When: Saturday, December 4, 7:30 p.m. EST
Watch:Bally Sports South, Bally Sports App
Listen:99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes.com/Listen, Hurricanes App
Canes Record:15-6-1 (31 Points, T-2nd - Metropolitan Division)
Canes Last Game:3-2 Loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, December 2.
Sabres Record:8-12-3 (19 Points, 6th - Atlantic Division)
Sabres Last Game:7-4 Loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, December 4.
TRACKING THE STORYLINES:
Something's Got To Give:Things have not been going the Canes' way lately. The team is 1-4-1 in their last six after starting the season 15-3-1. The team's output and effort are there, however, the same puck luck that they were having through the first six weeks is not. The club has put 89 shots on net in their last two games, but has fell victim to 47 and 39-save performances.
Power Play Breakthrough:After reaching an unfortunate 0-for-20 mark on the man advantage, the team finally was able to get one in Thursday's third period courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen. Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour has cited the team's group as "being too cute" at times, so we'll see if this evening they can start a streak or if their difficult stretch continues.
Return of the Bear?:Defenseman Ethan Bear rejoined the team at Thursday's morning skate after testing positive for COVID-19 back on Monday, November 22. He did not play in that evening's game against Ottawa but said he felt good to go Friday morning, after he practiced with the club. Jalen Chatfield and Max Lajoie have "done a great job" in the words of their head coach, however, if Bear can go, one would have to think that he would be in the lineup.
History Repeats Itself:The Canes are 10-0-0 in their last ten meetings with Buffalo, marking the third-longest active win streak for a team against any opponent in the league.
Additional Notes:
Patience Is Key:Please note tonight's special 7:30 p.m. start time is because of the NC State basketball game at PNC Arena this afternoon. The basketball game starts at 2 p.m., so please allow yourself extra time when coming to PNC Arena between the 4 and 5 o'clock hours.
Milestone Watch: Brady Skjei's next assist will be his 100th in the NHL.
What Color Are We Wearing?:The team will be wearing their red sweaters tonight.
Promotions:Tonight is First Responders Night, presented by
celito.net
.
Featured Merchandise Item of the Game:View tonight's item of the game on CarolinaProShop.com
here
!
Worth A Click:
Mailbag #8: Going Through It
Recap: Forsberg Paves Sens Win Over Canes
Monthly Performance Review: November
