Hurricanes at Senators
The Carolina Hurricanes attempt to complete a sweep of the three-game season series when they visit the Ottawa Senators on Monday. Carolina skated to a 4-1 triumph over Ottawa on Nov. 24 and posted a 6-3 victory on Jan. 25 - both at home. Captain Eric Staal and Manny Malhotra each have recorded two goals and two assists for the Hurricanes, while Kyle Turris tallied twice for the Senators.
Ottawa looks to remain perfect on its five-game homestand as it continues its improbable charge toward a postseason berth. The Senators have outscored their opponents 11-6 over the first two games of the home stretch, topping Chicago on Friday before defeating Calgary two days later. Ottawa is two points ahead of Carolina but trails Columbus by six for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN (Carolina), RSN Ontario, TVA (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (32-32-10): Andrei Loktionov appears to be getting comfortable with his new club. The 23-year-old Russian, who is with his third organization since being selected by Los Angeles in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, has collected six points in 12 games since being acquired from New Jersey - including two goals and two assists in his last three contests. Jeff Skinner is riding a three-game goal-scoring streak and is two tallies away from matching his career high set during his 2010-11 rookie campaign.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (31-29-14): Turris snapped a three-way tie for the team lead in goals, scoring a pair against Calgary to raise his career-high total to 25. The 24-year-old, who leads Clarke MacArthur by one tally and Bobby Ryan by two, has collected four goals and three assists during his four-game point streak. Ottawa has earned at least one point in four straight contests (3-0-1) following a six-game winless stretch (0-4-2).
OVERTIME
1. Turris' two-goal performance on Sunday was his second of the season. He also scored twice on Jan. 25 at Carolina.
2. Staal has scored just one goal in his last 15 games and 17 on the season - his lowest total since netting 11 as a rookie in 2003-04.
3. Ottawa captain Jason Spezza has tallied just once in his last eight contests.