Roll With It
Just over two weeks ago, the Hurricanes snapped a five-game winless skid (0-4-1) with a win in Chicago. The team then headed home for six games over a 14-day stretch, a crucial juncture in the first quarter of the season. Now, the Hurricanes have won three in a row and are 5-1-1 in their last seven games.
"You want to be a team that wins at home," Jordan Martinook said on Friday. "It's been fun. It's been good to be home."
PROJECTED LINEUP
The team's three-game winning streak, which they now take on the road, comes on the heels of a dud of an effort against Columbus a week ago. In the three games since, the Canes have outscored their opponents 11-4, and Curtis McElhinney has been steady between the pipes.
"He's been awesome," Martinook said. "He's confident, and we're confident in him being back there."
Marty Party
Martinook tallied his first-career hat trick in the Canes' 4-1 win over Florida on Friday. His three-goal performance began in the last minute of the first period, when he cashed in on a rebound at the top of the blue paint. In the third period, he joined the Canes in transition and fired a wrist shot to the back of the net. He then pounded the puck into the empty net with two minutes left in regulation.
Hats off.
"I guess in junior I had one. It was a long time ago," Martinook said. "My mom's in Vegas right now, so I don't know if she saw it, but my dad probably hit the roof of the basement. It's cool. I'll remember this one, that's for sure."
"He deserves that. He's worked so hard," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "That line has been good for us. They finally got rewarded."
Faulk 500
Defenseman Justin Faulk is a game shy of 500 games played in the National Hockey League. He will become the 16th player and fifth defenseman to appear in 500 games for the franchise. Faulk has recorded eight points (1g, 7a) in 22 games this season and has totaled 231 points (75g, 156a) in his career.
Man Down?
Defenseman Haydn Fleury was hit by Troy Brouwer along the near wall in the neutral zone in the third period on Friday, just prior to Brouwer skating in alone and scoring to break McElhinney's shutout. Fleury didn't play another shift, and shortly after the game, the Canes recalled defenseman Trevor Carrick from Charlotte. In a corresponding move, the team placed Brett Pesce (lower body) on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 10.
The Last Meeting
The Hurricanes and Islanders met twice in Raleigh in October, and on both occasions, the Islanders walked away victors. Opening Night marked the first meeting, and the Hurricanes were able to snag a point in a 2-1 overtime loss. Later in the month, the Islanders took a 2-1 decision in regulation. The constant in both games was goaltender Thomas Greiss, who has made 128 saves on 130 shots (.985 save percentage) in his last three starts against Carolina.
The Opposition
The Islanders improved to 11-8-2 on the season with a 4-3 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday. Matthew Barzal scored the game-winning goal in overtime after the Islanders saw a 3-2 lead disappear with just 10.9 seconds left in regulation. New York is 5-2-2 at home this season and 4-1-1 at home in the month of November.
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS KEYS TO THE GAME
