The Canes have cashed in on their prized asset at the trade deadline, dealing Andrej Sekera to the defending Cup champions.

This will obviously be updated, but Ron Francis has been a busy man. Less than two hours after trading Jiri Tlusty to Winnipeg, Francis dealt one of the most coveted defensemen on the market, sending Andrej Sekera to the Los Angeles Kings for a first round pick and defenseman Roland McKeown, per Sportsnet's John Shannon. The news was first reported by TSN's Aaron Ward and then confirmed by literally everyone in the world on Twitter.

Sekera was in his second season with the Hurricanes and served as an alternate captain this season. In 131 games with the Hurricanes, Sekera scored 13 goals and added 50 assists for 63 points over his two years in Carolina. An unrestricted free agent after this season, Sekera had expressed an interest earlier this season in re-signing with the Canes, but clearly Francis felt that the Canes' chances of signing him was low enough that he should cash in.

Release from the team follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Feb. 25, 2015

‘CANES GET FIRST-ROUNDER, McKEOWN FOR SEKERA

Carolina receives first-round pick, prospect for blueliner

RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the Hurricanes have acquired defenseman Roland McKeown (muh-KOW-uhn) and a first-round draft pick in exchange for defenseman Andrej Sekera.

"We appreciate Andrej’s contributions to our organization on and off the ice over the past two seasons,"said Francis. "He is a good player and an even better person.

"Roland has served in leadership positions for Kingston and Hockey Canada and is a good young defenseman that our scouts like. Obviously we are also happy to add an additional first-round pick."

McKeown, 19, is in his third season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), serving as Kington’s captain and ranking second among Kingston defensemen with 24 points (4g, 20a) in 54 games played. The Listowel, Ont., native was selected in the second round (50^th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft after ranking 13^th among OHL defensemen in scoring in 2013-14 with 43 points (11g, 32a) in 62 games played, serving as alternate captain for the Frontenacs. McKeown has represented Canada in several international competitions, including the 2013 U-18 World Junior Championship and the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. His career statistics are below.

The first round draft pick that Carolina will receive in the deal will be in the 2015 NHL Draft should Los Angeles make the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, or the 2016 NHL Draft if they do not.

Sekera, 28, has scored two goals and earned 17 assists (19 points) in 57 games with the Hurricanes this season. The Bojnice, Slovakia, native joined Carolina from Buffalo via a trade at the 2013 NHL Draft, and set career highs in goals (11), assists (33), points (44), power-play goals (4) and shots (142) in 74 games during the 2013-14 season. Sekera (6’0", 201 lbs.) has notched 30 goals and earned 125 assists (155 points) in 470 career NHL regular season games with Buffalo and Carolina since turning pro in 2006-07.

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Washington Capitalson Friday at PNC Arena (7 p.m., FOX Sports Carolinas, Hurricanes Radio Network). For information about Hurricanes ticket packages, please visitwww.CarolinaHurricanes.com/tickets, or call 1-866-NHL-CANES (1-866-645-2263).

ROLAND McKEOWN CAREER STATISTICS

REGULAR SEASON                         PLAYOFFS

YEAR      TEAM                           LEAGUE        GP      G       A     PTS     PIM            GP      G       A     PTS     PIM

2011-12   Toronto Marlboros      GTHL              28      10      25      35        30               -         -         -         -           -

2012-13   Kingston                      OHL                61       7       22      29        33               4        0        0        0          4

2013-14   Kingston                      OHL                62      11      32      43        61               7        1        3        4          8

Canada                         WJ18-A            7        0        1        1          2                -         -         -         -           -

2014-15   Kingston                      OHL                54       4       20      24        43               -         -         -         -           -

OHL TOTALS (3 seasons)                       177     22      74      96       137             11       1        3        4         `1

Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff mad Jets' fans happy today by trading third and conditional fifth round draft picks to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Jiri Tlusty. Jiri Tlusty is a former first round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was drafted 13th overall in 2006, one spot after Bryan Little and three picks after Michael Frolik.

Daniel Winnik was another name that was thrown around as a Jets' target, but the asking price was high. Chevy was wise to pass and found himself a better asset at a lower price.

Why is Tlusty a better asset?

For starters, a quick look at the numbers (courtesy of war-on-ice.com) tell you that things are pretty even.

These players may have played in different roles and on very different teams over the last three years. They also have very different play styles, but their 5 on 5 results are darn similar. The major difference is that Tlusty scores while Winnik is a primarily a play-maker.

The good goes beyond that though. Another big plus for Jiri Tlusty should come via assimilation. Tlusty has a history with Paul Maurice, having played under him in two different organizations (now three). He also has a great deal of history with fellow Winnipeg Jets Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Frolik.

Familiarity with both systems and players should ease the transition for the Winnipeg Jets' newest forward. It could also have lasting ramifications if that familiarity leads to Jiri Tlusty (and perhaps Michael Frolik) deciding to stick together on the Jets.

There are many layers to this deal that present upside for the Jets. Add to the equation a reduced purchase price and the fact that Tlusty is three years younger than Winnik - a factor that would be very relevant if he extends - and it is easy to see that Chevy did well here.

Now for fun, HERO charts! via ownthepuck.blogspot.ca:

What do you think of Kevin Cheveldayoff's latest addition? Do you think he did well passing on Winnik?

After a craptacular home stand, a road trip could be just what the doctor ordered ....

The right things are being said in the post-game interviews, but we still haven't seen the Blues rebound back to the team we all know they can be. When asked about that, Coach Hitchcock replied

(CONT) Hitch: "Proof's in the pudding. Come on. It's something we need to address now." #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) February 25, 2015

Damn Straight, Hitch.

As the ads are quick to remind us, this is the Stretch Run to the playoffs. I don't think the Blues are in danger of missing, but this time of year is when you determine your seeding, and also establish what kind of momentum you'll carry into the postseason. You don't know what you've got, until the playoffs begin.  Right now, the Blues are 9 points behind the Nashville Predators and only 3 points ahead of third-place Chicago. The Hawks position is already tenuous, and they are only 4 points ahead of tonight's opponent, the Winnipeg Jets.

Now, I'm not advocating tanking right here, but I wouldn't be completely disappointed if we were to win tonight in OT or shootout. A win in a three-point game tonight would advance our cause, and also send a nice "Fuck You" to TFUN. Win-Win. Us and the Jets can be fake friends for the night.

The Jets are accumulating points for the postseason this year, and also players to get them there. Just last week, they shipped Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane to the Sabres in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, a pick and prospects. That eliminated a distraction in the dressing room, and also beefed up the Winnipeg D Corps. In addition to that, just yesterday the Jets sent a few picks to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Jiri Tlusty . The Jets are arming up for the playoff run. This is also helpful in replacing what's been lost to injury. Top-liner  Blake Wheeler has just been placed on IR, and the Jets were already without the services of Mathieu Perreault and Ben Chiarot and a few others.

This road trip for the Blues is more than just a chance to right the ship. These next three games are going to influence how GM Doug Armstrong handles the 03/02 Trade Deadline. Sometimes the grind of travel and the changes in scenery can re-focus the players on playing the right way and within the system that got them to this point to begin with. As mentioned in this week's podcast, these February lulls often precede transactions by Doug Armstrong. Everyday, people are speculating what this year's move is going to be.

The Jets have never had an issue with scoring. They are led by Bryan Little with 50 points (24 goals, 26 assists) and Andrew Ladd with 49 (20g. 29a) points.  Dustin Byfuglien is further down the list, but will certainly be asked to make an impact tonight. The new kids are putting up points too: Myers has 5 points in 6 games, and Stafford has 3. It's almost like leaving Buffalo makes you more productive or something.

While neither goalie has been confirmed yet, I'd expect Brian Elliott in the Blues goal tonight. The Winnipeg goalie will be either Ondrej Pavelec (13-13-7, .909 save percentage) or newcomer Michael Hutchinson (18-7-4, with a .918 save percentage). Whichever they pick to start, the Blues need to break the bad habit of slow starts. I hate to nag, BUT: Get shots on goal earlier, and limit the shots against. Please, please no more odd-man-rushes against us. Start with that, and everything else should fall into place.

Further Reading

Arctic Ice Hockey

Blues vs Jets coverage

GameDay Twitter Feed:

Tweets from https://twitter.com/CrossCheckRaise/lists/gameday

Final Verse: The puck drops at 7:00 PM St Louis time, and the GDT should drop shortly before that. For all of their other quirks, the Jets do at least have the sense to play hockey at a reasonable time. The TV broadcast will be on Fox Sports MW, and the radio call will be on KMOX 1120 AM. Come join us, won't you? Until then...

LGB!!!

Lots of powerplay time is available after yesterday's trades

Now that the Carolina Hurricanes have traded away Jiri Tlusty and Andrej Sekera, who will fill in for these players?  What's next for the team?

Both Sekera and Tlusty played major roles for the Canes, but the hardest player to replace will be Sekera.  The defenseman placed second on the club in total playing time, averaging 22:26 minutes of ice time each game.  He played in all situations,  (an average of 1:45 a game with the man advantage and 1:57 a game shorthanded.)

Ron Hainsey would be the logical replacement and while Hainsey is next on the depth chart in total ice time, (20:32 a game), he does not play much, if any while the Canes have the man advantage, (an average of 15 seconds a game).

Carolina has had the luxury of healthy scratching a couple of players lately and they do have six defensemen available, so there is no need for a recall at the moment.

John-Michael Liles, who has been one of the healthy scratches from time to time, does see more powerplay time when he plays, (an average of 2:00 per game), so look for him to fill in for Sekera while the team is with the man advantage.

Michael Smith and Chip Alexander both reported on Twitter the pairings from today's practice:

Faulk-Hainsey

Liles- Bellemore

Jordan-Gleason

That is not a defense that will strike fear into any opponent, but it is what it is until the offseason.

The bigger question is, who will be paired with Justin Faulk next season?  I doubt that Ron Hainsey defaults into that position unless he plays lights out the rest of the way this year.

Hainsey is under contract for the next two seasons after this one.

Keep in mind that Ryan Murphy, who has been out with an injury, could be close to returning and he will have ample opportunity on the powerplay as well.

While Jiri Tlusty played musical lines, like many of the Carolina forwards this season, he was a regular on the powerplay and averaged 2:12 a game, fifth highest on the team.  Look for someone like Andrej Nestrasil to get more of a look.  He has only averaged six seconds a game of playing time with the man advantage.

Tlusty also averaged 52 seconds a game shorthanded, on the best penalty kill unit in the league.  Perhaps Victor Rask, (19 seconds) or Brad Malone, (31 seconds), who are next on the depth list, will see more time in that situation.

The forward lines reported at practice were:

Staal, Staal, Semin

Skinner, Nash, Lindholm

Gerbe, Rask, Nestrasil

Malone, McClement, Dwyer

No particular line is going to miss Tlusty, since the lines have been mixed and matched all season.  Speaking of such, does Peters mix the lines too much?

The Hurricanes will continue to play for pride but are obviously weaker today than they were yesterday.  There are rumors that McClement, Dwyer, or Gleason could be next.  But what would the return be, if Tlusty, who was a top-six player for this team, was only worth a couple of minor draft picks?

We will be watching.

The Canes take on a familiar opponent, but they do so missing a few familiar faces from their line-up.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals
February 27, 2015 - 7:00 pm ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan
SB Nation Rival Blog - Japers' Rink

Fancy Stats

Stats via NHL.com and War on Ice

Game Notes

• Another game, another day closer to the end of the Carolina Hurricanes 2014-15 season. Although it was already the case, today the Canes turn even a stronger eye toward the future as they enter tonight's game missing the services of two skilled players that were traded Wednesday for future draft picks and prospects.
• If yesterday's practice is indicative of tonight's start, Alexander Semin will be reunited with Eric Staal and Jordan Staal in the right wing spot vacated by the trade of Jiri Tlusty, and Ron Hainsey will occupy Andrej Sekera's spot next to Justin Faulk on defense. Andrej Nestrasil and Brett Bellemore, previously odd men out in the numbers games, should see regular time in the line-up for the remainder of the season.
• Congratulations to John-Michael Liles, who will be appearing in his 700th career NHL game tonight.
• Tonight's opponent, the Washington Capitals, come in on a mission to maintain their spot in playoff contention and also to keep from dropping three straight games to division opponents. The Caps currently occupy the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a healthy nine-point lead over the Bruins, but they are only three points behind Pittsburgh in the battle for the third playoff spot in the Metro Division.
• Head-to-head the Caps hold the advantage over the Canes this season, winning 4-3 in overtime on November 18th in DC and winning 2-1 in regulation in Raleigh on December 4th. Tonight is the third of four meetings for the season series. The Canes haven't been swept by the Capitals in a season series since 1997-98.
• While the recent losses aren't cause for panic, the Capitals come into tonight's game with a focus on improving their recent slow starts, staying out of the penalty box, and not squandering power play advantages.
• The usual suspects are carrying the torch for the Caps. Nicklas Backstrom leads the league in points (tied with Patrick Kane and Jakub Vorackek) and assists with 64 and 46 respectively. Alex Ovechkin is two points back with 62, but leads the league with 39 goals. Both Backstrom and Ovechkin are noted Canes-killers averaging well over a point-per-game against the Canes throughout their careers. Braden Holtby is 6-3-0 with a 2.08 GAA and one shutout in his eight career games against the Canes, leads the league in starts (tied with Cory Schneider with 52), and is ranked fifth in the league in both wins (29) and GAA (2.20).
• So far the Caps haven't been active in trades leading up to the deadline, but with a need for another top-nine forward some interesting names have been bandied about.
• The Canes are back in black tonight. Anton Khudobin will get the start in net, while Cam Ward sits back and enjoys a pre-game ceremony acknowledging his 500th career NHL game played on Tuesday night. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:45 for the festivities, and the first 10,000 fans in the building will receive a commemorative poster.

Projected line-ups

Hurricanes (from Thursday's practice)

Injuries and Scratches: Ryan Murphy (IR leg), Chris Terry

Capitals (from Wednesday's game):

Injuries and Scratches: Dmitry Orlov (LTIR wrist), John Erskine (IR neck), Nate Schmidt (shoulder), Jay Beagle, Jack Hillen, Aaron Volpatti

The Caps head south in order to try to put a stop to a two-game skid

Click to enlarge

Keep up with the latest Caps-related Tweets right here:

Tweets from @JapersRink/tweet-tweeters

Look for updates in this story stream throughout the evening, including tonight's lines, new open threads for each period, and more.

And of course... have at it, people.

Sometimes a team will win a game that they have no business winning. Not so for the Caps against the Hurricanes. Oh, they had no business winning this game...and they didn't.

[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Shot Report - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI - Visitor TOI - Advanced Stats at: war-on-ice, hockeystats, Natural Stat Trick and more via Nice Time On Ice]

This was an "in and out" game.  The Caps were never "in" it because they could not get "out" of their own zone with any consistency.  Not that the low-scoring Carolina Hurricanes were especially sharp, especially in finishing chances.  However, they bottled up the Caps so effectively in their own end that goals from Brett Bellemore, Jeff Skinner and an empty netter by Nathan Gerbe were enough from the Carolina offense to get the job done.

• Plus:Braden Holtby.  If your goalie saves almost 95 percent of the shots he faces (94.6 percent, actually), you should win.  Holtby deserved better than what he got in this game.
  
• Minus: Pretty much everyone not named "Holtby."  What looked like a bad ice surface played with the Caps' passing game, but they did not do much to fight through that and looked more disorganized in their own end than they have at any point this season.
  

Ten more notes on the game:

• Until Carolina took a penalty 18:20 into the first period the Caps had a total of seven shot attempts - two shots on goal, two shots blocked, and three misses.  Carolina had 19 attempts (9/6/4).
• Through two periods, seven Caps skaters had not attempted a shot (Eric Fehr, Karl Alzner, Jack Hillen, Joel Ward, Tom Wilson, Brooks Orpik, Evgeny Kuznetsov).
• Speaking of Wilson, in a space of 11:34 of ice time covering the Pittsburgh loss on Wednesday and the first two periods in this game, he committed four minor penalties, had a fighting major, and had one shot attempt.  This might not be the developmental path folks had in mind for a first round draft pick.
• This was the third consecutive loss in regulation for the Caps and their third consecutive loss to a Metropolitan Division foe.  It was the first time they lost three straight games in regulation since late November/early December and the first time they lost three straight games in the division since last March/April when they lost back-to-back decisions against Pittsburgh, then dropped a decision to the New Jersey Devils more than three weeks later.
• The empty net goal allowed was just the third this season for the Capitals, who had been tied for fewest empty net goals against with St. Louis coming into this game.
• That empty net goal gave the Caps their first loss by three or more goals since they dropped a 6-2 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs (the Caps' next opponent) last November 29^th.  It was a 33-game streak broken with the loss.
• The third line of Eric Fehr, Brooks Laich, and Joel Ward had a total of three shots on goal (all by Laich) and four shot attempts (Fehr added a missed shot).
• The 38 shots on goal allowed was the most by Washington in a road game since November 7^th when they allowed 40 shots in Chicago to the Blackhawks in a 3-2 win.
• Odd fact... Andre Burakovsky recorded the Caps' first shot on goal 2:20 into the game.  It would be the Caps' only shot on goal over the first 16:40 of the game.  It would be Burakovsky's only shot on goal for the game.
• That Jason Chimera had three shots on goal and led all forwards in shot attempts (seven) should not be too much of a surprise.  He had five shots on goal on the same rink back on December 4^th, his high for the season.

And now, this...

Anton Khudobin with 28 save shutout as Canes put in solid team effort in win

The Carolina Hurricanes had yet to defeat the Washington Capitals this season but looked like the better team in this game as they beat their division rivals, 3-0 at the PNC Arena on Friday night.

Anton Khudobin earned his first shutout of the season and stopped all 28 shots he faced.

The night started off with a special tribute to Cam Ward, who had just recently played his 500th career NHL game.  Ward was given something from the league as well as a silver goalie stick from Ron Francis.  His family shared the special moment with him on the ice.

The home team used the early energy in the arena to out-skate their opponents and they jumped out to a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal.

Carolina finally put up a number where it counts with 2:39 left in the period when Brett Bellemore made a fake at the blueline to create a lane, then sent a puck on net.  Andrej Nestrasil was banging bodies in the crease and the puck found it's way past Braden Holtby, who made 35 saves on the 37 shots he faced this night.

It was Bellemore's first goal of the season.

Alex Ovechkin made a nice move in the period but hit the post and that was as close as the Caps got in the opening stanza.

Midway through the second period, Jeff Skinner found an opening near the slot area and Elias Lindholm fed him the puck from behind the net.  Skinner rifled it past the goalie to make it, 2-0 Carolina.

When Skinner is hot, he's hot.  That was the third straight goal for him in as many games and he now has scored six goals in his last eight games.

Tom Wilson tried to get his team fired up and he challenged Bellemore late in the period, but the Canes held the momentum, at least until later in the third.  Bellemore said that "he heard him coming", and "that's what makes the game fun," but both skaters spent five minutes in the penalty box for their skirmish.

The defenseman missed the morning skate because he wasn't feeling well but credited the medical staff for his improvement.

The Capitals came on with more zone time in the third period but Khudobin was scrambling and made the saves he needed to and Carolina's team defense did well in front of him.

The Canes actually outshot the Caps in every period and had a 38-28 advantage for the game.

Barry Trotz pulled out his goalie with about 3:20 to play and the Caps got close a couple of times with the extra attacker.

Eric Staal missed a backhanded chance at the empty net but a bit later Nathan Gerbe hustled to the puck, with Ovechkin all over him, and made his shot to salt the game away.

Khudobin was the first star, Skinner the second, and Bellemore the third, but Justin Faulk played over 28 minutes and played an excellent game.  Khudobin got the fireman's helmet afterward.

The Canes packed right after the contest and left for New York where they will play the Islanders on Saturday.

Game Notes:

• Faulk not only led the team with 28:03 of TOI, he had three shots on goal, two blocked shots, five hits, and three takeaways.  It will be interesting to see how much he plays tomorrow night on a back-to-back.
• The team was credited with 37 hits and tried not to get pushed around by the bigger Capitals.  Brad Malone had a team high seven.
  
• Nathan Gerbe was all over the rink in this one and led Carolina with eight shots on goal.  He obviously deserved that empty-netter at the end.
• Peters said after the game that he liked his current lines.  Perhaps he will keep them the same tomorrow night.

With six goals in his last eight games, the Carolina forward is looking like his old young self again.

The start of Jeff Skinner's professional career was almost too good to be true. After being drafted seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2010, he immediately joined the big club and, despite his inexperience, looked more like an accomplished veteran than a bright-eyed rookie. He was fast. Smart. Elusive. Often times, mesmerizing.

Quickly, while in the process of winning the Calder Trophy and being named the youngest All-Star in league history, he emerged as one of the sport's most marketable up-and-coming players. It wasn't difficult to see why.

His wrist shot was lethal. His vision was remarkable. He was flat out better than most others on the ice. In total, the Markham, Ont., native notched 31 goals and 32 assists in his first NHL campaign.

En route to the accolades, popularity and success, Skinner didn't experience a 10-game period with less than four points. He didn't miss a single contest in that span, managing to avoid serious injury despite his size and fearless play.

The Canes would go on to miss the playoffs by two points, but with a solid core, it felt as if Skinner would help usher in a new, exciting era of hockey in the Triangle.

Of course, none of this went as planned.

The Canes haven't come close to the postseason since, and a couple of head coaches have been fired as a result. And Skinner's remarkable start, now a distant memory, hasn't led to what virtually everyone expected.

This is hardly his fault, of course; Skinner has suffered several documented concussions, including one last October. These head injuries, along with growing pains and a poor supporting cast, have brought his stats down. Skinner tallied only 0.69 and 0.57 points per game in 2011-12 and 2012-13, respectively -- not bad numbers, but not the kind of production expected from someone who lit the lamp 31 times as a teen.

Skinner reached the 30-goal mark again in 2013-14, but he's struggled this season under new head coach . Through Feb. 7, he registered only 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 47 games. Peters reportedly thought about making Skinner a healthy scratch at one point during their recent West Coast swing -- a move that would have been justified.

Who thought we'd ever reach that point when Skinner's home crowd gave him a standing ovation at the 2011 All-Star Game?

Skinner has certainly faced a lot of hardship this season, but he's also had some impressive stretches -- including the one he's in the midst of right now. Given the way he's performed of late, the hockey world should take a moment to remember why he's held in such a high regard, and why he remains on track to have a bright future.

After failing to register a point in 10 straight games from Jan. 13 to Feb. 7, Skinner has scored in six of his last eight appearances. This includes an impressive goal on Saturday in which he beat Washington keeper Braden Holtby with one of his lethal wristers.

Yeah, he still has it.

Lots of us (myself included) are guilty of bestowing unrealistic expectations on kids like Skinner while their peers are cramming for tests and playing beer pong. They're unfairly pressured to get better and better even though they're bound to hit some bumps along the way.

So it's important to remember Skinner's only 22. He has two 30-goal seasons under his belt. He's well on his way to eclipsing 20 this year. And he undoubtedly has the talent needed to thrive in the NHL.

For perspective, Washington rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov is only three days Skinner's junior. Folks wonder if Skinner's early success was a fluke, yet they laud this Russian prospect who not only just broke into the league, but is also more of a work in progress than the Carolina winger.

Yes, we should definitely worry about Skinner's brain. One more concussion could mean a lot of trouble. But we shouldn't worry about much else.

As long as he stays healthy, he has all the tools needed to shine.

Caps and Canes trade third-pairing left-shot defensemen with expiring contracts.

Per Mike Vogel, the Capitals and Hurricanes have swapped third-pairing left-shot defensemen with expiring contracts. To Washington, Tim Gleason. To Carolina, Jack Hillen and the 2015 4th round pick acquired from Arizona in last year's Martin Erat trade.

More soon...

The Isles have an early evening start at the Coliseum and may welcome an old, familiar friend.

The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes are both playing the second half of back-to-backs at Nassau Coliseum, but the Hurricanes are the only ones having traveled after defeating the Washington Capitals last night in Raleigh.

The Hurricanes didn't just take two points from the Caps: they also took one of their defensemen.

Jack Hillen was on his way to New York and expected to play for the Hurricanes after they acquired him and a fourth-round pick from Washington in exchange for Tim Gleason today. Hillen is a lightweight puckmover familiar to Isles fans. Gleason is known more for his physicality and penalty killing work.

The Isles are coming off a 2-1 win over the Flames last night, and will see this as another  "oughta have" over a non-playoff opponent.

Hurricanes (23-30-7, 8th/Metro) @ Islanders (41-20-2, 1st/Metro)
5 p.m. EST | MSG+ | WRHU
Nassau [gloriously unsponsored] Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Hillen' it: Canes Country

Lineup Notes

• Both teams will start the goalies who did not play last night: For the Isles, Chad Johnson spells Jaroslav Halak after Halak took over the franchise single-season win record last night. The Canes will start Cam Ward after Anton Khudobin's shutout of the Caps.
• Brian Strait is in for Lubomir Visnovsky, as the Isles continue to mix pairings and moderate the 38-year-old Slovak's workload.
• Gleason is just the latest to leave the Hurricanes: They've already offloaded Jiri Tlusty -- who's had his success against the Isles -- and Andrej Sekera in pre-deadline trades.
• With those blueline departures, Justin Faulk looks to carry even more of the load for the Canes, as he did to the tune of 28 minutes in last night's win over the Caps.
• Jeff Skinner has scored in three straight games, and has six goals in his last eight.

After a season-opening sweep, and a closer-than-the-scoreline 4-1 win over the Canes two weeks ago, the Isles can complete a season sweep with a win tonight.

That would help, of course: The Rangers, with three games in hand, keep winning and begin the night in Philadelphia just two points behind the Isles.

Charity Game

After the game, the Nassau County PBA and Nassau County Volunteer Firefighters hockey teams will faceoff in a charity game to benefit the family of Joseph Sanford, Jr., a 17-year veteran of the Inwood Fire Department who died from injuries suffered while fighting a fire just before Christmas.

Admission for that is $10 -- you can go even if you aren't going to the sold-out Isles game. But you can also send donations directly to the fund set up for the Sanford family.

FIG Picks

Leave your First Islanders Goal picks for tonight here. You don't get any points for choosing Hillen.

The Hurricanes jumped on a lethargic Isles squad and never let up.

The New York Islanders were continuously outplayed in a 5-3 home loss where the accumulation of opportunities ceded to the Carolina Hurricanes finally got the best of them by the second intermission.

Though the Islanders struck first on a great Michael Grabner rush and perfect shot, it was against the run of play and a sign of things to come. When Jay McClement directed an equalizer in with his skate to make it 1-1 late in the first period, it felt both unlucky and thoroughly deserved, as they had been playing with fire.

Chad Johnson kept the Isles in the game for the first 20 minutes, but was undone in the Hurricanes' four-goal second period, the second period in a row in which they mounted 18 shots on the Islanders goalie. Justin Faulk's power play goal gave the Hurricanes a lead they wouldn't relinquish, beating Johnson short side as he awkwardly scooted across the crease too late.

Nikolay Kulemin briefly brought the Islanders back to within one when he made it 3-2 on another brilliant individual rush midway through the second period, but that relief lasted less than two minutes, when Brad Malone's shot squeaked through to restore the visitors' two-goal lead.

A Michal Jordan backdoor power play goal with eight seconds left in the second confirmed that this game needn't be longer than 40 minutes to decide today's victor.

[ Box | Game Sum | Event Sum | Fancy/Shifts: War-on-Ice - Natural Stat Trick - HockeyStats.ca|| Recaps: | Isles | NHL]

Game Highlights

Leftovers

• John Tavares scored on a rebound in the third period to make the outcome look respectable. It was his 30th of the season and 65th point of the season, pulling him into the NHL points lead.
• In a twist, that goal began with Johnny Boychuk handling the puck behind the Hurricanes net, in some sort of "Gretzky's Office" mode.
• The Isles were Jekyll and Hyde on faceoffs: They won only 45 percent overall, but Tavares won 13 of his 15, while Brock Nelson lost 12 of his 17.
• With the win, the Hurricanes avoided a season sweep. They're selling off assets and last in the Metro, but it's the little things.
• Small solace, but two great highlights worth catching: Grabner's goal was a laser top-far-corner shot after zipping down the left wing to put both Canes defensemen back on their heels. Kulemin's goal was equally impressive in the completely opposite way: He simply bodied off Faulk in a bull race down the ice, kept the puck, and lifted it past Cam Ward as the Canes D sent Kulemin spinning to the ice. In an awful night, it's at least fun to have a couple of highlights like that.
• The Isles continued their D pairing experimentation beyond the permanent Boychuk-Nick Leddy pairing: Thomas Hickey paired with Travis Hamonic, Calvin de Haan with Brian Strait. Arthur Staple noted before the game that the staff doesn't like Hickey on the right side; and of course, one of the things they like about Strait is his...usage on either side.
• Dan was in the stands at this one for his "Last Call in Nassau" series. Pity his task of making some feature fun out of this one.

Overall, just a disappointing effort overall from the Isles -- and certainly fatigue, or at least any from the back-to-back, is no excuse given the visitors played and traveled last night. Count it as a mulligan in an otherwise impressive season where the Isles are routinely the team outplaying and outshooting the opposition.

But that's not to take away from the Hurricanes, who have been better lately and were quite responsible for pushing the play all evening long.

A lengthy, hectic February schedule comes to a close. The Islanders finished this stretch, which included four sets of back-to-backs, 9-5-1. They next play Tuesday in Dallas, the start of four straight on the road.

Quote(s) of the Night

Former Islander Jack Hillen, acquired by the Hurricanes earlier in the day, was the MSG 2nd intermission interview:

"It's actually refreshing to get back to playing hockey. When you step in and you don't know the systems yet, you just have to play on instinct. It's refreshing, kind of fun actually."

Asked why the Canes were controlling play through two periods, he deftly mastered some mid-sentence subject- team/tense agreement in his answer:

"We're playing quick. That's the key in this league. Get in on the forecheck and pressure the defense. Carolina did the same thing to us, yesterday…when I was playing for Washington. It's good to be on their side, we're playing fast."

Fourth line shines, Carolina has three game win streak

The Carolina Hurricanes are supposed to be getting worse as some of their better players are traded, but they continue to defy logic and play very well.  The Canes made it three wins in a row with a 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum.

After out-shooting the Capitals every period the previous night, the Hurricanes outshot the first place Islanders, 41-24 in this game, the second of a back-to-back for each club.

Jay McClement scored twice and Brad Malone added another as Carolina's fourth line had another big game.

The home team would jump out first when Michael Grabner out-raced Michal Jordan into the Carolina zone, then beat Cam Ward with a seeing eye shot.

McClement tied it up late in the period when he crashed the net and the puck went in off of his skate.  After the play was reviewed, there was no kicking motion and the goal counted.

With the score tied 1-1 after one period, the Canes then exploded for four goals in the second.

Justin Faulk got the party started with a powerplay goal to pad his team-leading stats early in the period.  Then McClement scored his second when he took advantage of a nice pass by Andrej Nestrasil.

Nikolay Kulemin made a pretty play to get past Faulk to make the score 3-2, but Brad Malone and Michal Jordan jammed home goals to put the game away.

Malone's goal came off a puck that got behind tender Chad Johnson on a Nestrasil shot and Jordan's came on another powerplay with the help of a perfect backdoor pass by Jordan Staal.

The home team would score again in the third, but Carolina hung on the rest of the way.  They flew to Chicago after the game to face the Blackhawks on Monday night.

The team is now 14-7-3 in 2015.

Game Notes:

• McClement, Nestrasil, and Malone each had a two point night.  Nestrasil now has four points in the last two games and has created a lot of traffic in front of the opponent's net.  He looks like a keeper.
• Faulk was (-2) this night but did have a powerplay goal, led the team with 24:44 of TOI, and had a team high three hits.  He played over 28 minutes the previous night.
• McClement had a team high six shots on goal followed closely by Alexander Semin and Eric Staal with five each.
• Newcomer Jack Hillen made it to the game in the nick of time and played 17 plus minutes.  Michal Jordan had a team high three blocked shots.
• Cam Ward made 21 saves on 24 shots he faced.
• Bill Peters post game audio and stat sheets

One of only two players to appear in every game for Carolina this season, McClement will now call Raleigh home until 2017.

Turns out Jay McClement's two-goal surprise on Long Island last night won't be the final goals he scores as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes after all.

As first reported by TSN's Bob McKenzie and confirmed by the team, the Canes have signed McClement to a two-year contract extension worth a total of $2.4 million. McClement will earn $1.3 million next year and $1.1 million in the 2016-17 season.

McClement's new contract ensures that the Canes' penalty kill will not lose half of their league-leading top unit at the deadline, following Tim Gleason's trade to Washington yesterday. One of only two players to play every game for the Hurricanes this season, and the only forward to do so (Justin Faulk is the other), McClement has formed part of an effective fourth line all season and as the team continues to get younger, having his veteran presence will certainly benefit the locker room.

Signing McClement wraps up one of the final bits of pre-deadline business for Canes GM Ron Francis, and the team is now expected to remain quiet as the 3:00 deadline approaches tomorrow.

The release from the team is below.

‘CANES, McCLEMENT AGREE ON TWO-YEAR EXTENSION

Center is key member of Hurricanes’ top-ranked penalty kill

Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the Hurricanes have agreed to terms with center Jay McClement on a two-year contract extension. The deal will pay McClement $1.3 million in 2015-16 and $1.1 million in 2016-17.

"Jay has proven to be a valuable veteran leader for our club and it was important for us to keep him in Raleigh," said Francis. "He’s one of the league’s best face-off men and has played a key role in what currently stands as the best penalty-killing unit in team history."

McClement, 31, scored a pair of goals on Saturday night’s 5-3 victory against the Islanders and has now totaled 18 points (6g, 12a) and a plus-3 rating in 61 games for the Hurricanes this season. The Kingston, Ont., native leads the Hurricanes in shorthanded time on ice this season (2:24 per game), helping the team to an 88.2 percent penalty-killing mark, which ranks first in the NHL and franchise history. McClement (6’1", 205 lbs.) also ranks first on the team and 14th in the league in face-off percentage (55.3%).

A second-round (57th overall) pick by the St. Louis Blues in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, McClement has totaled 222 points (81g, 141a) and 281 penalty minutes in 743 career NHL games with St. Louis, Colorado, Toronto and Carolina. He has represented Canada in a number of international competitions, including the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships and the 2007 IIHF World Championship, where he won gold along with current Hurricanes teammates Cam Ward, Eric Staal and Jordan Staal. McClement originally signed with Carolina as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2014.

Over the course of two days, the Carolina Hurricanes traded away players who were key cogs in their lineup, but that didn't keep them from earning wins on consecutive nights — first at home over the Capitals, then on Long Island.

The Hurricanes continued to play spoiler over the weekend, shutting out the Capitals Friday in Raleigh, then blitzing the Islanders for five goals Saturday in back-to-back wins.

Three Observations

1. The departures of Andrej Sekera and Tim Gleason opens the door for some young Hurricanes blueliners to make an impression. Michal Jordan scored his second career NHL goal Saturday, again creeping in on the back door for a power play tally. Brett Bellemore should be back in a full-time role after bouncing between the ice and press box most of the season. AHLers like Rasmus Rissanen could also get a look before the end of the season, and Ryan Murphy should return at some point and get expanded responsibilities. And don't rule out newcomer Jack Hillen, a 29-year-old journeyman who is now with his fourth NHL team in five seasons, who is an unrestricted free agent and will look to make an impression on his new bosses.

2. Jay McClement got his first two-goal game with Carolina Saturday, and less than 24 hours later he had a new two-year contract. It makes for a nice birthday present for McClement, who will turn 32 Monday and is with his fourth team in six seasons. Carolina’s fourth line has jelled, with McClement and fellow 2014 free agent signing Brad Malone blossoming into a formidable duo the past 20 games. Patrick Dwyer, their most frequent running mate on the fourth line, is a pending UFA, and given the success other players have had alongside McClement and Malone it wouldn't be surprising to see Dwyer — a polished penalty killer — moved for a late-round pick before Monday’s trade deadline. With McClement and Malone each signed for next year, the foundation for an effective fourth line is set.

3. Alexander Semin received unsportsmanlike conduct minors in both games for embellishment. On the whole, Semin continues to improve and is back on the top line aside the Staal brothers of late. While the embellishment calls are embarassing, it has not been a recurring problem for Semin since he joined Carolina and isn't a huge concern. But one interesting aspect of the minor called against the Islanders was Anders Lee, the New York player called for hooking on the play, getting in Semin’s face to protest Semin’s dive. Lee has had a fine season, but a rookie has no business questioning a veteran player’s intentions. Semin may not be the most respected player in the NHL, but he does have 600-plus games and more than 500 points on his resume. Lee needs to take a step back and remember that he's a neophyte at this level.

Number To Know

7 — More points Justin Faulk needs to pass Joni Pitkanen’s 46 points in 2009-10 for the most by a defenseman in Hurricanes history. Faulk also has 12 goals, just four shy of the 16 Anton Babchuk scored in 2008-09. Faulk's maturation into a No. 1 defenseman continues, but there's no denying he is growing into the role. With partner Sekera gone to Los Angeles, Faulk will bear even more responsibility. Two games into the post-Sekera era, Faulk seems up to the task.

Plus

Andrej Nestrasil— The 24-year-old forward continues to be a difference maker since returning from injury. Nestrasil had two assists in each game over the weekend, and with the departure of Jiri Tlusty has earned time on the Hurricanes power play. Since joining Carolina, Nestrasil has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 20 games and is a team-best plus-7. Honorable mention to Anton Khudobin, who got his first shutout of the season in Friday’s 3-0 win over Washington.

Minus

Alexander Semin — There wasn't a lot not to like about the two games, but the one black mark was Semin’s three infractions, two for diving. He was also one of just two players, along with Ron Hainsey, to play both games and not register a point in the weekend sweep.

The Jets are portrayed at buyers for the deadline, but could they move Michael Frolik if they can not strike a deal before the deadline?

Everyone seems to assume that the Winnipeg Jets will only be buyers today rolls around. That's an obvious assumption to come to; the Jets are hanging on to western conference Wild Card spot by a thread as they battle injuries in their forward core and continue to be active on the trade market. But the Jets have a tricky situation on their hands today. Upcoming UFA Michael Frolik remains unsigned by the Jets and his status with the team after this season is foggy.

The Jets are going to be looking to acquire reinforcements right until the deadline arrives, that is for sure. They have already started wheeling and dealing a little early this trade season. Acquiring Jiri Tlusty from the Carolina Hurricanes for a third round draft pick and a sixth round conditional draft pick. In the blockbuster deal with the Buffalo Sabres, the Jets acquired another "rental" player in Drew Stafford. Along with a recent deal with the New York Rangers that sent forward Carl Klingberg to the New York Rangers

So the Jets seem to be in it to win it, that is for sure. But with the uncertainty surrounding Michael Frolik's future with the Jets, could the Jets trade one of their key pieces?

Reasoning behind trading Frolik

I'm sure trading Frolik is not at all what the Jets intend to do. Frolik seems like a player that could fit in to the Jets fold for quite a long time. But with the common theme in today's NHL about overpaying at free agency and Frolik could be offered some hefty deals if he became an Unrestricted Free Agent. While he is in the midst of negotiations with the Jets, Frolik's asking price could be a little too much for a budget team like the Jets. He is a great energy player and a superb player on the penalty kill. He can be slotted anywhere in to NHL a top nine and provide good energy and a strong two way game. Those kind of players dont roll around often. If the Jets cannot strike a deal before deadline day, there are no guarantees Frolik will return. In fact, the odds would be against the Jets to land Frolik while competing with 29 other teams for him. If Frolik gets lucrative offers from markets that are sexier, what would stop him from taking the first plane out of Winnipeg? If the Jets don't have a deal in place with Frolik prior to the deadline, should they at least to attempt to get a return of some sort rather than letting him walk away without getting anything in return?

It is a plausible theory. Anyone without a deal for next year is certified as trade bait at the deadline.  Losing Frolik might not be that bad for the Winnipeg Jets in the long term.

The Jets are geared for the future and they continue to follow the draft and develop approach. They have quite the group of players developing in the pipeline. Prospects such as Nikolaj Ehlers and Nic Petan could be vying for top nine spots as soon as next year. Along with the fact that the Jets will most likely be committing a large sum of cap space to captain Andrew Ladd and all star defenceman Dustin Byfuglien when they are set to become free agents at the end of next season. Along with the fact that Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba will be due for large pay day's in the near future. What if Frolik demands a 3-5 year contract with a 4-5 mil cap hit per year? He certainly could ask for that. The books could become quite tight in the prairies and it could cause the Jets quite the strain.

The Kladno Kids

Clients Michael Frolik, Ondrej Pavelec from Kladno, Czech Republic joined now with Jiri Tlusty from Kladno, Czech Republic. #PoldiKladnoJets

— Allan Walsh (@walsha) February 25, 2015

Amazing that 3 kids growing up together in Kladno as best friends all playing together on the same NHL team. #KladnoKonnection

— Allan Walsh (@walsha) February 25, 2015

Frolik's close friendship with teammates Jiri Tlusty and Ondrej Pavelec, could entice him along with Tlusty who is a pending UFA, to stay in Winnipeg for years to come. Maybe the acquisition of Jiri Tlusty was a tactic by Chevy to help re-sign Frolik along with the obvious motivation behind the deal in acquiring a top nine player.

Bottom Line, Frolik wont be dealt.

The Jets are in it to win it. Kevin Cheveldayoff has made that clear while acquiring pieces like Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Jiri Tlusty and Lee Stempniak. So why would they shoot themselves in the foot and trade away such an important piece to the puzzle like Frolik? You can't find many players like Michael Frolik in today's NHL, so the Jets should hang on to the Czech native for as long as they can. Having someone with a Stanley cup ring in their possession wont hurt either, come playoff time.

Not much light has been shed on the Frolik contract negotiations and because of that the possibility of a trade will be brought up, but all signs point to the Jets being set on retaining Frolik. He could become too expensive for the Jets in the offseason and if Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff comes to that realization, Frolik could become a cap causality and be dealt today. But that would be very unlikely. A return for a free agent that might walk is very smart, but the Jets appear to be all in to make some noise in the playoffs and Michael Frolik will be a big part of that.

All your trade related banter can be discussed here

The Hurricanes have already picked up four draft picks, a prospect, and an asset to help out their blueline the rest of the season.  Are they done?

Erik Cole to Detroit.  Keith Yandle to New York.  What's next?  It could be a slow day, but I wouldn't bet on it.  We will keep up with the news around the NHL in this thread.

(Jamie will have the game day post later today).

What do advanced stats have to say about the newest defenseman in the organization?

Teams around the NHL have been getting a head start on trades prior to today's trade deadline, and the Washington Capitals are no exception. Over the weekend, the Capitals made a couple of depth moves, acquiring defenseman Tim Gleason from Carolina for a pick plus Jack Hillen and winger Curtis Glencross from Calgary for two draft picks (more on that one here). Both moves align with the personal preferences Barry Trotz has made abundantly clear in his short time behind the Capitals bench - both players bring a defensively responsible, and a tough-to-play-against game.

Beyond matters of identity and intangibles, let's look at what Gleason brings to the table.

Gleason was a good "buy-low" candidate. His sub-.900 on-ice save percentage this season is his lowest in the Behind the Net era, and coupled with back-to-back low on-ice shooting percentage seasons on bad teams, his recent boxcars probably underrate his true abilities.

The lockout-shortened season marked the start of a troubling year-plus stretch for Gleason in terms of possession. So many defensive, limited-skills defensemen seem to age early, and Gleason - who turned 32 in January - looked like he may be following suit. But this season, he seems to have rediscovered his game a little, in slightly more limited minutes than he's played in the past. While Carolina head coach Bill Peters still didn't trust him to play top minutes, he stopped getting hammered in terms of possession in his minutes, which is a definite plus.

The x-axis denote forward quality of teammates and the y-axis forward quality of competition—so the top-right corner is Gleason against top opposition with good teammates, and the bottom-left corner is Gleason against depth forwards with worse teammates. Green is 50%-plus Corsi (SAT in the NHL-sanctioned lexicon) and purple is sub-50% possession. The names along the top denote what sort of forward help Gleason might get for each level of F QoT—Skinner comes in at just over 16 min/60, for example.

This chart isn't that impressive - there's not much positive possession away from the easier forward matchups - but Gleason may be another case where familiarity and chemistry play a role. By possession, it probably hasn't helped that in his 800-plus minutes this season, his most frequent defense partners have been John-Michael Liles (240 minutes), Ryan Murphy (162 minutes), and Michal Jordan (148 minutes). Mike Green is (by far) the best partner Gleason will have had in recent memory, and given the stable pairings in Washington this season, a little consistency next to a high-end defenseman could help Gleason.

Additionally, Gleason's chart looks different depending on defense partner. It's almost entirely purple (signaling sub-50% possession) for the Gleason-Justin Faulk pair, while there's a pretty good amount of green for Gleason and Joe Corvo. Gleason is not much of a "play-driver" on his own, but did seem to help (or, at least, not hurt) Liles a little in their time together as well, so there's certainly a precedent for Gleason making a better defense-partner for a puck-moving, offensive-minded partner than the numbers might suggest. That said, it could work the other way, as was the case with Faulk.

The minus is that he still brought up the rear on the Hurricanes blueline in terms of score-adjusted scoring chances. The main driver of that figure was on the offensive end. In  Trotz's system, defensemen need to be able to move the puck a little and keep plays alive by pinching aggressively in the offensive zone, and if Gleason can't, he'll be making the team worse than it otherwise would be (i.e. with Nate Schmidt or Dmitry Orlov in the lineup instead).

In terms of usage, it doesn't figure to change much for Gleason. Peters gave him relatively soft minutes with decent zone starts (his "easiest" minutes in five years) and didn't rely on him to play big minutes. Playing with Green, Gleason likely figures to get similar competition, better zone starts, and maybe a little more ice time.

On the penalties front, Gleason draws nearly as many penalties as he takes (which is a fairly modest amount to begin with), making him one of the better defensemen in the NHL in that regard. He could also add a little value on the penalty kill - he held his own as a second-unit penalty killer in Carolina and should be a nice fifth or sixth option on the Capitals.

All-in-all, Gleason is a clear upgrade over Hillen, and depending on how he meshes with Green, could turn the Caps' third pair into one Trotz trusts in all situations (and we've seen an impact there already - in Gleason's Caps debut against Toronto last night, Green had his second-highest five-on-five ice time of the season) .

There's also a realistic chance he shows his age more and fails to fit in. In that case, fortunately for the team, there's a good replacement or two just three hours away, in Hershey.

Now that the trade deadline drama is behind us, there's a hockey game to be played.

Carolina Hurricanes at Chicago Blackhawks
March 2, 2015 - 8:30 pm ET
United Center - Chicago, IL
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan
SB Nation Rival Blog - Second City Hockey

Fancy Stats

Stats via NHL.com and War on Ice

Game Notes

• The Canes take the ice tonight for the first time this season against the Chicago Blackhawks. Last season they were defeated in regulation in Chicago and lost in a shootout in Raleigh for a 0-1-1 record. The Canes haven't won in Chicago since 2008, although they've only played three games there since then. They'll face each other in Raleigh again in a couple of weeks.
• Lots of momentum and really nothing to lose at this point in the season for the Canes, as they come into tonight's game winners of three straight against Metro Division playoff contenders. Their record since January 1st is an impressive 14-7-3, a 106-point pace. Unfortunately, the record prior to 2015 was so bad that a good run isn't enough to push them into playoff contention.
• Nonetheless, there are certainly recognizable improvements, especially on special teams. The Canes are still killing penalties at a torrid pace, best in the league and putting space between the competition. Perhaps just as noteworthy, the power play has improved significantly in the last month. When February started the Canes were converting power plays at a 16.6% clip, good enough to rank 24th in the league, today they are at 18.9% which is good enough to squeak them into the top ten.
• No changes to the Canes line-up for tonight, Bill Peters is going with the same group from Saturday, including Cam Ward in net.
• In case you missed it with all the trade headlines and site issues, Rasmus Rissanen has been recalled from the Checkers. He won't make it for tonight's game, but Peters says he expects him to be up for the rest of the season. It's the first call-up for Rissanen. From the press release:

RALEIGH, NC - Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the Hurricanes have recalled defenseman Rasmus Rissanen (RAS-muss RIHS-ah-nehn) from the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Rissanen, 23, has netted one goal and added 10 assists (11 points) in 52 games for Charlotte this season. The Kuopio, Finland, native has totaled 36 points (7g, 29a) and 301 penalty minutes in 240 career AHL games with the Checkers. Selected by the Hurricanes in the sixth round, 178th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Rissanen played two seasons of junior hockey for Everett of the Western Hockey League (WHL) prior to turning professional. He has represented Finland in several international tournaments, including the 2008 U-18 World Junior Championship and the 2011 World Junior Championship.

• Ryan Murphy skated with the team today and more will be known on his return later in the week.
• Jeff Skinner has points in four straight games, and Justin Faulk has points in three straight.
• Happy Birthday to Jay McClement, who celebrates with a two-goal game and a two-year contract extension.
• The Blackhawks are 'all-in' on their playoff run. They are currently third in the Central Division, three points ahead of the Jets. They've been idle on the ice since back-to-back games in Florida on Thursday and Friday, shutting out the Panthers 3-0 on Thursday night before suffering a 4-0 shutout loss to the Lightning on Friday.
• The Hawks have not been idle off the ice, active at the trade deadline after losing key cogs in their lineup. Leading scorer (also leading the NHL at the time) Patrick Kane will miss significant time with a broken clavicle, and Johnny Oduya has an upper body concern that will keep him off the ice for a couple of weeks. So Kimmo Timonen was acquired from the Flyers on Friday, Antoine Vermette was acquired from the Coyotes on Saturday, Tim Erixon was placed on waivers yesterday and claimed by Toronto, and earlier today Ben Smith was traded to the San Jose Sharks for Andrew Desjardins.
• Vermette and Timonen have already practiced with their new club and are expected to be in the line-up tonight. Marian Hossa didn't skate with the team this morning but is also expected to play. The Hawks projected line-up is a bit of a guess based on a combination of their line-up on Friday and today's practice, with the trade acquisitions mixed in.

Projected line-ups

Hurricanes (from today's practice)

Injuries and Scratches: Ryan Murphy (IR leg), Patrick Dwyer, Rasmus Rissanen (recall)

Blackhawks (from today's practice):

Antoine Vermette and Kimmo Timonen didn't put up highlights but showed how they'll help the 'Hawks in a 5-2 win over Carolina.

After a few days of trades, the pencils have finally been put down, and the rosters are set for the rest of the NHL regular season. While normally not a big deadline dealer, Stan Bowman finally went for it a bit more than usual, trading for defenseman Kimmo Timonen from the Flyers and center Antoinne Vermette from the Coyotes. He also traded Ben Smith to the San Jose Sharks for Andrew Desjardins.

Timonen and Vermette are expected to make their Blackawks debuts tonight, but it is doubtful that Desjardins will be in the lineup. Expect to see a fourth line consisting of Joakim Nordstrom, Marcus Kruger, and Daniel Carcillo. Corey Crawford will start in net for the 'Hawks.

Opponent Breakdown: Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have been one of the NHL's bottom feeders this season, as they are currently in last place in the Metropolitan Division, and are the 5th-worst team in the NHL. However, they enter this game riding a three game win streak, including a 5-3 win over the Metro-leading Islanders on Saturday. With the Blackhawks struggles of late, this could end up being a bit of a trap game.

The 'Canes also boast top-10 special teams units in both categories, converting on 18.9% of their power play opportunities (10th in NHL), and killing off 88.2% of their own penalties, which is tops in the league. This could reperesent another danger area for the 'Hawks in this one, as the power play has been lacking of late, and the PK units will be a bit shaken up with the absence of Smith.

Injury Report

Chicago: Johnny Oduya (upper-body) and Patrick Kane (collarbone)

Carolina: Ryan Murphy (lower-body)

Game Information

When: 7:30 p.m. CT

Where: United Center

TV: CSN

Radio: WGN-720

For Chicago Blackhawks tickets, check out Ticketmaster. Follow Second City Hockey on Twitter at @2ndCityHockeyand Like us on Facebook. You can follow Adam Hess on Twitter at @FeathersInDaHat.