Canadiens at Hurricanes
If the Carolina Hurricanes wind up in the playoffs, they may very well point to a dramatic 6-5 win at Montreal in the final game before the All-Star break as one of the season's pivotal moments. The Hurricanes go for their third consecutive victory as they play the second contest of an eight-game homestand against the visiting Canadiens on Thursday night.
Carolina is stuck in the basement of the Metropolitan Division but sits just four points out of third place after opening the homestand with a 2-1 win over Ottawa on Tuesday. "Everyone is aware of where we are in the standings and in the season," Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner said. "You have an opportunity at home to pick up some points. It's big at any point of the season, but obviously for us right now it's huge." Montreal erased three separate deficits before falling to Carolina before the break and returned from the hiatus with a 3-1 loss at St. Louis to drop into 14th place in the Eastern Conference. "Even when we play pretty decent, it seems like it's just not enough," Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty said. "We have to figure out how and why that's happening and find ways to win."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal), FS Southeast (Carolina)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (20-24-6): Goaltender Carey Price owns the highest goals-against average of his career (3.00) and, despite a solid 28-save performance at St. Louis, he fell to 4-11-0 with a 3.31 GAA in 15 road starts. With Paul Byron taking a therapy day, Charles Hudon centered Montreal's top line at missing Wednesday's practice. Hudon has registered three goals and an assist over the past two games, including a three-point effort against the Hurricanes, after failing to score in the previous 18 games.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (23-19-8): Sebastian Aho missed four games after suffering a concussion and lower-body injury versus Calgary on Jan. 14, but he returned to the lineup with a flourish against Ottawa. Aho sparked the third-period comeback by netting the tying tally, his seventh goal in the past seven games and his team-high 17th. "He wanted to play. He wants to be an impact player and we need him out there," Carolina netminder Cam Ward said. "Obviously as a team we were excited that he's back."
OVERTIME
1. Ward is 19-12-4 with a 2.70 goals-against average versus Montreal.
2. Pacioretty has eight goals in his last 10 games overall and 13 in 25 career meetings against Carolina.
3. Carolina has scored eight power-play goals and allowed six in the past six games.