Gameday: Penguins vs. Hurricanes

Time to get back to work.
This is the gameday hub, where you can find all the latest news and information you need to know for tonight's Homegrown Series match-up between the Pittsburgh Penguins 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.
As always, we'll be rinkside at PNC Arena for the Hurricanes' 10:30 a.m. morning skate.
Last updated: 7:10 p.m.

STAAL OUT, WALLMARK RECALLED
7:10 p.m.
Jordan Staal will miss tonight's game due to family/personal reasons, the Hurricanes announced this evening. Lucas Wallmark has been recalled from Charlotte and is expected to join the team in Raleigh, but he likely won't dress for tonight's game.
Justin Williams is wearing an "A" on his sweater in Staal's absence, and here's how the forward lines will shake out. The rest of the lineup remains as seen this morning.
Aho-Lindholm-Teravainen
McGinn-Rask-Williams
Skinner-Ryan-Stempniak
Nordstrom-Jooris-Di Giuseppe
The puck drops at PNC Arena in 30 minutes!
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA TOOLS TO VICTORY
6:30 p.m.
TV's Mike Maniscalco, who finds himself on the IR tonight with an illness, sets the table for Pens-Canes with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina three Tools to Victory.

IN THE ROOM: FAULK & HANIFIN
1:35 p.m.
Hear from defensemen Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin, who spoke after today's morning skate.

IN THE ROOM: BILL PETERS
12:00 p.m.
Head coach Bill Peters met with the media after his team's morning skate today. Here are some highlights of what he had to say.
On getting back into game action after four days: "I think the guys looked sharp here today and excited. Rare to get four days and rare to have both teams with four days in between games this time of year. It's also good and refreshing. I think it gives you a chance to get away, get your mind sharp and wrap your head around what you have to do."
On tonight's opponent: "It's fun when you play them. They're really playing well right now and are scoring lots of goals."
On being asked about the playoff race: "It's fun. I'd rather be getting asked about it than getting buried. If you're buried, nobody asks about it. It's a great challenge. It's a great opportunity for our group, and our group is excited. We're more excited about playing than anything. It's in our own hands."
On Monday's trade deadline: "If we do anything, I want to add to the group. I don't want to delete the group. If the group is the way it is, I think we can get in. I strongly believe we'll be able to get in with what we have in the room. If they're able to add to the group, that's great too. Either way, we're going to continue on."

CANES LINES: MORNING SKATE
10:35 a.m.
The Hurricanes will utilize the same forward lines and defensive pairs as seen in practice yesterday.
Aho-Staal-Teravainen
McGinn-Rask-Williams
Skinner-Lindholm-Stempniak
Nordstrom-Ryan-Di Giuseppe
Slavin-Pesce
Fleury-Faulk
Hanifin-van Riemsdyk
Ward
Darling
Josh Jooris, recalled yesterday, and Klas Dahlbeck look to be the healthy extras.
We'll go inside the room after the skate.

CANES CLOSE OUT SEASON SERIES AGAINST PENS
12:00 a.m.
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Carolina Hurricanes were set to begin an eight-game homestand, which anchored a stretch in which the team played 11 of 12 games at home.
That sequence ends on Friday night when the Hurricanes host the Pittsburgh Penguins, which also brings to a close a three-game homestand and a set of four consecutive games against Metropolitan Division opponents. Since All-Star Weekend, the Canes have compiled a 5-4-2 record.
On Friday, the Hurricanes will be seeking their first win in over a week; the team is 0-2-1 in its last three games and has scored just four goals in that stretch compared to the 14 it scored in a three-game winning streak just prior.
"We've got to score. We're not just simply focused on Pitt; in our final 22 games, we've got to find a way to score more," head coach Bill Peters said. "We're generating high-danger chances and quality chances. We're at the paint getting seconds, but we've got to find a way to finish those off. It seems like the nights they go in, they go in easy for us. Then other nights it's a bit of a battle."
With 22 games remaining in the regular season, the Hurricanes find themselves right in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The team remains just a point out of the second wild card spot.
"We've got to get in. That's the way I look at it. I don't look back. What's that going to get me?" Peters said. "There are 44 points available. Let's get as many of those as we can."
Pittsburgh comes into Friday's game having won five straight games and seven of nine games in February (7-1-1), which has helped the club surge into second place in the Metropolitan Division. Like the Canes, the Pens have been idle since Sunday.
The Hurricanes claimed victory in the first two games of this four-game season series with a 2-1 win in Raleigh on Dec. 29 and a 4-0 win in Pittsburgh on Jan. 4. The Pens then took a 3-1 decision on Jan. 23, which leads into this fourth and final game between the two divisional opponents.
The Hurricanes recalled Josh Jooris from Charlotte on Thursday evening, but there's no definitive word yet on if he'll be in the lineup. A starting netminder has also yet to be named, though Peters said he planned on using both Cam Ward and Scott Darling in the back-to-back set that concludes in Detroit on Saturday.
CANESPR NOTES: Jaccob Slavin is one game shy of playing 200 consecutive games for the Hurricanes, a streak that began on Dec. 5, 2015. He would become the fifth player in franchise history to record a consecutive games-played streak of 200 games or more. … The Canes are 9-3-0 in the first half of back-to-back games this season.
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