Notebook: Canes Head West for Weeklong Road Trip

Go west, young Canes.
High in the sky above the heartland of America, the Carolina Hurricanes are making their way west to begin a four-game road trip.
The weeklong roadie will take the team through Arizona, Vegas, St. Louis and Chicago, the prelude to a season-long, six-game homestand that will then stretch two weeks.
"We need to come up with some wins on this road trip. We know that," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said after a Thursday morning practice in Raleigh. "As far as where we stand after that, obviously we want to be in better shape than we are now."

Sparking the Offense
Sebastian Aho and his linemates, Micheal Ferland and Teuvo Teravainen, are driving the Hurricanes' offense, a group that broke through twice on the power play but was unable to score at even strength in a 3-2 loss to Boston on Tuesday.
"Every team has a line … and that's our line," Brind'Amour said. "[Aho] is our special player. It's not a secret now."

It's certainly no longer a secret, considering Aho's historic October run. The 21-year-old Finnish center - even more impressive considering that just this season, he pivoted to his natural position in the middle in the NHL - leads the Canes in scoring with 17 points (4g, 13a), and he's found the scoresheet in each of the first 12 games of the season to etch his name into franchise and league history.
Aho now owns the franchise records for the longest season-opening point streak and the longest assist streak at any point in the season. He has also tied an NHL record, becoming just the third player in league history to record an assist in each of his team's first 12 games of a season, joining Wayne Gretzky (1982-83 with EDM) and Ken Linseman (1985-86 with BOS).
"There's another level to his game, too, believe it or not," Brind'Amour said.
Changes Ahead?
Now, the Canes need their other three forward lines to find the next level.
The coaching staff didn't tinker with the combinations in practice on Thursday, but things could be different in the back-to-back this weekend.
"That's all we've thought about for two days. That's the easy thing to do, for sure," Brind'Amour said about juggling the lines. "Goals don't come before the chances; chances come before the goals. If you're getting chances, it's tough to say let's change it up. I don't know what more you can do other than put it in the net."

Defensively, the Canes have an additional option - more on that below - and in net, the team is content taking three goaltenders on the road.
"We've got three good options," Brind'Amour said. "That's the way I look at it."
Scott Darling made his 2018-19 regular-season debut on Tuesday and made 28 saves on 31 shots.
"I liked Darls' game. I thought, for being out as long as he had and coming back, I think he was fine. He made some huge saves for us," Brind'Amour said. "He took a big step forward, as far as I'm concerned."
Di Giuseppe Sent to Charlotte, Fleury Rejoins Canes
The Hurricanes swapped players with Charlotte prior to the road trip,
recalling defenseman Haydn Fleury
and
assigning forward Phil Di Giuseppe
. Di Giuseppe, who cleared waivers two weeks ago, will see ample playing time with the Checkers after dressing in just two of the Canes' first 12 games of the season.
The recall of Fleury gives the Canes seven healthy defensemen to take on this road trip.
"That was the plan originally, just to get him some action," Brind'Amour said. "He's one of our seven D we have that we know we can throw in. Fortunately, we haven't had any injuries, so we haven't had to shake it up, but I'm sure there's a good chance he could get some action."
For Fleury, who had skated in just one game with the Canes before his assignment, the playing time allowed him to refocus his game.
"It was good. Probably much needed," he said. "The more games I sat out up here, the less ready I would be if I got my chance to play. After the first game, I got my act together. I think the first game I was probably pouting a little bit. After that, it was good."
Fleury tallied an assist in four games with the Checkers, who have started the season with an Eastern Conference-leading 8-1 record.
"They've got a really good team down there. A lot of good player," he said. "As you can see, guys have stepped in and played up here."
Fleury now returns for this road trip with a refreshed mindset.
"Work hard. Work hard every day. Do my job. Get extra work in on the ice with Dean (Chynoweth)," he said. "Just staying ready mentally is probably the biggest thing. It can be taxing sitting out, and you can get out of the mental side of the game. Staying ready. Watching the games, watching the details. When I get my chance, just make the most of it."