Only two players selected in the top-10 since 2000 never played a professional game for the team that drafted them. One was picked by the Hurricanes and finds himself in the news today.

Number To Know

2 — Players selected in the top-10 of the NHL Draft from 2000 to 2013 that never played a professional game (NHL or minors) for the team that selected them:

• 2004 fifth overall pick Blake Wheeler, who refused to sign with Phoenix and, via a loophole, became an unrestricted free agent. He signed with Boston (the Coyotes received a second-round compensatory pick) but was later traded to Atlanta with Mark Stuart for Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik. He still plays for that franchise, now in Winnipeg.
• 2005 third-overall pick Jack Johnson, who balked at signing with Carolina and joining them for their eventual Stanley Cup run in 2006. Then-GM Jim Rutherford shipped Johnson to Los Angeles — Carolina’s opponent Thursday night — along with cap burden Oleg Tverdovsky in exchange for Tim Gleason and Eric Belanger. Johnson missed his shot at a Cup again when Los Angeles traded him at the 2012 trade deadline to Columbus (along with two draft picks) for Jeff Carter just a year after signing Johnson to a seven-year contract extension. The Kings went on to win the Cup that year, and won again last season.

Johnson has been in the news Thursday after the Columbus Post-Dispatch reported that he was filing for bankruptcy. The article blamed his now-estranged parents for putting him in severe debt.

For the second straight year a Sabres game has been postponed due to weather, furthering the established Buffalo stereotype.

The Bills aren't the only Buffalo team affected by the snow storm this week. The NHL announced today that Friday's game against the Rangers has been postponed. No make-up date has been announced.

This is the second season in a row that the Sabres have had a game called off due to weather. Last January the Sabres and Hurricanes game was postponed due to snow and low temperatures. Some believed the Sabres last game against San Jose should have been postponed as well, as only 6,000 fans were able to make it to their seats.

The next game on the schedule is Saturday night, when the Sabres head down to Washington to take on the Capitals. It does not seem like the players will have difficulties travelling at this point. If you live in Western New York, stay warm and stay safe. If not, stay tuned to find out when this game will be rescheduled.

Even though improvement is still needed in a few areas, the Hurricanes picked up a much needed road win to start their road trip.

What may have looked to be an extended dry spell turned out to be exactly what the Carolina Hurricanes needed to get back on track.A 6-4 win on the road against the Dallas Stars marked their first win in the Lone Star State since 1996 as the Hartford Whalers while also tallying a win in their first game of a five-game road trip.

After losing to the Winnipeg Jets November 13 to end their point streak, the ‘Canes lost some of their mojo as they only tallied 2 goals in the span of three games prior to Dallas.

The Boston Bruins are known to be a absolutely physically dominant team, but what ended up being a deciding factor was their ability to reduce the Hurricanes’ shots on net after the first period.They also managed a lucky bounce to go their way and a late goal by Patrice Bergeron in the slot in the first period.

Sunday against the San Jose Sharks, the Hurricanes managed 45 shots on net with 89 attempted.San Jose not only managed a win, but Troy Grosenick stopped all 45 shots to record a shutout in his first NHL start.A more size-efficient roster has worked in the favor of Hurricanes’ opponents as teams like Winnipeg completely dominate in all aspects as they have size as well as speed.

The outing against Dallas was a different story.They didn’t show up to play in the first period and more fundamental errors cost them four goals. An early cross crease pass from below the goal line from Vernon Fiddler to Jamie Benn and the Dallas Stars secured an early lead with less than two minutes underway in the game.

Jeff Skinner’s early second period goal was the climax of the story as a bad angle shot caught Kari Lethonen by surprise putting the Hurricanes within one.Patrick Dwyer would convert shortly after as a stretch pass bounced his way and managed to make a move and score backhand.Then, and only then, the Stars were called for a penalty with Victor Rask blasting his third of the season home on the power play while giving the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead with 3 unanswered goals.

Although the Hurricanes suffered from bad breaks in both games against the Bruins and the Sharks, both opponents were better defensively. It’s a consistent struggle for the Hurricanes to clean up the trash in front of the net whether it be a body or a juicy rebound.Several times Tuesday night Cam Ward was forced to make saves off rebounds that the defense couldn’t handle themselves.Protecting the front of the net is a fundamentally sound concept that the Hurricanes haven’t abided by and it’s shown that it will cost them.Bodies in front of the net to protect or to serve as a nuisance on the other end of the ice are needed areas of improvement.Also, coverage on the point was another issue as two goals came from a tip in front of the net that was a redirect from a shot from the point.Several times Alex Semin lost his coverage on his man and Ward bailed him out.

Still with room for improvement, the Hurricanes saw the Eric Staal’s leadership they should always see.Back checking and making plays away from the puck will eventually lead to a reward and it did for Staal.He couldn’t get the puck through to the empty net for his first hat trick of the season finishing the game with two goals and one assist.

For once it seemed like there was equal effort of the team throughout the night.The Nathan Gerbe, Riley Nash, Elias Lindholm line always appeared the more energetic line.Kudos to Bill Peters who knows what he wants to see and can make that change in the blink of an eye.In that regard, he shook lines up again putting Lindholm on a line with Staal and got the end result he was looking for.

One goal can change the momentum both ways and that was apparent against Dallas.The Canes hadn’t managed enough points on the board in recent contests, but that wasn’t the case Tuesday.Once the Hurricanes got their way going it they couldn’t be staggered until Dallas answered back.They played with the intensity that they need to win games. And they couldn’t have started this road trip on a better note.

Los Angeles Kings v. Carolina Hurricanes (Staples Center)

Time: 7:30 PM

TV: Fox Sports West

Kings Projected Lineup:

Marian Gaborik - Anze Kopitar - Trevor Lewis
Dwight King - Jeff Carter - Tyler Toffoli
Dustin Brown - Jarret Stoll - Justin Williams
Kyle Clifford - Mike Richards - Jordan Nolan

Jake Muzzin - Drew Doughty
Brayden McNabb - Matt Greene
Robyn Regehr - Jamie McBain

Jonathan Quick

Injuries/Scratches/Suspensions: Alec Martinez, Slava Voynov, Tanner Pearson (unconfirmed, may be out of lineup), Andy Andreoff

Hurricanes Projected Lineup:

Cam Ward

• I'm not langluy. What the hell am I doing here? I don't know.

• I read a fanfiction thing recently. Eric Staal brutally murdered Sidney Crosby for stealing Jordan Staal from him. It was a bit dated. Now Sidney would have to murder Eric.

• Unfortunately, this hasn't happened yet, and Eric Staal will likely play on the top line for the Hurricanes. Eric Staal continues to be a pretty respectable player. Hopefully Sidney finishes the job before the game starts.

• Andrej Sekera dresses for the wrong team tonight. Hopefully in the future he'll dress for the Kings instead of Jamie McBain.

• Jamie McBain! It's his fourth ever meeting against the team he started his NHL career with. He has 0 career points and, somehow, a +2 rating against the Hurricanes in his career. Plus/minus continues to be a dumb but amusing stat. Godspeed buddy.

• It appears that Trevor Lewis will spend another game on the top line for the Kings. This is exciting, because in the last game he flubbed a half breakaway and tried to stickhandle while sitting on his butt. What will he do tonight? Feel free to answer below! I predict that while attempting to score a goal, his own teammates will replace the puck with a joke puck that explodes on contact. Hilarious.

• Darryl Sutter might scratch Tanner Pearon tonight. Though I do think Pearson has struggled, this seems weird. I trust Darryl, but he's a weird guy. If you read this, Darryl, I hope you know I think you're strange.

• Perhaps the Kings are scratching Pearson in an attempt to match those old averaging methods that had you throw out your best and worst scores to figure out a truer average. Martinez is the most handsome King, and Tanner Pearson is Tanner Pearson. If this is the case, then maybe Darryl isn't so weird.

• The Kings lost to the Hurricanes the last time these two teams met. I don't really remember it, but I assume it was depressing and annoying. I predict that this will not happen tonight.

• PREDICTION: Kings win 4-2, Trevor Lewis continues to find new ways to not score goals.

Cam Ward makes 36 saves and Eric Staal scores his 700th point in losing effort.

The Carolina Hurricanes were outplayed at times but still hung in the game until late as they lost to the Los Angeles Kings, 3-2 on Thursday night.   Cam Ward made 36 saves on 39 shots for the visitors, a season high for him.

The Canes skated an extra attacker in the final two minutes of the game and Elias Lindholm had a great chance to tie the game late, but Jonathan Quick made a tremendous save with the flash of his glove to preserve the win as the Swede shook his head in disbelief.

The Kings outshot their opponents 11-5 in the first period and 18-11 in the second, but the Canes hung in there and kept it close.

After Jarret Stoll scored a powerplay goal to give the home team the lead in the opening period, Jeff Skinner tied it up, 1-1 late in the period on his patented wrist shot.

Trevor Lewis made the score 2-1 just 37 seconds into the second period, but Eric Staal scored a powerplay goal himself though when he knocked in a Skinner rebound 2:21 into the period to tie the game once again.  It was Staal's 700th career point.

Tanner Pearson scored just 38 seconds later and that would be the eventual game-winner as both teams battled throughout a scoreless third.

The Canes were outshot for the game, 39-27.

The team will travel to Colorado next for a match against the Avs on Saturday night.

Game Notes:

• The team had a rough night in the faceoff circle and won just 43% for the night.
• Gerbe and Lindholm each had a team high six shots on goal out of the team's 27 for the game.
• The Canes actually outhit the Kings, 33-24.  Tim Gleason led the way with eight.  Brett Bellemore was credited with three, but had a couple of nice ones that were noticeable.
• Justin Faulk once again had the most ice time for the club with 23:12 of TOI.  Sekera was right behind him.
• Skinner had a two point night with his fifth goal of the season and assist.
• Event Summary stat sheet

The scoring is non-traditional, but it's a vintage Kings performance.

Remember that disheartening 2-0 loss to Dallas? Hard to believe it was only a week ago. Because tonight was the third straight win for the Los Angeles Kings, and what's even better is that they're starting to win the way we all expect them to win.

[Box Score]

Lots of really good individual performances tonight, but we start with the guy who we just analyzed. Usually when a defenseman with zero points gets the second star, it means that he's playing at home and his team got shut out and they had to give a start to SOMEONE, right? However, Brayden McNabb absolutely deserved the accolade. McNabb was calm and composed in his own zone, helped drive play forward despite getting defensive assignments, and got a chance to show off his slapshot from the blueline. He even broke up a potential late assist with his skate. As for an impact play: McNabb's most noticeable impact this season has been his physical impact, and he leveled Jay McClement with a terrific check just inside of his own zone in the first period. The hit drew an instigator from Brad Malone, because apparently Malone needed to send a message about completely clean hits.

The Kings didn't score on that power play, but they did score on a power play earlier in the first after (guess who?) McClement hooked (guess who?) McNabb. Dustin Brown made a lovely pass to Jarret Stoll, who made enough contact on his one-timer to beat Cam Ward up high. The fact that Stoll fluffed the shot a bit didn't matter, because he broke to the net at the perfect time:

Darryl Sutter has moved to a philosophy of putting out his normal line combinations on the PP, and as much as I prefer to see the absolutely stacked unit (12-11-77-6-8) out there, it's tough to argue with the recent success. The Kings had a lot of trouble staying out of the box themselves, taking four stick penalties in the first 22 minutes of the game; LA's PK killed the first three off, but allowed a power play goal on the fourth.

At even strength? The Kings were terrific in the first, but one odd-man rush allowed Jeff Skinner to tie things up. Jake Muzzin aggressively tried to break up a Carolina feed in the neutral zone, but Nathan Gerbe was able to tip it past him, setting up a 2-on-1. Skinner dangled enough to put Drew Doughty on his back and Jonathan Quick on his heels, and his low shot beat Quick on the far side. The score remained 1-1 until intermission, but not for much longer. A good breakout  pass by Anze Kopitar got Drew Doughty into the zone with Marian Gaborik and Trevor Lewis driving. Doughty got it to the net, Gaborik knocked it back into the crease area, and Lewis nudged the puck in with his skate... but it also tipped his stick on the way in. Good goal, top liner!

The Canes scored two minutes later on that power play I mentioned; Eric Staal converted a rebound, and Jim Fox lamented that the Kings had "dominated in so many areas" but were stuck in a tie game. Tanner Pearson, who may or may not have been a scratch consideration tonight, changed that on the very next shift. The Kings' breakout on their third goal was more about persistence than cleanliness, as Mike Richards and Kyle Clifford simply pushed the puck forward until it was at the other end. Clifford and Richards then hacked the puck to the front, and Pearson used a baseball swing to slam the puck home.

That whirlwind of scoring made it 3-2 Kings at the 2:59 mark of the second. After that? Not a goal to be found. Jonathan Quick made 18 more saves, but that wasn't a case of territorial dominance by Carolina; LA had 21 more shots in that time, and Cam Ward kept his team in the game as well. Quick got the victory and the night's best save in the final minute, after Doughty got his jersey stuck in Staal's skate and was essentially removed from the play. The spot vacated by Doughty provided an opening for Elias Lindholm, but Quick flashed the glove...

... and sealed the two points. LA's two-week stay in California started out rough, but they complete the run with a 4-2-1 record.

Oh, what a beautiful morning/Oh, what a beautiful day/I've got a beautiful feeling/A pylon's been traded away!

Much to the relief of many in the AC community, Bryan Allen is no longer a part of this team. [Anaheim Ducks, with quotes from Bob Murray and new Duck Rene Bourque]

Delusional Quote of the Year candidate from Habs GM Marc Bergevin on acquiring Allen:

"I see a guy who played on a regular basis for one of the top teams in the West. I don't see why he can't help us here" - Bergevin on Allen

— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) November 20, 2014

Now, on to the rest of the news:

DUCKS NEWS

• Despite his recent injury, Devante Smith-Pelly has found a home with the Ducks. [ESPN]
• An update on the Ducks' prospects. [Fansided]
• Earlier this week, Lois noted that Chris Pronger is eligible for induction in the 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame. Former Ducks Paul Kariya and Sergei Fedorov will be eligible as well. [Edmonton Sun]
• The Ducks have reassigned Chris Wagner to the Norfolk Admirals. [Anaheim Ducks]
• Patrick Maroon answers all of your burning questions. [Anaheim Ducks]

AROUND THE NHL

• NHL.com projects the 42 man roster for the 2015 All-Star Game. (Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf make the cut, and Sami Vatanen is a contender). [NHL.com]
• Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson has filed for bankruptcy after his parents reportedly mismanaged his finances. [Columbus Dispatch]
• CSS has released a list of players to watch in the 2015 NHL Draft. [NHL.com]
• The Carolina Hurricanes have claimed Detroit Red Wings forward Andrej Nestrasil off of waivers. [Canes Country]
• L.A. Kings' defenceman Slava Voynov has been formally charged with felony'corporal injury to spouse with great bodily injury' after being arrested Oct. 20. Voynov was arrested after bringing his wife to a hospital to treat her injuries. [CBC]

A Spezza signing, a Klingberg goal, and a big win help wash the taste of a rough week out of the mouths of Stars fans. Read on to see the ups, downs, and in-betweens

Why on earth would Jason Spezza attach himself to this mess? Yes, millions of dollars help, but he was going to get his money. We spoke a bit about the impending deal on this week’s podcast (#namedrop, #shamelessplug), and why it’s a major vote of confidence for the Dallas Stars. The bottom line is that this is a group with good guts. Even in the middle of a brushfire, the Stars can claim a youthful, skillful foundation the envy of most teams in the NHL.

That an elite player at a premium position would elect to spend four years of his competitive prime in Dallas is a huge vote of confidence. Furthermore, the fact GM Jim Nill was able to get Spezza locked in for just four years is yet another sign the team is trending in the right direction.

There will still be downs, but wins are coming.

Up

Jamie Benn (4 GP / 1 G / 3 A) – And Stars Nation exhales. Jamie was back in the goals this week, and at least closer to the heart-and-soul player we’ve come to love. The Captain isn’t all the way back to his best quite yet, but it’s coming.

Erik Cole (4 GP / 1 A / 100.26 PDO) - Maybe I'm the problem. Cole was perfectly serviceable this week. There were a few hard-charging shifts, and a few forgettable ones. He stays up because maybe he's just a depth guy doing depth guy things..

Cody Eakin (4 GP / 2G / 43.67% FOW)– Eakin also has an assist over the last week, which puts him at nearly a point per game on the top line. The faceoff circle remains an issue, but otherwise Eakin has been an asset since his return.

Vern Fiddler (4 GP / 3 A / 8 S)– Did you know last night snapped a 3 game point streak for Fiddler? He spent the last week doing Vern Fiddler things (aka helping his team all over the ice).

Alex Goligoski (4 GP / 1 A / 6.02% Fenwick Rel)– Quietly a reliable, steady spot on an otherwise tumultuous Dallas defensive unit. Goose played more than 25 minutes in all but one game this past week.

Ales Hemsky (4 GP / 3 A / 10 S)– A three point week? A two point game? Coach said to shoot more, and coming out of his benching, Hemsky seems to have listened. Could this be a turning point?

John Klingberg (4 GP / 1 G / 3 A)– What a goal! Klingberg did get a bailout save from Kari, but didn’t seem to let the error follow him. That’s critical for a rookie, and for a struggling defense. At 140 lbs, the kid has got to learn to duck some of those big hits.

Antoine Roussel (4 GP / 2 Pts / 7 SOG)– Saw powerplay time in every game this week. Roussel also threw seven hits against the Wild. Very effective.

Tyler Seguin (4 GP / 2 G / 13 SOG) – Leads the entire NHL in goals, and (probably) awesome. Did you know Seguin is over 50% on the dot this season (51%)? Yeah, I know he’s a Right Wing at the moment, I’m just pointing out one less thing he’s bad at.

Jason Spezza (4 GP / 4 Years / $30 Million) – Off the ice, Spezza signing a long term extension is a huge win for both player and team. This is a guy who could have written his own ticket, and elected to stay in Dallas. On the ice, the slick center put up three points over the past four games (1 G / 2 A). Not a bad week.

Good Kari Lehtonen (2 GP / .9388 Sv% / 3 GA)– Held Dallas in against Minnesota and against the Arizona Coyotes. When he’s on, there’s no doubting the big Finn’s influence on the Stars.

Down

Bad Kari Lehtonen (2 GP / .8413 Sv% / 10 GA) – Wilting under the Blackhawk blitz is understandable, but Kari was as culpable as anybody against the Hurricanes. When he’s off, there’s no doubting the big Finn’s influence on the Stars.

Jordie Benn - (3 GP / 0 Pts / -4) - Benched by week's end is about as down as you can be.

Trevor Daley (4 GP / -5 / -19% Fenwick Rel) - Arizona was his first good effort of the week. Stars' fans hope it's a sign the veteran D-man is pulling out of his November tailspin.

Shawn Horcoff (4 GP / 1 G / 11:33 ATOI)– Reduced minutes this past week limited Horcoff’s effectiveness. A well-taken goal helps, but not quite enough.

Anders Lindback (1 GP / 2 GA / 21:31 TOI)– Lindback got mop up duty after the Hurricanes chased Lehtonen. Hard to blame him for the breakaway goal, hard to call it up when he still can’t get a game.

Curtis McKenzie (3 GP / 1 G / 1 Scratch)– His first career goal was a beauty of a tip. There just wasn’t much else, and by week’s end the young Star was watching from the press box. Hard to read the rookie right now.

Colton Sceviour (3 GP / 3 SOG / 3 H)– Benched against Chicago, but over 13 minutes versus Arizona and Carolina. Ice time isn’t the problem, production is. He needs a goal badly.

In-Between

Patrick Eaves (1GP / 12:55 TOI / +1)– A week mostly on the IR keeps Eaves in-between, but it sure was nice to see him back against Arizona.

Ryan Garbutt (3 GP / Out 1 Week)– An upper body injury kept Garbutt out against the ‘Yotes. It’s a tough blow for the Stars during an important stretch of games.

Jyrki Jokipakka (1 GP / 13:18 TOI / 2 PIM)– It wasn’t a penalty, but it did turn into a powerplay goal. One game is too small a sample to say much, but he acquitted himself well, I thought.

Travis Moen (3 GP / 3 S / 4 H) – Moen came over in the Gonchar trade, and threw his weight around as a part of Dallas’ depth unit. Got 13:26 of ice time against the Coyotes as his role with the team continues to emerge.

Jamie Oleksiak (4 GP / 6 Blk / 7 H) – Ducked below 10 minutes for the 2^nd and 3^rd time this season against Chicago and Arizona, but it feels like Oleksiak is coming along a little bit. Not an up quite yet, but watch him.

On the Shelf

Patrick Nemeth

Valeri Nichushkin

The Carolina Hurricanes couldn't replicate their win over the Kings earlier at PNC Arena, falling in Los Angeles, 3-2.

The Hurricanes traded goals with Los Angeles for the first 23 minutes of the their game Thursday, but the Kings’ third goal 2:59 into the second period proved to be the game-winner and the night's final goal in their 3-2 win over Carolina.

Three Observations

1. With healthy scratch Alexander Semin and recent waiver claim Andrej Nestrasil both lurking as possibilities for Saturday’s game at Colorado, it was surprising that Carolina’s depth players didn't play with more of a stay-in-the-lineup urgency. Chris Terry and Zach Boychuk were non-factors, and Brad Malone registered more than twice as many penalty minutes (17) than actual time on ice (7:18). Both Semin and Nestrasil could find their way into the fold against the Avalanche.

2. For the second straight game, Cam Ward allowed at least three goals after having not allowing more than two in his previous seven outings. But once again, Ward wasn't to blame for the Hurricanes’ loss. Ward’s resurgence has been remarkable, and he continues to give Carolina a chance to win every night. But after five straight wins to start November, he has been saddled with a loss in three of his last four starts.

3. Nathan Gerbe had his best game in some time, registering an assist for the second straight outing. Gerbe's six shots on goal were the fourth time this season he has registered at least that many, but he is still stuck on one goal, having scored in the opener and not registered a goal in his 14 games played since. His current 2.1 percent shooting percentage screams that Gerbe will break through in a big way eventually, but he has still managed seven points so far this year and is currently on pace for 36 points. That would still match his career-high production from last season.

Number To Know

41:13 — Minutes until a Carolina defenseman registered a shot on goal. Andrej Sekera finally broke the ice with 18:47 left in the game, and the team’s blue line managed to finish with four shots on goal in the final period and for the game.

Plus

Eric Staal— Carolina’s captain was again a catalyst for the Hurricanes, scoring on the power play (his third goal in two games) and logging 20-plus minutes for the third straight game. Staal seems to be getting healthier and stronger as the season is going on, and it's starting to translate to points.

Minus

Justin Faulk— Faulk has been arguably Carolina’s best player the past 10 or so games, but he struggled Thursday against the Kings. It was the first game this season Faulk did not register a shot on goal — and he had been firing at will since he got out of his early season funk — and he had trouble handling the Kings forwards in front of Ward.

Can the Canes light up the joint tonight or will they get stoned by the Avalanche? Hopefully there's no burnout from the road trip, because it's time to weed out the good teams from the bad before the season goes up in smoke.

Carolina Hurricanes at Colorado Avalanche
November 22, 2014 - 9:00 pm ET
Pepsi Center - Denver, CO
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan
SB Nation Rival Blog - Mile High Hockey

Fancy Stats

Game Notes

• The Hurricanes achieved an important milestone when they defeated the Stars Tuesday night, their first win in Dallas since the franchise moved to Raleigh. That leaves just one remaining road venue where the Canes have never won, and they visit it tonight. The last win in Denver against the Avalanche was February 9, 1996, when they were still the Hartford Whalers.
• Newcomer Andrej Nestrasil, acquired from waivers on Thursday, met the team in Denver yesterday and skated during an optional practice. Nestrasil is a left shot but is comfortable skating on the right wing per Bill Peters, who was familiar with the young forward from their time together in Detroit. 'Nesty' sat down with Micheal Smith yesterday to talk about his first day with his new team [ch.com].
• With no formal report out from yesterday's optional practice, there really wasn't an indication of where players will line up and who will sit out tonight, so stay tuned today for further information. Nestrasil apparently skated at right wing with Riley Nash and Nathan Gerbe, a spot previously occupied by Alexander Semin, a healthy scratch Thursday. Semin practiced yesterday and then spent one-on-one time with the coach afterwards, so it will be interesting to see if he finds himself back in the line-up tonight.
• After being shut out last Sunday, Eric Staal (3g, 1a) and Jeff Skinner (2g, 1a) have goals in their last two games, and Nathan Gerbe has a two-game assist streak.
• Congratulations to Justin Faulk, who will be playing in his 200th career NHL game tonight.
• The Avalanche were riding a two-game winning streak before they lost to the Capitals on Thursday night. Twice the Caps went ahead and both times the Avs fought back to tie before falling short in a 3-2 loss. Sound familiar?
• The defeat at the hands of the Caps wasn't the only bad news the Avalanche received Thursday night. Forward Alex Tanguay's suffered a facial fracture after his face got in the way of an Alex Ovechkin shot, and Dennis Everberg left the game with a separated shoulder after a collision with Tom Wilson. It wasn't like the Avs line-up wasn't already a bit depleted. Here's their injury list:

Jesse Winchester - concussion (IR)

Patrick Bordeleau - back surgery

Jamie McGinn - back (IR)

Dennis Everberg - shoulder (IR)

Alex Tanguay - facial fracture

Brad Stuart - hamstring (IR)

Ryan Wilson - shoulder surgery (IR)

Semyon Varlamov - groin

• Forwards Andrew Agozzino, Ben Street and Tomas Vincour were called up yesterday from Lake Erie; again, we'll know more later today as to how they will be inserted into the line-up.  If Agozzino gets the call he'll be playing in his first NHL game.
• Reto Berra will get the start in net.
• Like the Hurricanes, the Avalanche are struggling to generate offense, ranking in the bottom five in the NHL in goals per game. Before Tanguay's injury, he was leading the Avalanche in scoring with seven goals. Defenseman Tyson Barrie leads in total points with 14 (2g, 12a).  Matt Duchene was the Canes-killer the last time the teams met in Denver, logging two goals and and assist.
• Finally, this stat seemed relevant.

Number to know from our notes man @andy_rosen52 ahead of tomorrow's game against the Colorado. pic.twitter.com/gxWZt4XQUQ

— Mike Sundheim (@MikeSundheim) November 21, 2014

Projected line-ups (UPDATED 2:30 pm ET)

Hurricanes

Injuries and Scratches: Jordan Staal (IR broken fibula), Zach Boychuk, Chris Terry, Jay Harrison

Avalanche

Injuries and Scratches: Jesse Winchester (IR concussion), Patrick Bordeleau (back surgery), Jamie McGinn (IR back), Dennis Everberg (IR shoulder), Alex Tanguay (facial fracture), Brad Stuart (IR hamstring), Ryan Wilson (IR shoulder surgery), Semyon Varlamov (groin), John Mitchell (leg)

It's another late night game, so make sure you have plenty of munchies. Grab a stash of brownies and Doritos, bogart the remote, and watch the Canes pot a few goals. We'll have the game thread ready to roll by 8:30.

19 goals for, 27 against in November. A non-existent power play. Injuries. Goaltending. Right now, there isn't much that's going right for the Norfolk Admirals.

1 Norfolk has won just one of seven road games this season, getting outscored 14-30.

2 Defenseman Nathan McIver is currently ranked second among defensemen in penalty minutes.  In 14 games played, McIver has spent 56 minutes in the box, averaging four minutes per game.

3 The Admirals are the third-worst team in the league when it comes to scoring goals.  In 16 games, Norfolk has scored just 37 goals, averaging 2.31 per game.

4 Norfolk is the fourth-worst team in goals against.  Opposing teams are scoring 3.56 goals per game against the Admirals, who have seen 57 pucks hit the back of their net in 16 games.

5 The Admirals have lost by five or more goals five times this season.

6 Recently signed goaltender Yann Danis allowed six goals on 33 shots in a 6-2 loss against the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes) this past Tuesday.

7 Norfolk not only can't find the net at even strength, but also can't generate with the man-advantage either.  Sitting seventh from the bottom on the Power Play, The Admirals have managed just eight goals on 60 attempts with the man-advantage, a measly 13.3%.  For perspective, the number one Power Play in the AHL, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders) have scored 23 goals on 79 attempts, good for a 29% success rate.

8 Compounding the problem of goal scoring has been the constant parade to the penalty box.  Norfolk currently ranks eighth in the AHL in penalty minutes, averaging 21.94 per game.  In other words, imagine a hockey team playing an entire period one man down.

9 The lone bright spot this season has been the Admirals' Penalty Kill, currently ranked ninth in the AHL.  Norfolk has allowed only ten goals in 67 short-handed situations, good for 85.1%.

10 Forward Chris Wagner returned to the lineup last night to score his seventh goal of the season in a 2-1 loss to the Portland Pirates (Arizona Coyotes).  Despite being out of the Admirals lineup for five games, Wagner leads the team with ten points (9GP 7G, 3A).

--I'll start with some good news.  Max Friberg, who was injured on his first shift of the Admirals' first game, is being evaluated today for a possible return within the week.  Friberg was being counted on to provide offense for the Admirals this season and his return, even if only at 75%, would be a significant upgrade over what the Admirals have in their lineup right now...

--Three wins out of eight games in November.  Just one instance of back-to-back wins can be found on the schedule.  This is not good hockey, and there's certainly reason to be concerned.  No one is scoring goals, and the best players certainly aren't being the best players.  Let me throw a few numbers at you from Nov 1 until now:

Brandon Yip, 1A

Andrew O'Brien,1A

Antoine Laganiere, 1G

Joseph Cramarossa,1G, 1A

Kevin Gagne,2A

Nic Kerdiles, 3G, 1A

Jesse Blacker, 3A

Louis LeBlanc, 3G, 2A

David Steckel, 6A

Chris Wagner, 2G, 1A

That speaks volumes.  Shea Theodore had two goals in his last game, three in November alone, but he's gone.  Brad Winchester threw in two goals in November, but he's out with an injury.  There are some other secondary players who aren't expected to score goals that have chipped in a goal or two, but the plain truth is, Norfolk can't score goals.  I've seen websites that tout Anaheim as having a great prospect pool, and I realize some of the players I've listed above are past their prime, but I've yet to see the kind of offensive production these young guys are supposed to have.

Norfolk isn't even averaging one goal per period this season.  Not ONE!  The Admirals are being outscored 23-27 at home and 14-30 on the road.  They've won both of their overtime games, but unless the AHL is going to make an exception and let Norfolk play the rest of their games at home or in OT, the Admirals are going to need to start winning some games on the road, and that only happens if they can start putting the puck in the net.  I don't see that happening.

I could go on and on about a new coach, a new system, the injuries, etc, but in my mind what this boils down to is a lack of scoring depth.  Take note Ducks' fans, apart from Wagner and mayber Kerdiles, the cupboards in Norfolk are looking pretty damn bare.  Management is going to have to find help from outside, because right now it doesn't look like any is coming from the system.

---Yann Danis has played in three games for the Admirals.  Apart from the 6-2 loss in Charlotte this week, a loss that certainly can't be blamed on him, he's played respectably.  Here's how he's looked thus far:

Game 1 - 2 GA  37 Saves   2.02 GAA  .949 SV%
Game 2 - 6 GA  33 Saves   6.01 GAA  .818 SV%
Game 3 - 2 GA  21 Saves   2.03 GAA  .905 SV%

Much improved over Igor Bobkov, who's looking more and more like he's destined for the ECHL once Jason LaBarbera returns.  This team is quite literally going to live or die because of their goaltending.  If they do manage to score a couple goals, the netminders are going to have to stand on their heads to get wins.  Right now the net is Danis' to lose.

At this point, I'm hoping for a .500 record going in to Christmas.  Anything beyond that would appear to be out of reach.

Follow me on Twitter: @VAPuckhead

You probably thought Alex Semin had a surefire goal here, but Calvin Pickard makes an absurd desperation save to stop the shot.

The Colorado Avalanche called up goaltender Calvin Pickard four days ago to be the backup to Reto Berra with incumbent starter Semyon Varlamov sidelined. On Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, Pickard got the nod for his third career NHL start and made a save that'll deserve to be in the season-ending highlight reel:

Carolina winger Alex Semin appears to have a surefire goal on the rebound once his original shot caroms off the iron, with seemingly nothing left between him and a goal. However, Pickard somehow managed to maneuver and locate the puck, then swat it with his stick into his grasp at the absolute last instant.

Here's another angle of the unbelievable save:

Pickard is primarily the starter for Lake Erie in the AHL when everyone is healthy, but this is probably as impressive a save as any Colorado goaltender will make this season. Semin, meanwhile, remains without a goal on the year and seems to be running into some terrible luck as he tries to change that.

Carolina blows a 2-0 lead and falls to 1-5-0 in last six games

The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and were dominating at the beginning of the game, but the Colorado Avalanche took over the contest in the third period and scored two goals in the final seven minutes for the win in front of 17,208 at the Pepsi Center on Saturday night.

The Canes have now lost five of their last six games and their 15 points is just one point out of last place in the league.

John-Michael Liles scored first for the Hurricanes just 3:48 into the game and Nathan Gerbe would follow up with a goal of his own just two minutes later.  The Canes were out-shooting the home team 8-0 at this point and they were looking good.

Midway through the period, Zach Redmond would score when the puck went off Andrej Sekera into the net, but the Canes would answer when newly acquired Andrej Nestrasil sent a puck at net that somehow got by goalie, Reto Berra.

It was Nestrasil's first NHL goal.

At this point, Patrick Roy had seen enough and replaced Berra with Calvin Pickard, who had yet to win an NHL game.

With the score 3-1, the Avs played with more resolve in the second period but other than an Erik Johnson goal,  the Hurricanes weathered the storm.

The third period was pretty much all Colorado though, especially in the final 10 minutes.  Jarome Iginla scored with about six minutes left and Redmond would light  the lamp again for the win.

Carolina was outshot 16-8 in that final period as the Avs ramped up their intensity like they did so many times last season.  But this team has been decimated by injuries and was missing many of their best players on this particular night.

Next up for Carolina will be a game against the Panthers in Florida on Wednesday night.

Game Notes:

• This is the second time this month that a rookie goalie beat the Canes while earning his first career NHL win.  The team needs to be able to pressure these goalies better and not make things easy for them.
• The Avs outshot the Canes 35-27 for the game.  Justin Faulk and Nestrasil led the way with four shots each.
• Brett Bellemore left the game in the first period with a lower body injury and could not return.  There was no status update after the game.
• Faulk had a game high 26:09 of ice time.  Sekera had 26:04.
• Carolina had four penalties called on them but did not have a single powerplay the entire game.  Brad Watson was one of the refs.  Enough said.
• The Canes were credited with six hits for the game.  Colorado had 17, including one by Cody McLeod that knocked Bellemore out of the game.
• event summary stat page

Strong third period play gets Colorado the victory at home

Several Lake Erie call-ups came up big Saturday night as the Avs overcame two separate two-goal deficits to beat Carolina at home. Rookie goaltender Calvin Pickard recorded his first NHL win stopping all 17 shots he faced (including a tremendous goal-line stop with his stick in the 2nd). Starter Berra was pulled late in the first after allowing 3 goals on just 10 shots.
Among the call-ups tonight were Tomas Vincour, Andrew Aggozzino and Ben Street, dubbed the "monster" line. The three played on a line together in Lake Erie and were great in Denver tonight producing a couple of assists and combing for a plus-3 rating.
After a very shaky first two periods and despite missing several regulars, the Avs rallied back from being down 2-0 and 3-1 to get a 4-3 win in front of a raucous Denver crowd. I hope any fans that may have left early were allowed back in, because this was one of the most exciting games we've had all year. The guys played with urgency, passion, very reminiscent of last season's squad.
The scoring came early in the first with a Carolina wrister that rang the crossbar and in from a very familiar face--John Michael Liles. The old Avs blueliner got his first goal of the season by a nice setup from Jeff Skinner. Then just 90 seconds later Nathan Gerbe extended the ‘Canes lead after a chaotic scrum in front of the net resulted in a screened Berra helpless as the puck went by him.
Later in the first The Avs managed to get on the board after a centering pass from Redmond deflected off a Carolina skate and in, great effort from the monster line.
Yet just when we thought the Avs were coming close to a tie-game, Carolina winger Andrej Nestrasil notched his first goal in a Hurricanes sweater. The forward was picked up from Detroit and playing in his first game with his new team. Definitely wasn't the hardest wrister in my opinion, very likely why Roy gave Berra the yank afterward.
Skip ahead to the 2nd period, 8:25 in, Avs on the power play. Erik Johnson makes a sweet move to fool the defender and fired a laser that beat Cam Ward just as the penalty expired. Great to see EJ play as well as he did tonight, offensively and defensively. End of the 2nd, still 3-2 Carolina.
I don't know what Roy said to the boys at the intermission, but it sure as hell seemed to work. The entire third period had the ice tilted in the Avs favor. They outshot outhit and downright outplayed the Hurricanes for the whole 20 minutes. Yet the Avs waited until there were just over five minutes remaining to tie it up (they seem to like keeping us in a nervous sweat).
At 14:43 Jarome Iginla fired his classic wrist shot past Ward on a great passing setup from Landeskog and Mackinnon. Mack by the way had 3 assists on the night and looked simply explosive throughout the game. When his confidence is up it's astonishing what he can do.
Considering the Avs have been into extra time seven times so far this season and have only won twice, the idea of getting the W in regulation seemed a much better idea than in OT.
And that is just what they did. After more relentless forechecking the Avs took their first lead with a great tic-tac-toe play that resulted in Zach Redmond firing one in. Another great setup from Mackinnon.
The boys needed this one. After a very demoralizing loss to the Caps Thursday night a feel-good, come from behind victory is just what the doctor ordered.
MHH Three Stars of the game:

1st Zach Redmond.
2 goals, plus-3, 19:44 TOI

2nd Calvin Pickard
0 goals allowed on 17 shots, 1st NHL win

3rd Erik Johnson
Goal, 4 hits, 2 blocks, 25:00 TOI

In case you missed it:

The Avs are 9-0 on home ice against the Carolina franchise. Their last win in Denver was February 6th, 1996 as the Hartford Whalers.

Up Next:

@ Arizona Coyotes
Tuesday November 25th, 7:00 PM MDT

Here are your daily links, including the average age of the Habs blue line, the 30th anniversary of "The Hockey Sweater", freeing up cap space for next summer, and more.

Montreal Canadiens Links

• Is P.K. Subban as good as the stats say, or are his critics right? Or maybe, is he something the NHL just hasn't seen before? [Sports Illustrated]
• The average age of Habs' blue line is 31.1 years old (32.7 without counting Beaulieu). Second oldest after Habs: Carolina Hurricanes at 29.3 years old. That sure is a lot of experience that Bergevin is collecting. [La Presse]  (French)
• The children's book The Hockey Sweater hit its 30th anniversary this year. Author Roch Carrier tells his story about meeting Maurice Richard at a book fair, and Richard giving him a no.9 jersey with Carrier's name emblazoned on top.  [CBC]
  
• Ryan Szporer argues that the Bourque trade isn't about Bourque or Allen. It's about the salary cap, and whether Tinordi and Beaulieu (soon to become RFAs) have developed enough yet to weigh against easier negotiations with Gallagher and Galchenyuk next summer. [The Hockey Writers]
• So far, Pacioretty is fifth in the league in scoring 5-on-5 goals. He's also tied for fifth in number of goals scored since 2011 (97 in total, tied with James Neal). Check out the numbers here. [TSN 690]
  
• Watch Andrei Markov score his 100th goal, which is also the first road powerplay goal of the season.
  

Around the League and Elsewhere

• Gold medal winner Shannon Szabados make 34 saves and earned her first win in the Southern Professional Hockey League. You go, Shannon Szabados. [CBC Sports]
• Mike Babcock's new coaching strategy: making everyone shoot the opposite way. GM Ken Holland says "We realize it's a bit unconventional, but after consulting with an outside analytics group, they think we'll confuse opponents most and gain a competitive advantage if we have almost all right-shooting players instead of almost all left." Anyone else have a feeling that Pavel Datsyuk will become even more of a wizard? [Winging it in Motown]
  
• St.Louis Blue goalie Brain Elliott took a picture of his broken cup. "#goaliesacrifice#goalieproblems#igot99problems#highpitchvoice#ballsofsteal#XLcup " [SB Nation]
• Joffrey Lupul changed a stranger's flat, and then took time to pump his own tires about it on Twitter. [Twitter]
• 69% of Canadian parents polled said that they want kids to learn hockey growing up, but hockey costs can go up to as much as $10,000 a year per kid. To compare: the average Canadian university tuition costs $5,959 per year. [The Star]
• David Perron is exasperated with the Edmonton Oilers, calling out his team after an awful loss to the New Jersey Devils. [The Copper & Blue]

Carolina twice held two-goal leads on Colorado, but the Avalanche rallied to top the Hurricanes 4-3.

Despite building a 3-1 lead after one period, the Carolina Hurricanes fell in Colorado, 4-3, after two late goals tied, then won the game for the Avalanche.

Three Observations

1. As I mentioned following Carolina’s loss to the Kings, Nathan Gerbe was due for a goal. He finally got one against the Avalanche, scoring the Hurricanes’ second goal after a scramble in front of Reto Berra led to Gerbe slipping a rebound shot through Berra’s pads. For Gerbe, it was just his second goal of the season and first at even strength. For the team, it was important to get one of their top secondary scorers back in the goal column.

2. The Hurricanes seemed to come unglued when Brett Bellemore went down with an injury, which team reporter Chantel McCabe reports will keep him out seven to 10 days. With Bellemore out for the game, not only was Carolina down to five defenseman in the much-talked-about high altitude conditions of Denver, but it also led to jumbled pairings. The coaching staff split up Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera, trying to get one of their two best defensemen on the ice at all times. But Faulk — who has been the team’s best defensemen most nights of late — looked lost without his normal partner. Meanwhile, Ron Hainsey, who has played his best with Bellemore since coming to Carolina, was forced into a season-high 24:09 of ice time. It's not far-fetched to say the combination of more responsibility, mismatched pairings and the unique altitude conditions contributed to the defense, as a whole, looking tired and disorganized during Colorado’s rally.

3. But none of that may have mattered had Alexander Semin not been robbed of his first goal of the year by Calvin Pickard, who earned his first NHL win in relief of Berra by stopping all 17 shots he faced. Yes, Semin didn't a good whack on his rebound attempt, but the puck was going in nonetheless until Pickard stopped it with first his glove, then his stick. It was a tough break for both Semin and the Hurricanes, one that surely changed the outcome of the game.

Number To Know

0 — Penalties called on the Avalanche vs. Carolina, a surprising number seeing that through 21 games Colorado has averaged exactly four minor penalties (84) per game, which ranks them in the bottom third of the league. Carolina, on the other hand, has now taken 65 minors in 20 games but was called for four minors, further taxing Carolina’s understaffed defense.

Plus

Andrej Nestrasil— The Carolina newcomer led all Hurricanes forwards with eight shot attempts, including four on net and his first career NHL goal. Nestrasil was used only at even strength, but you could see Peters using the 6-3, 200-pound forward in front of the net and on the wing on the power play.

Minus

Brad Malone— In his return to Colorado, Malone had one standout moment and it was a bad one. With Carolina reeling, up just one goal, Malone took an illegal check to the head penalty that sent the Hurricanes out for another penalty kill. While the team was able to kill off the infraction, the game had, by then completely tilted in Colorado’s favor.

Today’s Number To Know looks at the blueliners that can do it all for their teams.

Number To Know

12 — NHL defenseman who fit this profile: 23-plus minutes, 2:20-plus power play and penalty kill minutes, 0.5 points per game while playing at least 20 games this season.

Calgary defensemen Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie and Nashville’s Shea Weber and Roman Josi are the only duos that play together and fit the profile. The other eight are: Drew Doughty, Justin Faulk, Erik Johnson, Duncan Keith, Niklas Kronwall, Kris Letang, Alex Pietrangelo and Ryan Suter.

Carolina’s Faulk is the youngest at 22, with the next closest at 24 (Brodie, Doughty, Josi, Pietrangelo), and Kronwall is the oldest (33). Only Keith and Giordano, both 31, are also in their 30s. Five of the 12 were first round picks, four — including Faulk — were second-rounders, while Letang (third round), Brodie (fourth) and Giordano (undrafted) were taken later.

The Canes head back out on the road, facing the Panthers tonight in south Florida before heading to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving and a home-and home against the Penguins to wrap up the holiday weekend.

Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers
November 26, 2014 - 7:30 pm ET
BB&T Arena - Sunrise, FL
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan
SB Nation Rival Blog - Litter Box Cats

Fancy Stats

Game Notes

• To the game shortly, but first, there are a couple of recent articles in the local paper that aren't specifically game-related but worthy of a read and discussion.
  • Canes working to draw more fans: Hurricanes president Don Waddell provided a rather candid update on attendance eight home games into the Canes season. To no one's surprise, the numbers are bad. The Canes are next to last in the league in attendance this season, just ahead of tonight's opponent, the Florida Panthers. Both organizations have made a conscious effort to curtail prior practices around deep discounting that eroded and devalued the season ticket holder base, and that decision along with a mediocre win/loss record has been visible in the stands. If I can make a brief editorial comment, this is the first time in my involvement as a season ticket holder (tenth year) that I can recall this level of transparency from the Hurricanes organization in terms of actual season ticket holder volumes, renewal levels, and season ticket holder impact on team revenue.
  • Francis on team's "roller coaster" start: The Canes have hit the quarter mark of the 2014-15 season, and are on pace for 62 points. That has to be just a little frustrating for general manager Ron Francis, who went on the record with his assessment of the first 20 games. He spoke about the progress that had been made in the structure and system under new head coach Bill Peters, accountability and seven million sitting in the press box, the need to play with a more physically intimidating presence, and speculation on available moves to improve the team.

• After a three-game road swing through the Western Conference, the Hurricanes got a couple of days of rest and practice at home before heading back out on the road. This trip takes them from south Florida, where they'll face the Panthers tonight, to Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh and a home-and home series against the Penguins to wrap up the holiday weekend.
• The Hurricanes haven't played since their 4-3 loss in Denver on Saturday, but they play three games in the next four days and the next two on the road.
• There are a few roster changes since last week's road trip. Brett Bellemore was injured during Saturday's game against the Avalanche, and he's been placed on injured reserve. Michal Jordan has been recalled from the Checkers, and will take Bellemore's place on defense paired with Ron Hainsey. With fourteen forwards on the roster after the waiver acquisition of Andrej Nestrasil, Chris Terry has been sent to Charlotte on a conditioning assignment.
• Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, and Nathan Gerbe all have points in their last three games. Andrej Nestrasil is on a one-game goal scoring streak after notching his first career NHL goal in his first start as a Hurricane. Alexander Semin is still seeking his elusive 500th career NHL point.
• Here's a cool stat, according to Cap Geek, Riley Nash is the NHL's best bargain so far this season. Nash currently leads the Canes in points with 15 (4g, 11a).
• Cam Ward is probable to get the start in tonight's game. If so, it will be his fourth in a row.
• The Panthers and Canes met three times last season and the Canes swept the series. This is the first time the two teams will face each other this season.
• The Panthers enter tonight's game with a 3-4-1 home record, including a 4-1 loss in a lackluster effort against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night.
• Scottie Upshall and Derek MacKenzie played Monday night but didn't practice with the team yesterday and are questionable for tonight's game. Upshall suffered a foot injury, and MacKenzie has been fighting an illness.
• Jussi who is leading the Panthers in points? None other than former Hurricane Jussi Jokinen, with 12 points (2g, 10a). Nick Bjugstad leads the team in scoring, with seven goals.
• In case it's relevant, Dmitry Kulikov, Dylan Olsen, Tomas Kopecky, and Colby Robak have been held without goals so far this season, and Robak has yet to register a point.
• The Panthers haven't named a starting goaltender, but chances are it will be the familiar face of Roberto Luongo, who has been solid between the pipes this season and has been counted on to keep his team in a position to win. Luongo is 10-14-4 with a 2.59 GAA and one shutout in 28 career appearances against the Canes.

Projected line-ups

Hurricanes (from Tuesday's practice)

Injuries and Scratches: Jordan Staal (IR broken fibula), Brett Bellemore (IR lower body), Jay Harrison (healthy), Brad Malone (healthy)

Panthers (from Tuesday's practice)

Injuries and Scratches: Dave Bolland (IR groin), Scottie Upshall (DTD foot), Derek MacKenzie (DTD illness), Colby Robak (healthy)

Cats host slumping Hurricanes in Thanksgiving Eve throwdown from Sunrise.

• WHO:Carolina Hurricanes (6-11-3/15P) at Florida Panthers (7-6-6/20P)
• WHEN: 7:30 p.m. ET (LBC GameThread at 7ish)
• WHERE: BB&T Center - Sunrise, FL (purchase single game tickets)
• HOW TO WATCH: Fox Sports Florida (FLA); Fox Sports Carolina (CAR)
• HOW TO LISTEN: WQAM 560 (FLA); WCMC 100.3 (CAR)
• ENEMY INTEL:Canes Country
• FLA IN SEASON SERIES: Game 1 of 3 (0-0)
• ALL-TIME VS CAR/HFD: 41W-43L-11T 9OTL 2 SOL 293GF 295G

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Florida's last game: 4-1 home loss to Minnesota Tuesday. Shawn Thornton scored his first goal of the season. That's about the size of it.

Who was hot for the Cats: Thorny achieved the feat in just 7:25 TOI. Dmitry Kulikov picked up the lone assist, making him the only Panthers player to finish with a plus-minus rating better than zero (+1). The blue line trio of Aaron Ekblad, Erik Gudbranson & Kuli each recorded 3 shots on goal.

Carolina's last game: 4-3 regulation loss to the Avs in Denver Saturday. The Hurricanes carried a 3-1 lead into the second period, thereby awakening Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon and Gabe Landeskog (3 & 2 assists, respectively). Blew the eventual tie with 1:35 remaining in the final frame on Zach Redmond's second goal of the game. Carolina is 1-5 in their last six contests.

Who was hot for the Canes: John-Michael Liles, Nathan Gerbe and Andrej Nestrasil paced the CAR offense in the first, with Jeff Skinner chipping in 2 assists.

NHL Preview:

Wednesday in the Atlantic Division

Panthers, SoFla Media & Opposition on the Tweets

LBC's Live Discussion and Commentary Forum: Game 20

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Please note: we've transplanted much of the earlier GameThread info (the Twitter list, divisional schedule, etc.) to the GameDay Caterwauls (i.e. "previews") from here on out; likely more helpful having those items at hand throughout the day. Just click the Caterwaul link above and it'll open in a new window - it will not reload the Thread :)