Twenty Games In
With essentially a quarter of the regular-season in the books, the Hurricanes hold a record of 12-7-1 and 25 points, tying the second-most points through the first 20 games of a season in franchise history.
After dropping four straight games, the Canes bring a three-game winning streak into this road trip finale.
"We dissect the crap out of it. That's the nature of it," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We played better in the four games we lost than the three games we won, but nobody is really going to talk about that. We weren't very good the other night but got a win. It's all about wins, but we've got to get better."
Haula Out, Luostarinen In
Erik Haula missed four games with knee soreness before returning for the first two games of this road trip.
Haula didn't practice with the Canes in Chicago and now figures to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
PROJECTED LINEUP
"He's going to be out for a while," Brind'Amour said. "He's not playing any time soon, I don't think."
With Haula out, Eetu Luostarinen will draw back in on the team's fourth line after impressing in his first three games in the NHL.
"He's got some grit to him, and he's not afraid. He can skate. He's suited for this level," Brind'Amour said. "He doesn't look out of place, and least in the couple of games he's been here."
The Last Meeting
The Canes hosted the Blackhawks in Raleigh on Oct. 26, their first home game in two weeks with the State Fair setting up shop nearby. Petr Mrazek made 32 saves and Andrei Svechnikov scored twice in the Canes'
4-0 shutout win over the Blackhawks
.
