Hurricanes at Bruins
The Boston Bruins have recorded points in each of their last seven home games (5-0-2) while the Carolina Hurricanes are winless in their last five road contests. The Hurricanes look to buck those trends on Saturday afternoon when the teams meet for the second time in six days. Boston, which skated to a 4-1 road triumph over Carolina on Monday, is coming off a hard-fought, 3-2 shootout loss to St. Louis on Thursday.
The Hurricanes saw their losing streak reach three games after a 4-3 setback to Detroit on Thursday. While the scoreboard hasn't been kind, Carolina has been bolstered by the returns of goaltender Cam Ward and Jeff Skinner. Ward, however, struggled in Monday's loss to the Bruins while Skinner came back from an 11-game absence due to an upper-body injury to log nearly 18 minutes of ice time.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NHL Network, SS (Carolina), NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (8-10-4): Elias Lindholm, the fifth overall pick of the 2013 draft, was recalled from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Friday. The 18-year-old collected a goal and two assists in six games prior to being sent to the Checkers on Nov. 6. Lindholm skated on the team's top power-play unit in Friday's practice while joining Skinner and Radek Dvorak in even-strength drills.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (14-6-2): Defenseman Adam McQuaid practiced on Friday and is inching toward a return from an undisclosed core injury, although even he wasn't too optimistic on his availability to face the Hurricanes. "I'm getting there. Again, today was better than yesterday and I got into some game-like situations, some down-low play," McQuaid told the Boston Herald. "I'm happy with each day's progression and we'll see what (Saturday) brings." With fellow blue-liner Dennis Seidenberg (lower-body) sidelined, Kevan Miller made his NHL debut versus St. Louis.
OVERTIME
1. Boston has killed off all but one of its last 35 short-handed situations, while Carolina has scored once in its last 25 power-play opportunities.
2. Hurricanes captain Eric Staal has collected two goals and two assists during a four-game point streak.
3. The Bruins' celebrated "Merlot Line" - Shawn Thornton, Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille - has combined for three goals and two assists in the last two contests.