Music: {allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS (19-9-3) at HURRICANES (8-19-3)

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

{allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS (19-9-3) at HURRICANES (8-19-3)

White Christmas - Martina McBride

Thursday, December 18, 2014

7:00 PM ET

MAPLE LEAFS (19-9-3) at HURRICANES (8-19-3)

TV: TSN4, FS-CR

Season series: The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in two of three games last season. Left wing Jeff Skinner led Carolina in scoring with one goal and three assists. Center Tyler Bozak led Toronto with three assists. The Hurricanes scored four power-play goals on 12 opportunities and killed all eight shorthanded situations.

Maple Leafs team scope: Defenseman Roman Polak, who has missed the past 10 games with a knee injury, is ready to return to the lineup. Coach Randy Carlyle told the Toronto Sun he will have a difficult decision whether to play Polak or defenseman Korbinian Holzer, who is plus-7 with three assists in 10 games since filling in for Polak. Defenseman Dion Phaneuf took a maintenance day Wednesday at practice, and right wing Brandon Kozun is on waivers, the Sun reported. Center Leo Komarov has a concussion. Toronto has won six straight games and has lost once in regulation in its past 12 (10-1-1). Right wing Phil Kessel has a point in five straight games (four goals, three assists); he has six goals in his past eight games. Left wing James van Riemsdyk has a point in five straight games (three goals, four assists). Goalie Jonathan Bernier has won his past four games; during that span, Bernier has not allowed more than two goals in any game. Left wing Joffrey Lupul scored his first goal in five games Tuesday.

Hurricanes team scope: None of Carolina's injured players, all of them key forwards, will play, the News & Observer reported. They are left wing Jiri Tlusty (upper body), right wing Alexander Semin (lower body), center Jordan Staal (broken fibula) and center Andrej Nestrasil (upper body). Tlusty and Nestrasil are listed as day-to-day. Semin and Staal are on injured reserve but skating. Carolina has lost six straight games in regulation, scoring one goal in each. The Hurricanes are 3-13-0 in their past 16 games. Carolina has scored one power-play goal in its past seven games (1 for 21). Center Eric Staal has one goal in his past 11 games. Left wing Nathan Gerbe has not scored in his past eight games. Skinner broke a five-game goal-less streak Tuesday in a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Team Stats