Carolina (30-10-4) at Philadelphia (28-10-7)
- Game info: 7:00 pm EST Tue Jan 17, 2006
- TV: FSS, CSP
The Carolina Hurricanes already have defeated two of the top teams in the NHL in the past week.
The Hurricanes will get the chance to knock off another and notch their eighth straight win when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers.
Carolina is coming off a perfect three-game homestand. After beating two of the Western Conference’s top three clubs, 3-2 over Detroit last Tuesday and 5-4 over Nashville in overtime on Friday, the Hurricanes defeated the West’s worst team on Sunday with a 4-2 win over St. Louis.
Carolina has 64 points, one more than the Flyers, but one fewer than the Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators.
Hurricanes center Erik Staal endured a season-high, eight-game scoring drought before recording his second hat trick of the season on Sunday.
Staal lost part of his tooth and had to get stitches in his lip after taking a high stick in the mouth during the first period. The second overall pick in the 2003 draft returned to score Carolina’s final three goals, including the go-ahead tally.
“I actually felt pretty good at the start of the game, my legs were there,” said Staal, who also assisted on the first goal. “It was tough to get a stick up on me, but I kind of wanted to rebound and respond.”
Staal’s three goals and four assists over the last three games helped him earn NHL offensive player of the week honors Monday.
Erik Cole assisted on Staal’s final two goals, giving him five points in the last three games. Backup goalie Cam Ward stopped 31 shots to improve to 8-3-2 on the season.
The Hurricanes converted 3 of 11 power-play opportunities against the Blues and have scored at least one extra-man goal in 14 consecutive games.
Carolina, already with a 14-point lead in the Southeast Division, needs two wins to match its season-high, nine-game winning streak from Oct. 22-Nov. 11.
While six of the Hurricanes’ last seven wins have come at home, the Flyers will be playing their second contest at the Wachovia Center since returning from a franchise-record, 11-game road trip.
Philadelphia went 8-2-1 on that trek and in its first game back, lost 4-3 in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Peter Forsberg notched the game-tying goal in the third period against his former team, but the Flyers were outshot 9-0 in the extra session.
“It feels a little weird to play against the team you played for so long,” said Forsberg, who spent 10 seasons with the Avalanche franchise. “On the other hand, you have to be professional and move on.”
Forsberg also had an assist in the game to bring his career point total to 801. Mike Knuble had a goal and two assists while Simon Gagne added three assists for the Atlantic Division-leading Flyers.
The Hurricanes have not won in nine trips to Philadelphia since Oct. 7, 1999.
Team Comparison
| Team | G | W | L | OTL | Pts | Standings | GF | GA | Road/Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina | 82 | 52 | 22 | 8 | 112 | 1st, Southeast | 294 | 260 | 21-14-6 Road |
| Philadelphia | 82 | 45 | 26 | 11 | 101 | 1st, Atlantic | 267 | 259 | 22-13-6 Home |
Blog Coverage from SB Nation
Canes Country
Broad Street HockeyInjuries
Michael Ryan LW, Cam Ward G, Eric Staal C
Mike Rathje D, Simon Gagne LW, Arron Asham RW, Blair Betts C, Darroll Powe C
Notes
The Hurricanes rallied for two goals in the final 80 seconds of the third period to eliminate the Devils. The victory marked the first time in the series a team won consecutive games. ... Five of the seven games were decided by one goal, including two that needed overtime. ... D Tim Gleason was the lone Hurricane not to register a shot on goal. ... C Eric Staal scored the game-winning goal with 31.7 seconds remaining, his team-leading fifth tally of the series. ... The line of Staal (five goals, two assists), LW Ray Whitney (three goals, four assists) and RW Chad LaRose (two goals, five assists) combined for 21 points.
Apr 28, 11:50 pm EDT
The Flyers were outshot, 15-5, in the first period but held the edge over the final two sessions, combining for a 21-13 advantage over the Penguins. ... G Martin Biron made 28 saves en route to his second career playoff shutout. ... RW Mike Knuble registered a game-high seven shots on goal. ... C Mike Richards continued to struggle on faceoffs, losing 16 of his 24 draws. The captain, who is just 46-for-109 on faceoffs, had his best showing of the series in Game Four, when he went 12-12 in the circles. ... C Jeff Carter also has been disappointing on draws, losing 60 of his 106 opportunities in the series.
Apr 23, 10:52 pm EDT