Gameday: Islanders vs. Hurricanes

"It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday."
This is the gameday hub, where you can find all the latest news and information you need to know for tonight's Metropolitan Division match-up between the New York Islanders 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.
On the second half of a back-to-back with travel, the Hurricanes will not hold a morning skate. We'll speak with head coach Bill Peters in the early evening to get the latest.
Last updated: 7:05 p.m.

CANES LINES: WARM-UPS
7:05 p.m.
A few adjustments to the forward lines and defensive pairings, but nothing we haven't seen before. Klas Dahlbeck draws in, and Haydn Fleury will sit out.
Aho-Staal-Teravainen
McGinn-Ryan-Williams
Skinner-Lindholm-Di Giuseppe
Nordstrom-Rask-Stempniak
Slavin-Pesce
Dahlbeck-Faulk
Hanifin-van Riemsdyk
Ward
Darling
Puck drop in Raleigh happens in 30 minutes!

IN THE ROOM: BILL PETERS
5:50 p.m.
Klas Dahlbeck will draw in to the Hurricanes' lineup tonight, according to head coach Bill Peters. He didn't specify who would come out, but recent lineups would indicate it'd likely be Haydn Fleury.
"We've got some guys banged up on the back-end, so they're all going to warm up and then we'll make a decision," Peters said.
Prepare yourselves: Sebastian Aho vs. Sebastian Aho is happening tonight. Aho, the Islanders rookie defenseman, is dressing for the opposition and will face the Canes' forward of the same name for the first time in their careers.
"Is their guy going to play? Our guy's playing, I'll tell you that," Peters joked.
The Hurricanes will be looking to rebound from a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. The Canes remain in playoff position, but the Islanders trail a wild card spot by just a point.
"They were a step quicker. We didn't execute good enough," Peters said of last night's result. "[We need] better execution with the puck. We wore ourselves out by turning it over a bit and couldn't get through the neutral zone."
We'll relay the full Hurricanes lineup from press row shortly after 7 p.m.
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA TOOLS TO VICTORY
3:15 p.m.
TV's Mike Maniscalco sets the table with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina three Tools to Victory.

CANES HEAD BACK HOME TO HOST ISLANDERS
2:00 a.m.
After a quick stop in New Jersey, the Carolina Hurricanes head back home for a three-game homestand that features all Metropolitan Division opponents, beginning with Friday's match-up against the New York Islanders.
With their moms in tow, the Hurricanes dropped a 5-2 decision to the Devils on Thursday night in New Jersey, the first of four meetings between the two teams currently occupying the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference.
Despite the loss, the Hurricanes remain above the playoff cut line but the Islanders are just a point behind, nipping at their feet. So, just as Thursday's game was a pivotal match-up, Friday's is perhaps even more so - and that's going to be the dominant storyline down the stretch run of the season.
"Everyone knows where we're at and who we're fighting for a spot with. The good thing is we've got a chance to rise to the challenge," said Jeff Skinner, who has scored four goals in his last three games. "We've got another opportunity tomorrow and a few more games against these guys. It will be a good challenge for us."
"Every game is tighter. Every point seems like it matters a little bit more," Justin Faulk said. "With the position we're in and a lot of the teams we're playing right now, everyone is scratching and clawing trying to get any traction they can to string together some wins and make the jump."
While the Hurricanes have surged in the standings at 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, the Islanders have faltered a bit at 4-5-1 in the same stretch. Not too far from Newark, N.J., on Thursday night, the Islanders shut out the New York Rangers 3-0 in Brooklyn to cap a four-game homestand (2-2-0).
The Hurricanes and Islanders have split the first two games of their season series. The Islanders claimed a 6-4 win in Brooklyn on Nov. 16, and the Canes snagged two points in a 4-2 victory just three days later in Raleigh. The two teams have combined for 56 goals in their last seven meetings.
In the second half of a back-to-back, expect to see Cam Ward in net for the Hurricanes. Ward has posted a 1.66 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage in his last six games and is 5-1-1 in his last seven starts.
CANESPR NOTES: Skinner's 199th career goal on Thursday in New Jersey leapfrogged him over Jeff O'Neill (198) for fifth place on Carolina's all-time goals list. Skinner is aiming to become the second player from the 2010 NHL Draft class to reach the 200-goal milestone. … The Canes are 23-8-7 against the Islanders dating back to the start of the 2008-09 season and are 7-3-2 against them in their last 12 games.
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