Gameday: Hurricanes at Capitals

WASHINGTON - Congrats to Noah Hanifin, who will make his first NHL All-Star appearance in Tampa Bay in just over two weeks!
This is the gameday hub, where you can find all the latest news and information you need to know for tonight's Metropolitan Division tilt featuring the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals. Make Hurricanes.com a regular stop throughout the day, as we update this hub with notes, photos and more as puck drop draws near.
After traveling to our nation's capital on Wednesday, the Hurricanes will get back on the ice at Capital One Arena for an 11:00 a.m. morning skate today, and we'll be there to bring you the latest.
Last updated: 4:20 p.m.

BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA TOOLS TO VICTORY
4:20 p.m.
TV's Mike Maniscalco, who I'll be joining tonight on Hurricanes LIVE! on FOX Sports Southeast, presents tonight's Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina three Tools to Victory.
1. Clean Up the Front of the Net
While the Hurricanes excel at limiting the opponents' shots, they allow a lot of quality chances from in close. Those chances have to be limited against the Capitals.
2. Use Speed
The Hurricanes have more speed than the Capitals. Use it. The Canes can generate more chances when they are establishing the pace of the game and can use that tonight to set up how this home-and-home series will be played.
3. Win the Blue Line
Gaining access to the Capitals' end and making it tough for Washington to get into the Canes' end is a huge key for teams that like to posses the puck. That means having good gaps on both sides of the puck and not cheating leaving the defensive end.
IN THE ROOM: NOAH HANIFIN
3:30 p.m.
Noah Hanifin spoke about his NHL All-Star selection and tonight's game against the Capitals following the Canes' morning skate.

IN THE ROOM: BILL PETERS
1:20 p.m.
Head coach Bill Peters stepped off the stationary bike to speak with the media at Capital One Arena just around noon. Here are the highlights, and the full availability can be seen below.
On playing the Capitals three times in an 11-day span: "I like the fact that not a lot changes in between games. You obviously use head-to-head clips, and guys are familiar. It's fresh in your memory how the last game ended and how the last game was played."
On the 5-4 OT loss to the Caps last week: "It was a good game. Both teams played well. We've got to tighten up a little bit. We've given up too many goals, not just in the Washington game but in our last two games. We've got to tighten up. Anything they get they have to earn. We have to be better disciplined and patient."
On the defensive mistakes being made: "There's lots of duplication on jobs being done. That's what opens up spots. Whether it's a trust factor or communication or just duplication, those are the issues we have right now. I expect them to be fixed."
On what makes the team successful: "When we look at what we've given up, the quality and quantity is disappointing. We know how to play. We're a good team when we play the right way. When we're up on our toes and playing fast, I like our team a lot."
On Noah Hanifin's All-Star selection: "He's an impressive young player. He skates great. 6-foot-3. Moves the puck. I see a real bright future. I anticipate more All-Star Games in the future."
On injury disclosure: "If the NHL would just say, hey, you know what, make it full disclosure, I'd have no problem with that, as long as it's consistent across the board. There's a lot of times we don't know. If a guy gets dinged late in the third, he's still getting looked at and going for an MRI the next day. You get asked a question, and we know the area and mechanism of the injury, but we don't really know. There are a lot of times as coaches it's a little awkward, to be honest with you. No one ever likes talking about concussions, but we do talk about them and we don't try to hide that. There is a little bit of privacy for the player, too. I'm good either way."
On the status of Brett Pesce, who left the morning skate early after an awkward fall: "I didn't see it. What happened? ... You know more about it than I do then. How's that one? That's no disclosure. ... I don't know."

CANES LINES: MORNING SKATE
11:15 a.m.
Based on the lines in this morning's skate, here's how the Hurricanes will line up in D.C. tonight.
Aho-Staal-Lindholm
Skinner-Rask-Teravainen
McGinn-Ryan-Williams
Nordstrom-Kruger-Jooris
Slavin-Pesce
Fleury-Faulk
Hanifin-van Riemsdyk
Darling
Ward
We'll go inside the room after the skate.

CANES, CAPS BEGIN HOME-AND-HOME SET
12:00 a.m.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals will begin a home-and-home, back-to-back set on Thursday night in the District.
The two teams met for the first time this season just over a week ago in Raleigh, a 5-4 overtime win for the Capitals. The Hurricanes trailed by two goals in the second period, but two strikes in 84 seconds in the third period put Carolina on top, 4-3. Alex Ovechkin then scored two straight goals, the first to tie the game and force overtime and the second to win the game in 3-on-3 action.
The Capitals have played two games since and won them both. Washington has won five games in a row and is riding a 10-game winning streak at home that dates back to the beginning of December.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are in a bit of a slide. After posting four straight wins leading in to their final game of 2017, the Canes have since won just one of their last five games (1-3-1). They team has also surrendered 17 goals in their last four games, one of which was a 4-0 shutout win in Pittsburgh.
Carolina is coming off a 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a game in which Tyler Johnson finished off his third career hat trick in the third period, which was ultimately the difference.
"I thought the effort was good at times," head coach Bill Peters said. "We did a lot of good things, but we've got to clean our game up defensively. We gave up too many chances and obviously too many goals."
"We gave them a few too many looks," said Justin Faulk, who tallied his first power-play goal of the season. "They're going to get their chances. They have such good players up front that they probably don't go many nights without getting a few good looks and some grade-A chances. I just think we gave them a few too many throughout the lineup. It's tough to win if you've got to score six goals."
The Hurricanes are expecting to regain the services of Lee Stempniak in this home-and-home, back-to-back set. The veteran forward is coming off two separate upper-body injuries that have kept him sidelined since the preseason. Stempniak was activated off injured reserve on Monday, and it's likely he'll play in at least one of the Canes' next two games.
"It's a back-to-back, so I don't see him getting two," Peters said in Tampa Bay. "We'll try to get him in against Washington, for sure."
CANESPR NOTES: The Hurricanes were 2-for-4 on the power play on Tuesday night in Tampa Bay and are 4-for-12 (33.3 percent) on the man advantage over their last four games. In that same stretch, the team's penalty kill is 5-for-6 (83.3 percent). The Canes were not whistled for a penalty on Tuesday night in Tampa Bay, their third such game this season. … Sebastian Aho has tallied 11 points (7g, 4a) in his last eight games.
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