolina again

The Carolina Hurricanes brought a 1-0 lead into the third period but thanks to two late penalties and a powerplay which is allowing more goals than they score, they fell to the New York Rangers, 4-2 in front of 17,547 at the PNC Arena on Friday night.

The Carolina powerplay has not scored since before the Olympic break and they have allowed four shorthanded goals during the same time frame.

Coach Kirk Muller called their shameful performance with the man advantage a "lack of execution".

"Your have to execute.  You work on stuff and you have to run the plays.  If we start to get individual and want to make your own plays, then it doesn't work.  You get outworked on it and you don't execute, then the enemy is in there.  We didn't get the job done. "

The Rangers outshot the Hurricanes 44-24 for the game, including 18-7 in the deciding third period.

Jordan Staal gave the Canes the lead late in the first period when he took a nifty pass from Alexander Semin and beat Henrik Lundqvist with a beauty of a shot.

The score stayed 1-0 until the Rangers scored a shortie at 7:25 into the third.  Up to that point, Khudobin had made 33 saves without a miscue, but this was a tough play as the Rangers had a 3-on-2 odd man rush and Ryan McDonagh blasted a shot into the net.

Jeff Skinner would give the home team back the lead when he made his first career penalty shot 12:07 into the period.  Skinner broke into the clear and was hooked on the play, negating a decent shot attempt.

The lead would not hold though as Rick Nash scored just a minute and change later, making the score 2-2.

The Rangers were putting on more and more pressure and the Canes wilted.  First, Ron Hainsey sent a puck over the glass for a penalty with just 4:30 left in the game.  Then Brett Bellemore did the same thing and was called for the same penalty 32 seconds later, giving New York a minute and half of a 5-on-3.

The Rangers patiently worked the puck and finally scored when Brad Richards fed Martin St. Louis, who then made a cross ice pass to Derek Stepan who buried the open shot.  It was a bam-bam play and Khudobin, who was one of the game's stars, had no chance.

Of course, the Rangers would score an empty net goal with less than a minute left to ice the game.

At this crucial portion of the season, the Canes have now lost six of their last seven games.  Next up will be a game at the Prudential Center against the Devils tomorrow night.

Game Notes:

• John-Michael Liles left the game early with an undisclosed injury.  There was no update of his status after the game.
• Anton Khudobin was named the game's first star in the arena and he made 40 saves on 43 shots. 
  
• The Canes were outshot 44-24 and were led by Jordan Staal with four.
• The Canes were officially 0-4 on the powerplay but also failed to click with about 30 seconds of two man advantage. 
  

Brother Louie stopped 25 shots and the Cats scored two, count 'em, two power-play goals to whitewash Buffalo.

Louie, Louie, Louie, Louie. Louie, Louie, Louie, Lou-I. Roberto Luongo started his second stint in South Florida off in fine fashion. The veteran goaltender made 25 saves as the Florida Panthers posted a 2-0 shutout win over the sluggish Buffalo Sabres, who played the night before in Tampa Bay.

Luongo was reacquired by the Cats from the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday for center Shawn Matthias and longtime goaltending prospect Jacob Markstrom.

The Panthers fired 44 shots at new Buffalo keeper Michal Neuvirth, who came over from the Washington Capitals on deadline day, en route to just their second win in the last seven games.

Jesse Winchester opened the scoring at 11:11 of the first period, finally converting after 6:25 of power play time due to a delay of game call on a Matt D'Agostini and a boarding major to Marcus Foligno.

Scottie Upshall and Scott Gomez combined to set up the goal, which was Winchester's ninth of the season.

The Panthers continued their dominance of the Sabres in the middle frame, but could not add to the lead, thanks to 16 stops from Neuvirth.

In the third period, Dmitry Kulikov finally gave Florida some breathing room when he fired home his seventh goal, from Brad Boyes and Nick Bjugstad to complete the scoring.

Luongo had his busiest period as the Cats closed out the game, stopping all 12 of the Buffalo shots he faced in the third.

To put it simply, last night was a great way to start out the Neo-Luongo Era. The Panthers dominated from start to finish, out-shooting the Sabres 44-25 in the process, and got a good performance from both sides of their special teams for a change. Luongo definitely provided a much-needed spark to a team that had been looking destined for a lot of losses as they played out the string. Hopefully, we'll see a lot more of this over the final part of the schedule so the Cats can build up some momentum, and interest, heading into next season.

Odds & Ends

• It sure was nice to wake up this morning and see our Florida Panthers on the front page of the hockey sections of major sites like TSN and ESPN, especially for something positive.
• The Panthers took the last three over the Sabres to win the season series three games to one. Buffalo did manage to take the Cats to a shootout in one of those losses.
• Michal Neuvirth had an impressive first game for the Sabres. He made 42 saves, including a penalty shot chance by Sean Bergenheim, to prevent Florida from rolling to a blowout win.
• Speaking of Bergenheim, he ended up with a game-high twelve shots. Talk about being involved.
• The shutout was the Panthers' first since March 11, 2012, when Jose Theodore blanked the Carolina Hurricanes.
• Vincent Trocheck made his NHL debut and didn't look at all out of place. The 20-yeard old center logged 17:35 of ice time, had three shots on goal, and won 8 of 18 face-offs.
• No scratches for the now lean and mean Cats, as they dressed all 20 active players on the roster. Tomas Kopecky and Aleksander Barkov remain on injured reserve. At some point, a reinforcement or two will be need to be summoned from San Antonio.
• The only negative last night was the attendance. I know that Buffalo isn't the most attractive of road draws, but less than 15K on a Friday night with Louie back in the fold? The Panthers have their work cut out for them both on and off the ice during the offseason. Putting a solid, winning team together will be of the utmost importance, but personally, I think it might take adding a bona fide scoring star (Thomas Vanek?) as well, to get asses back in seats.
• Make like a Buffalo gal, and go 'round the outside to Die By The Blade for the opposing view on last night's action.

Notes from the Rangers win over the Hurricanes.

Quick note guys, I've been really busy at work so February was a tough month for me to moderate things on here the way I usually do. However, in the past three weeks I've gotten more e-mails than ever before about people harassing other people for different opinions. I don't care if you're a stats guy and another guy isn't a stats guy. Argue with respect. Those wars where the two sides circle around each other, attack each other and pollute the comment section don't happen here. Let that crap go on in the other places. We're better than that.

- May as well start this off with the man of the hour, Martin St. Louis. The past 120 minutes he's been the Rangers' best player by a mile. Some of that has to do with the struggles of Rick Nash, but most of it has to do with St. Louis being one of the most dangerous offensive forces in the NHL.

- I wouldn't have been shocked if it would have taken St. Louis a few games to get comfortable. Remember, as much as he's a lethal goal scorer, his bread and butter is his ability to find space and make things happen for the other four guys on the ice with him. Sometimes it's hard to do that when you've only been playing with guys for three days -- something he alluded to after the game was over.

- Still, that pass to Derek Stepan for the game winning goal? Magic. Since he stepped onto the ice as a Ranger he's been a monster. An absolute monster. And the St. Louis - Brad Richards - Carl Hagelin line had a corsi in the 80's if I'm not mistaken. Possession domination.

- The other thing the trade does? The Rangers now have three legitimate scoring lines with two lethal scorers. This isn't like when Marian Gaborik and Nash were together and the Rangers had two scorers on the roster. St. Louis is such a complete player (much like Nash) and it forces teams to pick between the two when they decide who to put their top line against. And don't sleep on that third line, either.

- Ryan McDonagh. What a game. He's such a special player, I mean, really special. I know we joke about it a lot, but McDonagh has a potential to become something more than we even think within the organization. His shorthanded goal was huge last night. 11 goals so far this year. Would it shock you if he scored 15? Got close to 20? He should be a Norris Trophy finalist at the worst. In my book that trophy is his.

- I'll quote myself here. Something I said last night on Twitter:

Rangers fans beg for home grown talent for years. Scream when Sather brings in free agents rather than give the kids a chance. And hate Stepan.

It makes no sense. He gets a lot of hate here, too. Why? Because he held out? Right now he's shooting at a criminally low 7.1%. His career average is 11.2%. If you translate his shots this year so far into his career shooting percentage, he would have 17 goals. He also has 31 assists, good for first on the team until St. Louis (33) joined. I don't get the hate. He's going to surpass 50 points on an admittedly down year for him. You have a real talent here, just enjoy it.

- Nash (goal and an assist) had a good game. Stepan was slow at first but really picked things up and that goal for the winner was an absolute beauty. Trust me, that's harder than it looks. Chris Kreider was good, although his defensive gaff cost the Rangers the first goal of the game late in the first.

- The Rangers got a win they desperately needed, however. They showed a real battle level and found a way to make it happen. Now they're three points clear of Columbus with two more ROWs, although Columbus has a game in hand.

Thoughts?

The Hurricanes and the Devils face each other tonight in Newark. There may be a story line for this one.

Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils
March 8, 2014 - 7:00 pm ET
Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 The Fan

SB Nation Rival Blog: In Lou We Trust

Hurricanes Record: 27-27-9 | 63 pts | 7th Metro | 13th EC
Devils Record: 27-24-13 | 67 pts | 6th Metro | 11th EC

Post-Season Picture:

Games Remaining: 19
Minimum Points Needed: 93
Points Back: 30 (1.58 points/game)
Playoff Chances (Sports Club Stats): 3.7%

The Hurricanes leave behind a stinging 4-2 home loss to the Rangers for another task at hand tonight when they face the New Jersey Devils in Newark. This is the 16th of 20 back-to-back series for the Canes this season. They are 9-6-1 on the front halves (including last night's loss) and 4-8-3 in the back halves.

The Hurricanes and Devils meet tonight for the third time out of four in their season series. The teams split decisions earlier in the season, each winning on the other's turf. The Canes won in Newark 4-3 on November 27th, and the Devils returned the favor with a 5-2 win in Raleigh just two nights later.

The Devils are playing the second game of a back-to-back tonight as well. They visited Detroit last night where they lost 7-4.

The Devils in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff dogfight, and fare slightly better than the Canes in terms of their playoff position. They are four points ahead and two spots ahead in the conference standings, with two teams to jump to get into wild card contention.

Martin Brodeur will be in net tonight. Brodeur is 38-16-6 with a 2.07 GAA and nine shutouts against the Canes. Cory Schneider is 2-1-0 in three games.

Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias are pretty good at the hockey. They are point-per-game players against the Canes through their career, Jagr with a staggering 110 points in 76 games, and Elias with 54 points in 53 games. Jagr added another goal to his totals last night and continues to climb over other NHL legends in all-time scoring records, now top ten all-time for goals (701), assists (1,041), and points (1,742).

The Hurricanes special teams woes continue as they didn't score on the power play again last night in four attempts, and they gave up another short-handed goal. They are now -4 for 28 on the power play since the Olympic break.

The Canes won't hold a morning skate or media availability prior to the game, so there won't be any updates in terms of roster changes or starting goaltender [depth chart]. John-Michael Liles left last night's game early but so far there hasn't been any indication of an injury or its extent.

Of course the big story line for tonight's game is Tuomo Ruutu facing his former team of six-plus seasons after being traded from the Canes to the Devils on Wednesday. Ruutu played his first game in a Devils uniform last night against the Wings, with rather typical results: a ten-bell save on a point-blank scoring opportunity, drew a cross-check, had three hits. Here are a few clicks regarding his Devils debut:

• Martin Brodeur on this new teammate [nj.com].
• On how the trade means "20 new friends", also includes comments from Andrei Loktionov [Fire and Ice].
• On being nervous and living out of a suitcase [nj.com]
• Video interviews [Devils.com] [MSG.com].
• Last but not least a very worthwhile listen from John Forslund as he analyzes the trade on Thurday [wralsportsfan.com].

And now on to the future, check out this unbelievable goal from Canes prospect Sergey Tolchinsky last night (OHL Sault St. Marie Greyhounds vs. Sarnia Sting):

We'll have the game thread rolling by 6:30 pm. See you there.

The New Jersey Devils will return to the Prudential Center looking for an important win over the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. This is a stream that will consist of all posts relevant to tonight's game.

The night after #5 is honored in Detroit, another important game happens at the Joe Louis Arena

The Time: 7:00 PM EDT

The Broadcast: TV - MSG+; Radio - 660AM / 101.9FM WFAN

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (27-24-13) at the Carolina Hurricanes (27-27-9; SBN Blog: Canes Country)

The Last Devils Game: The Devils had the second half of a crucial home-and-home with the Detroit Red Wings last night and it didn't go well. The Devils fell behind 2-0 early in the second, but came roaring back with 3 goals in 2:21 in the middle of the second period and appeared poised for a big sweep of the home-and-home. After that, though, it all quickly came unglued. The defense allowed the Red Wings look after look right in the slot and Cory Schneider had no answer on this night so it got out of hand in a hurry. It was a bad game for a lot of Devils and they would end up getting rolled 7-4. John had the recap of the disaster, here.

The Last Hurricanes Game: The Hurricanes took on Our Hated Rivals in Raleigh last night and it wasn't a fun ending for them, either. The Canes held a 1-0 lead heading into the third period and though the Rangers equalized shorthanded, Jeff Skinner gave them a 2-1 lead on an unassisted tally with under 8 minutes to go. Carolina couldn't hang on, though as the Rangers would tie it up shortly after on a Rick Nash goal and take the lead with under 3 minutes to go on a 5-on-3 power play. The Rags would add an empty netter to seal it and that was that. Bob Wage recapped it at Canes Country and was particularly unhappy with the power play in the Hurricanes' 4-2 loss.

The Last Devils-Hurricanes Game: Way back in November, the Devils and Canes had a home-and-home set straddling Thanksgiving day. After dropping the first, the Devils took the second half in a wild one that ended 5-2 after three very different periods. The Devils carried a 1-0 lead into the second period but struggled and fell behind 2-1 going into the final frame. The offense would have a big third period, though as the Devils won going away with 4 straight goals. John had the recap of the win, which snapped a 3-game losing streak for the Devils at the time, here.

The Goal: Bounce back from last night's debacle in Detroit. The Devils were flat-out dreadful on defense and Cory Schneider had no answers and wasn't good enough to bail them out, so they got run out of the Joe. The Devils now reside 4 points outside of the playoff picture and they are running out of time to make up ground. They really needed a sweep of that home-and-home with Detroit, but a split keeps them hanging on the periphery of the playoff race. Tonight they absolutely need a victory to stay in it, though.The Hurricanes are pretty much cooked, as they are sitting 8 points out of the last playoff spot, but the Devils could be joining them in that boat if they don't get a win tonight.

The offense has been good coming out of the break, so they must keep that going into tonight's game. Anton Khudobin has been very good for Carolina, but with him seeing the first half of the back-to-back, the Devils should see one of the Canes other two goaltenders, Cam Ward or Justin Peters. Ward has been having a tough season, and Peters just returned from a conditioning stint in Charlotte, so we'll see which gets the nod. Either way, the Devils should have some opportunities against a Carolina team which is struggling right now and has given up 3 or more goals in 6 of their past 7 games.

The defense had been playing pretty well coming out of the break in my view, save some breakdowns against a high-powered San Jose team, but they were a disaster last night. They gave up 33 shots while trailing most of the game and the slot might as well have had a red carpet rolled out in it, the Devils were so welcoming. I didn't really understand why Pete DeBoer decided to shake up the pairings but it did not work out well, as almost everyone looked bad. The Jon Merrill - Bryce Salvador combo was a mess and Eric Gelinas had a night to forget as well. We'll see if DeBoer chooses to insert Peter Harrold and/or Anton Volchenkov into the lineup after last night.

Quick Trade Turnaround: One of the bigger storylines of this game is the return for two players that were just traded. Just a few days after swapping teams at the trade deadline, Tuomo Ruutu and Andrei Loktionov will both be taking on their former clubs tonight. Both had quiet nights on Friday for their respective new teams. Loktionov played a shade over 11 minutes as the Hurricanes' fourth line center and ended up with no shots on goal. Ruutu had a similarly uneventful night in his debut, playing 13+ minutes and recording 1 shot. He did have a glorious chance early on that he couldn't convert on, so he seems to be fitting right in thus far.

Marty Party: The Martin Brodeur possibly-maybe farewell tour continues as he will get the start in the second half of this weekend's back-to-back. He has gotten into 3 of the 6 games coming out of the Olympic break now and in his first two, he has been decent and the Devils have come away with two victories. In his first start, he didn't see much action, but was solid in holding a depleted Islanders team to one goal in a 6-1 drubbing the Devils laid on them. He was so-so in the game against Detroit, but the Devils' offense was very good and broke a late 3-3 tie to get the victory. With Schneider getting worked over in Detroit last night and this being a back-to-back, it's hard to argue with a Marty start here.

Hurricanes Circling the Drain: Having lost 6 of their past 7 games, the Canes appear to be just about out of it in the East. They are now 8 points back of Detroit for the last spot and there just isn't time to make up that kind of ground (nor do they really appear to be good enough). The Devils absolutely have to be able to get 2 points here. If they can't find a way to pull out a game against a dead team walking like the Canes, they certainly don't deserve to be playing beyond early April.

Adam the Mup: Like the thousands of mups that have fallen victim to Fall Out Boy over the past year or so, Adam Henrique is absolutely ON FIYAAAAHHH, so to speak. He now has an insane 7 goals and 9 points in the 5 games since the break. He is doing everything he can to keep the Devils in the playoff race for sure. Hopefully some of his slumping teammates are inspired by his dominance and get going themselves.

Time to Put His Face On a Milk Carton: If anyone has seen goal-scorer Michael Ryder, please contact the proper authorities. He had an assist on Henrique's garbage time tally last night, but he hasn't recorded a goal since January 11th. He needs to score in the worst way and this team needs him to get going for the stretch run.

Your Thoughts: How do you feel about tonight's game? Can the Devils bounce back from their brutal loss to Detroit? To they still have a shot to make the postseason? Do you expect to see any lineup changes beyond the goaltending swap? Sound off with your thoughts on tonight's game below and Let's Go Devils.

Admirals' Coach Yawney's explanation for back-to-back losses after soundly beating the AHL's best team twice last week was simply "It's as if they forget their identity, they forgot who they were."

1 Friday night marked the first game for forward Andre Petersson, recently acquired from the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Alex Grant.  Petersson got right in to the game, picking up his first point as an Admiral with an assist on Devante Smith-Pelly's first period goal against the visiting Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals).

2 The Admirals have now lost two in a row after putting together an impressive four game winning streak.  Friday night's loss was the second straight game in which they missed a chance to take possession of first place in the East Division.

3 Devante Smith-Pelly put together his third three-point game of the season last Saturday against the Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings), assisting on three of the four goals scored in a 4-1 Norfolk win.

4 Norfolk is ranked fourth in the AHL in Penalty Killing.  In 58 games played, Norfolk has been shorthanded 237 times, allowing only 32 power play goals and killing off penalties with an 86.5% efficiency rating.  Also of note, the Admirals have slipped out of the top-ten in the league in penalties, a sign perhaps that the days of stupid penalties are behind them?

5 Goaltender Viktor Fasth ended his second stint with the Admirals last Saturday with a 4-1 win over Manchester.  In five games this season, Fast is 3-2-0-0  with 11 Goals Against, a 2.40 Goals Against Average, and a .922 Save Percentage.  Fasth was traded this week to Edmonton for draft picks, returning the Ducks' goaltending chart to symmetry with four netminders on the books.

6Antoine Laganiere scored his eightth goal added his sixth assist of the season against the Monarchs last Saturday.  It was Laganiere's third two-point game of the season.

7 Center David Steckel picked up his sixth goal and 12th assist last Saturday against Manchester, added his seventh goal of the season in a 3-2 loss on Tuesday against the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes).

8 Captain Garnet Exelby leads Norfolk defensemen in plus/minus with a plus-8, while Kevin Gagne is hanging out on the other side of the pendulum with a minus-8

9Chris Wagner scored his ninth of the season vs Manchester Saturday, keeping his "goal-per-weekend" streak alive.

10 Norfolk is now 6-4-0-0 in their last ten games.

--Sami Vatanen is still listed as being on the Norfolk roster but was injured last Saturday and flown back to Anaheim to be evaluated.  No "official" word yet, but the hit he suffered looked like it hurt his knee.  Jesse Blacker, who was out of action after taking a vicious shot to the head a few weeks ago, returned to action Tuesday night.

--The Admirals went toe-to-toe last weekend against the best team in the AHL, the Manchester Monarchs, and quite simply beat them senseless.  Norfolk controlled every aspect of the game and it was probably the best 60 minutes of hockey the Admirals put together all season.  The team wanted to show they could run with the big dogs and they proved it heartily.  Which is why fans are extremely frustrated this week with the 3-2 loss to Charlotte Tuesday and the 3-2 loss to Hershey last night.

Charlotte, a team currently sitting only two games above .500 and 11 points behind the Admirals, were able to rally from behind and score two goals in the game's final five minutes, the last with just a minute to play, to seal the win.

Hershey, coming in with six straight losses, were "finally" going to see an Admirals team that wasn't riding in at 3 a.m. to play a third in three nights, but instead were going to see a well-rested, well-prepared Norfolk team hungry for points and wanting to put the Charlotte game behind them.  Instead, the Hershey Bears came in to Scope, complete with their Booster Club, and OWNED the game.  To say the score is much more flattering than the level of play would be an understatement.

Norfolk got on the board first with a nifty dangle by Smtih-Pelly, but that would be the only Admirals' highlight as the rest of the game saw the team trying to play catch-up.  It was as if the Admirals' were playing in quick-sand while the Bears had jet-packs strapped to their backs.  At one point almost a full minute went by on a delayed-penalty sequence where the Bears, being up a man with their goalie pulled, moved the puck around the Admirals' zone like it was tied to a string.  11 players and a goalie, all playing within a 75' x 85' piece of ice, and for an entire shift no Norfolk player could get possession of the puck.  That sequence pretty much summed up the entire game, and Max Friberg's last second goal was more of just a personal statistic than a team achievement.

I have mixed feelings about the week.  Norfolk didn't really "slip" in the standings with two straight losses, but as I've mentioned over the past the points race in the Eastern Conference is extremely tight and only seven points now separate second through ninth.  In the East Division, home of both the Admirals and the Bears, only three points separate first through fourth.  Going in to Friday, Norfolk had a five point lead over Hershey but handed them two critical standings points.  Saturday's schedule almost assuredly gives two of the four other divisional rivals two more points, and in the event of another Norfolk loss, they would slip to third in the division and down to the final playoff spot.

The take-away from all the "what-ifs" I just mentioned, is that Norfolk went in to the week with the opportunity to take sole posession of first in the division, fourth in the conference, and could end up at the end of the week dropping all the way to eighth.  The race is just that tight.

There are 18 games remaining (8 home, 10 away).  The Admirals' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 34.

Follow me on Twitter: @VAPuckhead

Tuomo Ruutu scores game-winner against former team

The Carolina Hurricanes continued their losing ways as they lost to the New Jersey Devils, 5-4 on Saturday night at the Prudential Center.  It was the seventh loss in the last eight games for the Canes.

After falling behind 4-1, the Hurricanes did make a valiant effort to come back and tie the score 4-4, but Tuomo Ruutu, who was just traded by Carolina to New Jersey three days ago, scored the game-winning goal with 6:30 left in the game for the home team.

The Devils lit the lamp first as Ruutu helped to set up Travis Zajac just 4:25 into the game.

Jeff Skinner would tie things up 1-1, at 6:21 into the second period.  That was the second goal in the last two games for Skinner.

New Jersey then scored three goals in a row to take command of the game, one goal a powerplay tally and one shorthanded.  Anton Khudobin was then replaced by Cam Ward in the Carolina net.

Right after the Devils scored the shortie, the Hurricanes scored their first powerplay goal in seven games.  It was not exactly a perfectly executed play, Jordan Staal ran into Jay Harrison in the sequence, but Harrison was able to get enough zip on his shot to beat Martin Brodeur to make the score 4-2.

Nathan Gerbe would score on a shorthanded breakaway chance with a nifty backhander to open the third and then Alexander Semin seemingly skated through the entire Jersey team before circling and scoring on a highlight reel type goal to tie things up at four.

But the hero of the night was Ruutu, who beat Cam Ward high glove side to win the game for his new team.  Ward ended up being the losing goalie of record because he gave up the game-winner.  He made eight saves on nine shots while Khudobin made 18 saves on 22 shots.

Gerbe's shorthanded goal was his 100th career NHL point .  Carolina now has a league best 10 shorthanded goals this season.

The Canes are not scheduled to practice on Sunday and will next face the Rangers again at home on Tuesday night.

Game Notes:

• In the third period, Muller put Jordan and Eric Staal together along with Semin on the first line.  We might see more of that in the future.
• The Canes outshot the Devils 33-31 and were led by Skinner with six.
• Ryan Murphy played 26:52 and had a solid game.  He saved two potential goals during an empty net scenario late in the game, once when he batted a puck out of midair.
• There is no postgame interview from coach Muller available.

Adam Henrique stayed hot, Tuomo Ruutu made a memorable debut at the Rock, the defense and goaltending were problematic, and the New Jersey Devils allowed Carolina Hurricanes to make up a 4-1 deficit but still won 5-4. This is the recap of that game.

The New Jersey Devils managed to do something most teams should not do: blow a three goal lead.  Granted, the three goal lead itself did not last long but the overall lead should have been maintained.  They did not.  A 4-1 lead in the second period ended up at 4-4 at the 12:29 mark of the third period.   The Devils managed to find a way to beat the Carolina Hurricanes anyway.   Less than a minute after Alexander Semin equalized, the newest member of the Devils hit back.  Tuomo Ruutu fired a wrister from above the high slot that went by Cam Ward to make it 5-4.  The Devils managed to hold on to beat Carolina in regulation.  This helps the Devils' playoff cause while hammering another nail into Carolina's.  From a results perspective, well done.

However, how the Devils got this result deserves plenty of criticism.  While the Devils didn't allow a lot of trailing skaters to tee off one-timers like they did on Friday, the defense was once again porous.  The Devils conceded 33 shots on net and had plenty of shifts just looking lost in their own end of the rink.     Bryce Salvador justified all of the criticism he usually gets from fans at the Rock, at home watching on TV, on Twitter, on Reddit, on this very site, and elsewhere.  He got over twenty minutes due in part of being stuck in his own end and unable to get off the ice on plenty of shifts.  Eric Gelinas was largely benched for the third period and he was not missed.  An offensive defenseman who provided little offense in the game and made plenty of bad defensive decisions usually isn't missed.  Marek Zidlicky drifted in and out of his coverage.  The help from the forwards was down right invisible at times (e.g. Michael Ryder).  Some of the attempts at clearing the zone or just getting the puck away was frightful to watch.  And the neutral zone play, well, what about it?   It was just the center of the ice for both teams, which just made life more difficult for the defenders in their own end of the rink.  Ryan's analysis for this one should be interesting.

Then there was the goaltending.  Cory Schneider did get lit up by Detroit. That was a game where the goals went through screens, came from one-timers, and two rebounds (with no help).   Tonight, the goals against were a fluke bounce, a clear shot from the slot, a shorthanded breakaway, and a turnaround shot from the middle of the ice.  Not exactly easy but not exactly difficult either.  I was sympathetic for Brodeur on the first and third one.  Jeff Skinner threw a puck from behind the net, it went off Mark Fayne, and dropped in.  That's just a fluke bounce.  The shorthanded breakaway that Nathan Gerbe was created by Damien Brunner deciding to make a lateral pass at the blueline without looking to see if it was even open.  Jordan Staal picked it off, put it up for Gerbe, and he made it count.  But even on that one he may have had a piece of Gerbe's breakaway - and if he got a piece, then he could've had all of it.   The other two goals were further evidence that Brodeur isn't a starter anymore.  Jay Harrison (scorer of the second) and Semin (scorer of the fourth) put up great shots.  Semin's move just schooled Salvador and Jaromir Jagr.  Yet, Brodeur was caught slow on both.  He definitely saw Harrison's shot and just didn't come up with the save.  I think he did see Semin's shot since he attempted to get his right pad on it - he was just too late. A common sign from him this season and probably in the past few.   It's true that Brodeur made an important stick save near the end of the game to preserve the 5-4 lead and the defense did him very few favors tonight. At the same time, he definitely deserves some blame for 4-1 turning into 4-4.  He got the "W" but it wasn't because he was excellent.

In my eyes, the offense carried the defense and Brodeur tonight.  Ruutu made his home debut count. He took five shots, threw some big hits, made a great pass beneath Harrison's stick for an easy tap in by Travis Zajac, and scored the game winning goal.  The Rock chanted his last name.  Clearly, a good first impression in Newark.   Adam Henrique continued being hotter than something really hot.  He got sprung for a close one-on-one with Anton Khudobin and finished it off.  Right on the first shift after Damien Brunner converted a power play with goal coming from a rebound off the boards, too.  Henrique struck again with a laser to the top left corner in 2-on-2 shorthanded attack initially led by Patrik Elias.  Elias laid it off, Henrique used a defender a far-away screen, and his shot was perfect.   Overall, the Devils scored five goals out of 31 shots.  Shooting that much and certainly scoring that many goals has been an uncommon occurrence for the team this season.   It ultimately made the difference.

That's why I can't say I'm pleased with the performance.  It's more likely that the Devils aren't going to drop five goals on an opponent on a regular basis.  Henrique isn't always going to provide two goals even though he's done so in each game in this back-to-back set.  Special teams won't always score goals.  The results were met.  I'm very glad the Devils won this game.  The Devils needed to take care of business.  I understand it is a results-oriented business.  But in the next two days off, the coaches and players needs to really look at the process.  If they can't clamp down on defense and keep relying on the inferior goaltender, then results like this aren't likely to continue. Since the Devils will continue to need results, how the three goal lead was botched needs to be addressed and corrected in the future.  This cannot become status quo.

The Game Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary | The NHL.com Event Summary | The NHL.com Play by Play Log | The NHL.com Shot Summary | The NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Log | The Extra Skater Game Stats

The Opposition Opinion: Bob Wage has this brief recap over at Canes Country.

The Game Highlights: Plenty of goals in this one, including some real beauties.  Here's the video from NHL.com:

One More Thing About the Lead: I understand 4-1 turned into 4-2 quickly since Carolina converted the power play Henrique scored his shorthanded goal on.   Nevertheless, Carolina showcased how to respond to it: keep attacking.  Harrison's power play goal helped, obviously.  But the Canes pushed and got a gift from Brunner during a third period power play.  Gerbe finished it to make it a one-shot game.  Semin's individual move that led to the equalizer was amazing.  But even if that got stopped, the Canes had the right approach and perhaps could have scored an equalizer later on.  Get possession going forward, look for longer shifts to tilt the ice, don't concede much, and make the most of an opportunity.   While the Devils certainly didn't turn off the offense, their lack of control in the neutral zone and their  only helped the Canes' cause.   Keeping a team honest is very good and the Devils did come close to a fifth goal earlier than Ruutu scored it. But they forgot the fundamental part of trying to hold the opposition back.   That's how it happened in the bigger picture; the events just put it on the scoreboard.

The Traded Players: Ruutu was an obvious star of the game.  Plenty of shots, plenty of "in your face" play, a killer primary assist, and an important goal.  He was also one of the team's better possession players in 5-on-5 play.  The Devils didn't do so hot - having a lead will do that, but Ruutu's 12-13 was better than most.  That goal was his first since January 25.  The only negative from #15 was his high-sticking penalty in the offensive zone.  The Devils killed that one with no issue, though.  So the newest Devil had a very good game.

What about Andrei Loktionov, the young center the Devils dealt for Ruutu?  He had a good game - for New Jersey.  He was one of Carolina's worst possession players in 5-on-5 play, out-attempted 9-16 and out-shot 4-9.  He was the closest Cane to Henrique when he scored on his mini-breakaway in the second period.  Loktionov played quite a bit (over 16 minutes) and played with several different players (e.g. Semin, Drayson Bowman, Skinner).  But he was just out of sorts for the most part.  That helped New Jersey considering plenty of other Canes did better in the attempts department in 5-on-5 play.

Speaking of Looking at Process, Not Results - the Power Play: On most nights, the Devils going 1-for-2 on the power play is considered good.  The Devils did do this.  Brunner put home a puck that rebounded off the end boards and past Khudobin.  However, the same man who converted the power play was largely responsible for giving a shorthanded goal back.  Those who don't like him on the point received a massive new reason.  I still don't know what he was thinking trying to make that pass.  I don't think he was.   Compounding that error was the fact that the Devils conceded another shorthanded opportunity on that very same power play.  Carolina out-shot the Devils on that second man advantage 3-1 and got a goal from it.    It was hideous as the Devils couldn't break out without issue, much less get set up.  They even had issues on the power play they did convert on.   The rest of the league probably knows that the Devils' power play doesn't handle pressure from aggressive penalty kills well at all.  It may be too late to put something new together, but they can at least address it player by player a little more.  They can start with not throwing turn around passes across the blueline from the side boards without looking.

Other Standout Devils: While Mark Fayne got victimized for a fluke first goal, he was a Devils defenseman I didn't dislike tonight.  The numbers at 5-on-5 would agree; things generally went well for the Devils when he was on the ice.  I liked his willingness to shoot. He ended up with four shots on net.

As for other forwards, while Jagr got victimized by Semin's sweet move, he played a good game.  While he ended up distributing more pucks for other players - Zajac had three shots, Ruutu had five - he was still strong on the puck, pivoting around defenders.  It's no surprise he was one of the few Devils to end up over 50% in Corsi percentage tonight.  Speaking of, I liked what Zajac was doing for the most.  He was active, he played with more swagger on offense, and he ended up being rather productive.  He had a goal and two assists tonight.   I'm pretty confident that we'll see Ruutu-Zajac-Jagr for the next few games.  I'm looking forward to it.

Standout Canes: The Staal brothers are great players.  The secondary assist for Eric Staal was fortunate as it was from Skinner's fluke.    Jordan Staal was very strong tonight. He got two assists and was very strong in possession like Eric.   The two of them were together in the third period; I would think they'll be together more often in the future.  I'd also like to tell those who set up the pre-game starting lineups at the Rock that it's S-t-a-a-l, not S-t-a-l.   Given how much #11 and #12 roamed around, everyone got to know their names real well.

On a night with 33 shots taken, the two guys who combined for 12 definitely made their mark.  Skinner and Semin each had six shots and each scored. They were positive in possession.  While both aren't exactly known for defense, they didn't get picked upon too much.   Both put enough rubber on target to do the picking themselves.

Lastly, I was impressed with what I saw out of Ryan Murphy.  The Canes conceded 31 shots, including 17 in the second period.  But Murphy was often getting the puck out and leading breakouts himself.  Since the Devils' neutral zone coverage was lax, this led to plenty of attacks for Carolina.   Unsurprisingly, he was very favorable in terms of possession.  The young defender did this plenty of times to a point where he kept getting more and more shifts since he was Carolina's most effective defensive player tonight.  By the end of the night, he got 26:51 of ice time.  He's going to be very good for a Carolina blueline that could use it.

Hot Henrique & Two Others: Henrique remains hot.  While he was dragged down a bit by his line whenever they were called upon to play defense, it's hard to be critical when he provides two goals.  They were fantastic goals, too.  He actually tipped away the puck in the neutral zone to Ryane Clowe, who fed him for the score.  It was a makeshift give-and-go, really.  He found treasure in trash since Jon Merrill retreated to the corner with the puck due to a heavy forecheck and the rookie just lobbed it out.

As for the rest of Newfoundline, well, they weren't so hot.  Clowe was OK, he was actually seen trying to make plays on defense.  Ryder was once again not good.  He was once again doing more observing than acting in his own end of the rink.  It's hard to defend in a 5-on-5 situation when one of the five isn't really helping.  He had a couple of shots but he seemed worthless.  Unfortunately, there's not much Peter DeBoer can do.  He's an offensive player who's ice cold right now.  His goalless streak is daunting.  His shots haven't been all that strong either; it's not like he's getting robbed every night.   Ryder's not good enough to play more minutes with other players.  His lackadaisical defensive effort at best means he's not contributing in other areas.   And there isn't another right wing in the system or on the roster who can really replace him.   I guess hope that some of the hot luck Henrique has rubs off him?  I'll take caring a little bit more on defense first, though.

Speaking of Wingers: Dainius Zubrus?  Brunner? Any one of you three (I'm including Ryder) want to put in a better effort overall?  It would be helpful since Henrique isn't going to be hot forever.

One Last Note: Henrique's second goal sent Khudobin to the bench in place of Cam Ward.  Ward unfortunately gets the "L" since he conceded Ruutu's goal, the eventual game winning goal.  I guess he was more of the problem than the guy who gave up four goals out of 23 shots or the guys in front of that guy since he got the bad result.  If that seems silly, then it's no more silly than arguing Brodeur's performance was OK because he got the "W."

Your Take: What do you take away from this game?  Can the Devils address their recent defensive and goaltending woes before their road trip? What would you do?  Who do you think was the best Devil tonight?  Do you feel a little better about the Devils acquiring Ruutu at the trade deadline now?  Please leave your answers and other thoughts on tonight's game in the comments.

Thanks to everyone who followed the sparse tweets of @InLouWeTrust and those who commented in the gamethread. Thank you for reading.

Today's New York Rangers notes.

Three Stars of the Weekend

Number three: Chris Kreider He netted a pair in Sunday's game against Detroit, showing off his variety of skills in the process. On his first, he defleted a point shot just above the crease. And on his last, he showed off his wheels and hands.

Number two: Derek Stepan Joe has been saying it all along, but Stepan has been playing consistently well for an extended stretch; he's just now starting to get the results. He got the game-winner on Friday, and added two assists on Sunday for a big weekend.

Number one: Ryan McDonagh All I have to say about this guy is if he keeps this up the final 17 games of the season, he's going to win the Norris Trophy. Continued his shutdown defensive play this weekend, while adding a goal and two assists to go along with it.

What You Missed

Bet everyone thought this would be Stepan's game-winner against Carolina? Instead, how about a great pass on a 2-on-1 rush before the defenseman can get set, followed by Kreider's quick release.

Now, on to the notes...

In a Sunday matinee, the Rangers picked up two points in a battle with another team fighting for playoff footing in the Red Wings. Some recaps. [Blueshirt Banter] [NY Post] [ESPN NY] [Daily News] [The Record] [Newsday] [Blueshirts United]

He was drafted 205th overall in the seventh round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Five years later, he made his Rangers debut with tempered expectations. And 14 years after he was originally drafted by the New York, Henrik Lundqvist is now the winner of 300 NHL games. [ESPN NY]

And from Sunday's game, if you're looking for a good laugh, check out Pierre McGuire (unsuccessfully) try to throw a puck to a fan. [Blueshirt Banter]

In what may be a surprise as some, and a story that went under-the-radar for a few weeks, Anton Stralman reportedly declined a three-year contract extension. [Blueshirt Banter] [NY Post]

In the Rangers new-look system, Mats Zuccarello is a key cog. [NY Post]

And more on Zuccarello, who makes the Rangers much more dangerous, and provides the team with more depth now that he's back from injury. [The Record]

One constant from the Rangers season? The team has found success on the road. [Newsday]

Dominic Moore has served as the glue on the Rangers emerging, very important fourth line. [Daily News]

Bouncing from team-to-team, Raphael Diaz is hoping to settle in with the Rangers. [NY Post]

From Friday, the Rangers rallied from a two-goal deficit by pumping in four straight in the third period, and stealing a game on the road against the Hurricanes. [Blueshirt Banter] [NY Post] [ESPN NY] [Daily News] [The Record] [Newsday]

Decisions loom for Canes fans and season ticket holders as the Hurricanes announce their 2014-15 ticket pricing amidst the possibility of another missed post-season.

The Carolina Hurricanes announced their 2014-15 ticket pricing and seating last Thursday via their website, local media appearances, and a new (and rather slick) customized microsite for current season ticket holders.

There are a number of changes designed to drive value for season ticket holders while dealing with competing circumstances that continue to push prices upward. A new sales tax and increasing NHL salary cap will increase operations expenses, while frustrations over a likely fifth straight season of missed playoffs will decrease revenues as well as drive down future demand for season ticket commitments.

A new North Carolina sales tax went into effect on January 1, 2014, adding 6.75% to the cost of admissions to all sporting events (and other entertainment) across the state. The Hurricanes fought the tax vigorously for two years, and were able to defer the tax on any regular season tickets for 2013-14, but the tax will go into effect for the upcoming season and will be reflected in the ticket prices.

Other than the added tax, there are no ticket price increases for full season ticket holders across seating locations in the arena for next season.

There are a number of new value-priced sections that have been designated for further discounts for full season ticket holders, including the top 8 rows of Lower Level Center Ice, Lower Level South, Lower Level North, and new designated Club Select and Upper Level Terrace sections, which offer as much as a 15% discount over other seats in the same sections.

26-game and 12-game mini-plans increased by about 10%, inclusive of the sales tax.

The Hurricanes are moving in the direction of other markets by offering tiered gate pricing for games that are designated as "premium" or high demand (think Saturday night or holiday game against an opponent like the Pittsburgh Penguins), to be determined after the 2014-15 NHL schedule is released.

The Canes are also continuing to offer a few "early bird" incentives. Season ticket holders that renew by March 14th will receive tickets to an exclusive Caniac Cookout with Hurricanes players, and those who renew by March 31st will receive a food and beverage discount card for 5%-10% of their season ticket spend based on plan.

Other season ticket holder benefits (vouchers, ticket exchange plans, exclusive ticket holder events, etc.) remain consistent with past seasons, and season ticket holders who retained their plans during the lockout will have discounts applied to this year's invoice as per terms and conditions of the lockout incentives.

EDITED TO ADD: I previously neglected to mention parking.  Game day parking for Hurricanes hockey games next season will remain at $15 (note, general parking for most other events at PNC Arena is $20).  Prepaid general parking for season ticket holders is $10.

For further reference:

• Link to Hurricanes 2014-15 Ticket Pricing and Seating
• Season Ticket Holder Benefits
• WRAL interview with Doug Warf, Hurricanes Vice President of Marketing

Please weigh in on our poll with your intentions regarding Hurricanes season ticket plans for next year. Understanding that circumstances may change with time, indicate your current plans (we'll run the poll again in the off-season which is why the poll questions are more specific to season tickets and not individual tickets). If you're not a season ticket holder, please vote as well, because seeing how our readership breaks down is very helpful.

The 2014 Olympic break and trade deadline are nothing more than memories now. The teams from the Metropolitan Division are still jockeying for position as we enter a key stretch for playoff implications.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins (42-17-4) 88 points:

Brandon Sutter notched the shootout winner to lift Pittsburgh over Anaheim on Friday night, wrapping up a four game road trip that also saw Pittsburgh travel to Chicago, Nashville and San Jose.

The Penguins split the trip 2-2 and have points in seven of their past 10 games (5-3-2).

Pittsburgh, who was linked to Ryan Kesler, didn't arrange a deal to acquire the Canuck but did augment their team with two deals on deadline day. In their first move, they acquired center Marcel Goc from Florida in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015.

Goc appeared in Pittsburgh's games on Thursday and Friday, recording an assist and two hits while playing more than 20 minutes through his first two games.

The second deal for the Penguins brought in winger Lee Stempniak from Calgary in exchange for a 2014 third-round pick.

Like Goc, Stempniak appeared in both games after the deadline, recording a hit and a blocked shot but no points.

Pittsburgh will now set their sights on four-consecutive matchups against division foes as they have a home and home series against Washington on Monday and Tuesday and then the same scenario against the Flyers on Saturday and Sunday. In both scenarios, the Penguins play the first game on the road before returning to home ice.

2. New York Rangers (35-26-4) 74 points:

The Rangers, who have notched points in three-consecutive games, had a little extra on the line in a Sunday matchup with Detroit that New York took 3-0 at home.

With the win, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist became the 29th goaltender in NHL history to reach 300 wins. He is the sixth active player to do so.

With the 49th shutout of his career, Lundqvist also tied Ed Giacomin for the franchise record in that category.

"It's a lot of fun when you start thinking about it," Lundqvist said in an interview with Blueshirts United. "It was a good challenge for me."

The Rangers made a deadline splash by adding longtime Lightning winger Martin St. Louis in a blockbuster deal that sent Ryan Callahan, a 2015 first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick in 2014 to Tampa Bay.

St. Louis, who has played in 1,043 career games notching 974 points, has played three games for New York, watching his team notch points in all of those.

St. Louis has one assist for New York so far and has recorded nine shots.

The Rangers will now begin a three-game home stand that pits them against Carolina, Minnesota and Calgary.

3. Philadelphia Flyers (33-24-7) 73 points:

Prior to a 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Flyers had won three-consecutive games over division rivals.

The Flyers dropped the Rangers at home and Washington on the road before making their lone trade deadline move- sending defenseman Andrej Meszaros to Boston for a 2014 third-round pick.

The Flyers have a three-game stretch of division games upcoming. They start by hosting the Devils and Penguins before battling Pittsburgh on the road in a Sunday matinee affair.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets (33-26-5) 71 points:

The Blue Jackets, one of the more active teams at the March 5 trade deadline, have won four of their past five games with the lone loss coming at the hands of the Blackhawks.

The Blue Jackets, 6-3-1 in their past ten games, sit only two points out of third place before the beginning of a tough week.

The week ahead sends Columbus to Dallas in the front end of back-to-back. In the latter half, the Blue Jackets will host Detroit.

The rest of the week features matchups against San Jose and Minnesota.

The Blue Jackets started off their activity on the trade deadline by sending forward Marian Gaborik to Los Angeles. The Kings sent back forward Matt Fratin, a second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick.

On Wednesday, Columbus also added defenseman Nick Shultz in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Forward Dana Tyrell and defenseman Matt Taormina also were added from Tampa Bay in exchange for forwards Matt Marchessault and Dalton Smith.

5. Washington Capitals (30-25-10) 70 points:

The Capitals notched a 3-2 win over the Coyotes on Saturday night. The win marked the third time in the Capitals' past five games that the team notched points in the standings.

The two regulation losses occurred in a back-to-back situation against Philadelphia and Boston.

Washington added a forward at the trade deadline, with a deal on Tuesday that brought Dustin Penner in from Anaheim in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

The Capitals also jettisoned forwards Martin Erat and John Mitchell. Erat expressed his interested in being traded earlier this season.

Washington received forward Chris Brown, defenseman Rostislav Klesla and a 2015 fourth-round pick from Phoenix for the aforementioned forwards.

In one final deadline move, the Capitals added goaltender Jaroslav Halak from Buffalo, who had just arrived as a piece in the Ryan Miller trade with St. Louis.

The Capitals received a third-round pick, as well and sent Buffalo goaltender Michael Neuvirth and Klesla.

Three of Washington's next four games are at home, with matchups against Pittsburgh, Vancouver and Toronto on the docket. The Capitals will travel to face the Penguins in the lone road duel of that four-game stretch.

After enjoying the home swing, the Capitals will travel to the West Coast with tough stops in Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose.

6. New Jersey Devils (28-24-13) 69 points:

The Devils started off the month of March 2-2-0 before a duel with the Hurricanes at home.

It didn't take long for New Jersey's lone trade deadline acquisition- forward Tuomo Ruutu, to make an impact. The Devils plucked Ruutu from Carolina in exchange for forward Andrei Laktionov and a conditional 2017 third-round pick.

Ruutu wasted no time, burning his former team with a game winning goal and an assist in a 5-4 win over the Hurricanes on Saturday night.

The win was the third in New Jersey's past five and was the last game before a road trip that sends the Devils to Philadelphia, Florida and Tampa Bay in a five day span.

After that stretch, however, six of the Devils' last seven games of the month of March will be on home ice.

7. Carolina Hurricanes (27-28-9) 63 points:

The scene was set for the Hurricanes to make a run in the playoff standings after the Olympic break.

Carolina had games in hand on virtually everyone in the conference, the team had three healthy goalies and the first game after the break was against NHL cellar-dweller, Buffalo.

A 3-2 loss to the Sabres set the tone however, as the Hurricanes have won only once since the Olympic break, a 3-2 victory over the Sharks. A 2-8-0 mark in their past 10 games has sunk the Hurricanes to within six points of last place in the division.

Carolina resigned goaltender Anton Khudobin, prompting chatter that one of the three goalies would be traded at the deadline, with Peters and Ward already at the NHL level.

The lone move Carolina made, however, was sending Ruutu to New Jersey for Loktionov and a pick.

Three of Carolina's next four games are at home as the team looks to claw back into the playoff picture.

Their next matchup is against the Rangers on Tuesday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

8. New York Islanders (24-33-9) 57 points:

The Islanders were the talk of the league last week, which isn't familiar for a team in last place in their division.

The chatter was all about if forward Thomas Vanek would be moved and where a potential landing spot could be.

The Islanders pulled the trigger on a deal that sent the Austrian wing man to Montreal in addition to a conditional fifth-round pick. in the 2014 draft The Canadiens sent back forward Sebastien Collberg and a conditional second-round pick in the 2014 draft.

The Islanders have three wins in their past 10 games and are likely setting their sights on what to do with their first round draft pick after the regular season's culmination.

New York wraps up a four-game road trip with a duel against the Canucks on Monday before starting a swing of three-straight home games, starting with matchups against the Sharks and Sabres. The final game of the home stretch pits the team against the Wild.

Didn't we just do this a couple of days ago?

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers

March 11, 2014 - 7:00 pm ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 The Fan

SB Nation Rival Blog: Blueshirt Banter

Hurricanes Record: 27-28-9 | 63 pts | 7th Metro | 13th EC
Rangers Record: 35-26-4 | 74 pts | 3rd Metro | 7th EC

Post-Season Picture:
Games Remaining: 18
Minimum Points Needed: 92
Points Back: 29 (1.61 points/game)
Playoff Chances (Sports Club Stats): 1.7%

The Hurricanes and Rangers met just four nights ago here in Raleigh, and it was not a good night for the players wearing the sightless eye, taking a 1-0 lead into the third period only to have the Rangers score four goals for the 4-2 win. The Canes haven't defeated the Rangers since January 2011, going winless now in 10 straight head-to-head match-ups.

Since that night, the Hurricanes traveled to Newark where they suffered a 5-4 defeat to the Devils, while the Rangers shut out the Red Wings at home on Sunday, 3-0.

The Rangers are 6-3-1 in their last ten games, the Canes 2-8-0.

Henrik Lundqvist achieved a milestone on Sunday night with his 300th NHL win, two wins and one shutout away from being the top net minder in Rangers history in those two categories. Lundqvist will likely be in net again tonight although that has not been confirmed.

On a roll for the Devils are Chris Kreider, with 2 goals against Detroit on Sunday; Ryan McDonagh, with five points in his last four games, and Derek Stepan, with eight points in his last five games including the game-winner against the Canes on Friday.

Marc Staal was in the news yesterday as Larry Brooks speculated that the Rangers might want to start taking a look at a contract extension, stating the defenseman might have his sights on joining his siblings once he reaches free agency [NY Post]. (editorial note, I guess Brooksie thinks there may be some interest from the Candy Canes).

The Hurricanes practiced yesterday at PNC Arena but there were no post-practice media reports, just spotty information gleaned from twitter feeds. Eric Staal was not at practice yesterday, the only information available was illness and his availability for tonight's game would be determined today. Andrei Loktionov skated in Staal's spot with Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm, Jordan Staal's line remained intact (Alexander Semin and Jiri Tlusty), Riley Nash lined up with Nathan Gerbe and Patrick Dwyer, and Manny Malhotra with Drayson Bowman and Radek Dvorak.

Justin Faulk remains out of the lineup as does John-Michael Liles (both upper body). Andrej Sekera left yesterday's practice early but there was no update as to why. After practice the Canes recalled defenseman Michal Jordan from the Charlotte Checkers on an emergency basis [ch.com news release]. Jordan, who played in five games for the Canes last season, will be available tonight. There were no other updates on defense. Anton Khudobin and Cam Ward split time in net at practice but there were no indications as to who will start tonight.

The Hurricanes will not hold a morning skate or have media availability prior to tonight's game.

Chip Alexander wrote a nice feature on the twists and turns of Elias Lindholm's rookie season [N&O].

The NHL general managers met in Florida yesterday to discuss rule changes around overtime, shootouts, and video review, and Michael Smith caught up with a few Canes players to discuss their opinions [ch.com].

Tonight begins a military appreciation drive at PNC Arena. Between now and March 16th, fans can donate washcloths and razors to the USO of North Carolina and enter a drawing for a chance to win some prizes from the team [details on Promotions page].

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

The New York Rangers will take on the Carolina Hurricanes once again this evening as they search for their third consecutive win.

The New York Rangers will look to make it three in a row tonight as they take on the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in four days. Earlier this week, the Rangers were able to overcome a 1-0 lead in the third period against Carolina, and exploded with four goals to seal the victory. It was a huge test of character, and the Rangers were able to overcome adversity to earn two points. Also with a win against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon, Henrik Lundqvist is one win shy of tying Mike Richter for all-time wins as a New York Ranger. Tonight may be win number 301 for Lundqvist, but it's definitely not going to be easy.

The Hurricanes are facing some injury trouble as Justin Faulk, John-Michael Liles, Andrej Sekera and Eric Staal are facing injuries or illnesses. Staal wasn't present at yesterday's morning skate, and it was noted that his status for tonight's game will be decided before game time. Sekera left yesterday's skate for an undisclosed reason, and his status for tonight's game also remains in limbo. As a result, the Canes were forced to recallMichal Jordan from Charlotte in case he needs to suit up tonight for one of the injured defensemen.

With what appears to be a pretty depleted lineup tonight for the Hurricanes, the Rangers cannot afford to let these two points slip away. The full lineup for tonight's game can be found below.

VS.

New York Rangers (35-26-4) vs Carolina Hurricanes (27-28-9)
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC - 7:00 PM
Television: MSG, FS-CR |Radio:ESPN NY 98.7 |
Opponent's Blog: Canes Country

Projected Lineup:

Chris Kreider - Derek Stepan - Rick Nash
Carl Hagelin - Brad Richards - Martin St. Louis
Benoit Pouliot - Derick Brassard - Mats Zuccarello
Brian Boyle - Dominic Moore - Daniel Carcillo

Ryan McDonagh - Dan Girardi
Marc Staal - Anton Stralman
John Moore - Kevin Klein

Henrik Lundqvist
Cam Talbot

Scratches/Injuries: Justin Falk (healthy), Derek Dorsett (healthy), Raphael Diaz (healthy).

Since recovering from a broken left fibula, Derek Dorsett has struggled to find time in the Rangers' lineup.

Derek Dorsett was a stalwart on the Rangers fourth line through the early part of this season. But after breaking his fibula in early January, Dorsett was sidelined through the Olympic break, making way for Daniel Carcillo to occupy that spot. Dorsett was given a clean bill of health when the post-Sochi NHL schedule resumed, but with Carcillo entrenched in his spot, playing time has been hard to come by. (Dorsett has played in two of the Rangers five games since the break ended.)

Tuesday night, as the Rangers take on the Hurricanes for the second time in five days in Carolina, Dorsett will make his return to the lineup in the place of Carcillo.

Dorsett in for Carcillo.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) March 11, 2014

Other than that move, the Rangers lineup will remain the same. After the team skated this morning, Alain Vigneault confirmed the announcement, and explained his reasoning behind reinserting Dorsett into the mix.

"We have a lot of games coming up here, and I wanted to get (Dorsett) in"-Alain Vigneault #NYR

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 11, 2014

So no word on whether this is a longterm move, a short-term project, or anything in between. Seems like Vigneault is taking it one game at a time.