Gameday: Red Wings vs. Hurricanes

Mondays aren't so bad when there's hockey.
This is the gameday hub, where you can find all the latest news and information related to tonight's homestand finale featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes in one handy location. Make this a regular stop throughout the day, as we update it with notes, videos, photos and more as puck drop draws near.
Following an off day on Sunday, the Hurricanes return to the ice at 10:30 a.m. for their morning skate. We'll be rinkside, as always, to bring you the latest.
Last updated: 7:25 p.m.

WADDELL PROVIDES ICE UPDATE
7:25 p.m.

GAME START DELAYED
7:10 p.m.
As you can tell by the timestamp on this post, the start of tonight's game is being delayed. PNC Arena is currently experiencing ice issues, and the crew is working to get them resolved as soon as possible. Stand by for further updates ...
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA TOOLS TO VICTORY
6:45 p.m.
Mike Maniscalco presents tonight's Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina three Tools to Victory.

IN THE ROOM
3:15 p.m.
Hear from Swedish forwards Victor Rask and Elias Lindholm prior to tonight's game against the Red Wings.

PREGAME: PETERS
11:50 a.m.
Michael Leighton will likely back up Cam Ward in net tonight, according to head coach Bill Peters. Leighton was sick this morning and was sent home, while Eddie Lack returned to the ice with the Canes for the morning skate. Lack could be cleared as early as this evening, Peters said.
Here's more from the Canes' bench boss.
On tonight's goaltending situation: "Wardo starts and finishes and gets the win. How's that? That's the way I look at it."
On keeping the lineup the same: "There's good consistency in our lineup. … We don't make a lot of chances when we win."
On stability on defense: "Dahlbeck is back now from a conditioning stint, but our third pair of Tennyson on the right side with Hanfin has been together for a while, and that allows them to get some continuity and familiarity with each other. They're better because of it."
On puck possession: "It's huge. They're not going to give it up for free. If you're giving it up easy, you're never going to have it. If you don't have it, you're going to defend. If you defend, it makes for a long night. We want to have the puck and make plays when we have it."
On playing at home: "I think everyone wants to be at home. It's a little easier at home. The biggest thing in our sport is match-ups. If you get your match-ups, you don't have to change on the fly all the time. When you're changing on the fly, it's hard to get your game established. When you don't have to do that, it's beneficial."
On the three games this week leading up to Christmas: "They're important, for sure. You want to go in the break feeling good about yourself. … Three huge games, all in the East. Biggest game of the year here tonight."

CANES LINES: MORNING SKATE
10:40 a.m.
After a day off on Sunday, the Hurricanes returned to the ice for their morning skate today. As expected, no lineup changes will be made.
McGinn-Staal-Lindholm
Skinner-Rask-Ryan
Aho-Teravainen-Stempniak
Nordstrom-McClement-Stalberg
Hainsey-Faulk
Slavin-Pesce
Hanifin-Tennyson
Ward
Lack
Eddie Lack appears ready to return to the ice after a stint on injured reserve with a concussion. No sign of Michael Leighton at the skate. We'll discuss this and more with head coach Bill Peters after the skate.
CANES CAP HOMESTAND AGAINST WINGS
6:00 a.m.
As the Metropolitan Division continues to rake in points each and every night, the Carolina Hurricanes - especially at home - are doing their best to gain ground on the teams ahead of them in the standings.
The Hurricanes haven't lost a game in regulation at home in over a month, as the team is 8-0-1 in its last nine games at PNC Arena. That mark has propelled the team to the top spot in the Eastern Conference beyond the wild card cutoff line, though the Hurricanes remain eight points out of a potential playoff spot because of their division's absolute dominance.
"We've got the standings right on the board behind me, so we know where we stand. Our division is tough. Teams keep winning," said Lee Stempniak, who scored the first goal in the shootout on Saturday night. "We need to keep getting points and climb up. They're all important."
Tonight, the Hurricanes close out a four-game homestand as the Detroit Red Wings make their first of two visits to Raleigh this season.
After having their seven-game home winning streak snapped in a shootout loss on Friday night, the Canes rebounded 24 hours later with a shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres. For a while, it looked as though the Hurricanes might win their third 1-0 game in the stretch of the month, as Joakim Nordstrom's first-period tally stood alone on the scoreboard until late in regulation when Evander Kane's redirection goal evened the score.
"We had the puck a lot tonight through 40. They had the puck a lot in the last 20. We had the puck a lot in overtime. That's the way it felt," head coach Bill Peters said. "We played better Friday] night and lost. We played not as good tonight and won. … You've got to stay with it, battle and compete."
"We competed real hard in a back-to-back situation. I thought they played pretty stingy too. It was kind of a game where there wasn't a whole lot going on. Both teams were kind of waiting for their opportunities," said Cam Ward, who stopped 23 of 24 through 65 minutes and both shots he faced in the shootout. "We controlled the play for the first 40 minutes. You kind of have to give them credit for making a push in the third period. To come up with a shootout win, those are pretty rare with me, so I certainly feel good."
The Red Wings capped a five-game homestand with a 6-4 win over Anaheim on Saturday, their first victory of the stand. Tonight's game marks the first of three straight on the East coast. The Hurricanes fell 4-2 to Detroit in the first meeting between the two teams this season, the Canes last of six straight on the road that began the 2016-17 campaign.
Defenseman Klas Dahlbeck was recalled from his conditioning stint on Sunday after playing six games with the Checkers.
CANESPR NOTES: Brett Pesce skated in his 100th career NHL game on Saturday and recorded his seventh assist of the season in the first period. … The Hurricanes' penalty kill ranks first in the league at 91.3 percent and additionally they've scored four shorthanded goals.
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