Gameday: Canadiens vs. Hurricanes

Happy hockey holidays!
This is the gameday hub, where you can find all the latest news and information you need to know for tonight's match-up featuring the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes. Make Hurricanes.com a regular stop throughout the day, as we update this hub with notes, videos, photos and more as puck drop draws near.
Following the three-day holiday break, the Hurricanes will return to the ice at PNC Arena for a 10:30 a.m. morning skate, and we'll have your updates then.
Last updated: 3:50 p.m.

BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA TOOLS TO VICTORY
3:50 p.m.
TV's Mike Maniscalco presents tonight's Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina three Tools to Victory.

IN THE ROOM: WILLIAMS & RYAN
2:50 p.m.
Forwards Justin Williams and Derek Ryan spoke after the morning skate.

IN THE ROOM: BILL PETERS
1:55 p.m.
Head coach Bill Peters spoke with the media following his team's morning skate. Here are the highlights, and the full availability can be seen below.
On the first game after a three-day break: "The guys should be energized and ready to go. You always worry about [the start] a little bit, but everyone is in the same boat. We'll put our best foot forward."
On what's allowed the Canes to win five of their last six games: "Just more competitive in all three zones and more competitive up and down the lineup."
On Jordan Staal's 800th game: "He's had a good career, obviously. ... A good career to this point and lots of things left to be accomplished."
On having Staal as a leader in the room: "He's been excellent. He leads by example on the ice, which is obviously what you want. He's probably not the most vocal guy in the world, but his leadership by example is very important for us. He's a guy we can match up and play against anybody in the league at any time."
On Cam Ward's third straight start: "Right now we're playing our best lineup. That is with Cam in net. And right now the way Klas Dahlbeck is playing on the back end, giving us some physicality and some solid minutes, he deserves to be in. 5-2-1 with Dahly in the lineup, and we've won our last three he's played in. ... If guys are playing well, they're staying in."

STAAL SET FOR 800
12:20 p.m.
Jordan Staal will play in his 800th career NHL game tonight, and 369 of those games will have been played in a Hurricanes sweater.
"It's an accomplishment that I'm proud of. I want to keep playing," he said after the morning skate. "I'm blessed to play as long as I can with a family around me. It's been a lot of fun."
Now in his 12th NHL season, Staal still is just 29 years old. That makes him somewhat of an elder in what is a young Canes locker room, but 800 games could just be the beginning for someone his age.
"I hope so. I was fortunate enough to start as early as I did and play as long as I have," he said. "I'm enjoying the ups and downs of being an NHL hockey player, and hopefully there's more ups to be had."

CANES LINES: MORNING SKATE
10:30 a.m.
Based on lines in the morning skate, it looks as if the Hurricanes will stick with what has worked as of late.
Aho-Staal-Teravainen
Skinner-Rask-Lindholm
McGinn-Ryan-Williams
Nordstrom-Kruger-Di Giuseppe
Slavin-Pesce
Dahlbeck-Faulk
Hanifin-van Riemsdyk
Ward
Darling
We'll go in the room after the skate!

CANES RETURN TO ACTION AGAINST CANADIENS
12:00 a.m.
Three games remain in the 2017 calendar year for the Carolina Hurricanes, who return from the three-day holiday break on Wednesday to host the Montreal Canadiens.
The Hurricanes skated in to the break with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, the team's fifth win in their last six games. Justin Faulk netted two goals, and Cam Ward notched his second straight victory, his seventh win in his last nine appearances.
"It was a big win for the group," Faulk said after the game on Saturday. "We are happy with our play as of late, and hopefully we can keep it going when we get back."
"We've got a great group of guys here, and it's fun coming to the rink and competing with one another. I've been real impressed with our last stretch of games and the way we've been playing, and hopefully we can continue that," Ward said. "The leaders lead. We still have a very young team, but you've got guys like Justin Williams who competes every shift and is a voice in this dressing room to make sure guys are on their toes. The same with Justin and Jordan. All those guys are stepping up. We want to climb up the standings."
After playing nine of their first 11 games in December on the road, the Hurricanes end the month with three of four at home. Wednesday's match-up against the Canadiens, the first of three meetings between the teams this season, is the second of three straight at PNC Arena, where the Hurricanes currently boast a four-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens began December with five straight home games (2-2-1). The latter half of the month features seven straight road games, Wednesday's meeting with the Canes marking the fifth in that stretch (2-2-0). At 16-16-4 with 36 points, the Habs currently trail the Canes by three points in the standings.
CANESPR NOTES: Jordan Staal is one game shy of 800 career NHL games played. … Elias Lindholm has won 21 of 26 faceoffs (80.8 percent) in his last four games. The Canes rank first in the league in faceoff win percentage (52.9 percent) this season.
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