Preview: Blue Jackets vs. Hurricanes

After seeing their season-long, eight-game winning streak snapped in Detroit, the Carolina Hurricanes return home to begin a new winning streak and open a four-game series against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Match-Up

Columbus Blue Jackets (11-12-7, 29 points) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (20-7-1, 41 points)
Thursday, March 18, 7 p.m.
Watch: FOX Sports Carolinas,
FOX Sports GO
Listen: 99.9 FM The Fan,
Hurricanes.com/Listen
,
Hurricanes app
PROJECTED LINEUP

Numbers to Know

1/2: At the halfway point of the regular season, the Canes are 20-7-1 and sit in third place in the Central Division. The team has set a franchise record for the most points (41) through the first 28 games of a season.
9: Dougie Hamilton recorded the secondary assist on Sebastian Aho's goal in Detroit to extend his career-long point streak to nine games (2g, 9a), the longest active point streak in the NHL and the longest by any NHL defenseman this season.
100: With the primary helper on Nino Niederreiter's power-play goal in Detroit, Jesper Fast now has 100 career NHL assists. Fast has recorded 11 points (3g, 8a), including four on the power play (1g, 3a), through 23 games with the Canes this season.
400: Jordan Martinook is set to play in his 400th career NHL game. Martinook has totaled 110 points (44g, 66a) in 399 career games.

The Opposition

Last five games: 1-2-2, 4 points
On the road: 4-7-2, 10 points
CAR vs. CBJ: 2-1-0
Leading scorer: Oliver Bjorkstrand, 23 points (10g, 13a) in 30 games
After securing four of a possible eight points (1-1-2) in a four-game homestand, the Blue Jackets enjoyed a three-day gap in between Sunday's finale and Thursday's game in Raleigh. John Tortorella's team is a middling 11-12-7 on the season and 3-5-2 in the last 10 games. Patrik Laine has recorded seven goals and 12 points in 20 games since being acquired by Columbus earlier in the season.

The Last Meeting

The Canes scored six straight goals in a
7-3 rout of the Blue Jackets
on Feb. 15 in Raleigh. Twelve different Canes recorded at least a point, including Brock McGinn (2g, 2a) and Teuvo Teravainen (1g, 3a), who each posted season-best performances.

"We got down two, and no one even had one thought that we were going to lose," Bean said. "We knew that if we played our game we could come back and make up the goals."

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