Vancouver Canucks vs. Carolina Hurricanes - Tuesday October 28 - 7:00 p.m. - Sportsnet Vancouver, TSN1040
Vancouver Canucks: 5-3-0 fifth in Pacific Division
Carolina Hurricanes: 0-5-2 eighth in Metropolitan Division
The Vancouver Canucks are back in action and looking to win their second straight game when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at Rogers Arena.
Assuming the Hurricanes haven't gotten up to too many shenanigans here in town, they should be a well-rested bunch. The team has been in Vancouver since last Friday night and will stay after the game tonight before heading home to face the Arizona Coyotes in Raleigh on Saturday.
Carolina's one of a few teams to have played just seven games so far this season, but the group's still looking for its first win of the year. So far, all it has to show for its efforts are two points from overtime losses to Buffalo and the New York Rangers. The 'Canes got beaten by Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton last week before heading out our way.
Injuries and goaltending have been the big stories for Carolina in the early going. With two years remaining on a contract with a $6.3 million cap hit, Cam Ward is being paid like a top-level goalie but has now been in decline for several seasons. The 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy winner had a 3.06 goals-against and .898 save percentage last season and would like to get back to those numbers this year. In his first three starts of 2014-15, Ward's save percentage is .829, with a 4.24 goals-against.
Ward is expected to get the start tonight.
Jordan Staal will be on the shelf for several months after breaking his leg during preseason, but his older brother Eric is expected to return to the Hurricanes lineup tonight after missing five games with an upper-body injury. Talented winger Jeff Skinner also returned to the lineup last week after missing the first four games of the season with a concussion.
Diminutive forward Nathan Gerbe is reported as being out day-to-day right now, so here's how the Carolina lineup should look,
according to the Hurricanes' website:
Forwards:
Tlusty-E. Staal-Semin
Skinner-Nash-Lindholm
Terry-McClement-Boychuk
Malone-Rask-Brown
Defense:
Sekera-Faulk
Gleason-Murphy
Hainsey-Liles
Harrison-Bellemore
Carolina's skating at Rogers Arena at 11:30 this morning, so it's not clear at this time which of those defense pairings will be the extras.
Also, Gerbe is at the rink for the morning skate. He was a teammate of Ryan Miller's back in Buffalo:
As for the Canucks, they're holding an optional morning skate.
Three players missed practice on Monday:
Still no Henrik today, though it's expected that he'll play tonight. Here's the full group skating today:
Not sure if Ryan Stanton will be ready to draw into the lineup. Here's what Willie said on Monday:
I expect Ryan Miller will get the nod for his second straight start, then Eddie Lack will draw into one of the back-to-back games on the weekend.
The Canucks won both of their games against Carolina last season. I hesitate to mention this, but the Hurricanes haven't won a game here in Vancouver since 1999.
Vancouver will need to take care not to take the NHL's 30th-place team too lightly if they hope to make some hay and move up the standings on this homestand. The week gets tougher after this: the Montreal Canadiens visit on Thursday, then it's back to Rexall Place for a Saturday date with one of the hottest teams in the league. In case you missed it, Edmonton has now won four in a row, including a 3-0 shutout of the Canadiens last night.
The week will wrap up on Sunday with a home game against another one of the league's hottest teams, the Nashville Predators.
World Junior Watch
Matt Sekeres of TSN1040 is reporting today at Hockey Canada has been in touch with the Canucks, inquiring about Bo Horvat's possible availability for this year's World Junior Championship.
Horvat can spend up to three more games on his conditioning stint in Utica before he'll have to return to the Canucks. The Comets play Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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