Hurricanes at Blue Jackets
The Carolina Hurricanes recorded their first two victories of the season over the weekend and look to build on that when they visit the reeling Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. “Winning is contagious,” Carolina forward Chris Terry told the Raleigh News & Observer after a 3-2 triumph over defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles on Sunday. “We got a taste of it (Saturday) night. … There’s a lot better mood around the room, and I think that carried over into today's game." Injuries have caught up with Columbus, which has dropped five straight games.
The Blue Jackets have allowed 25 goals in the last six contests - the last three without Sergei Bobrovsky, who is out with a fractured finger. Columbus likely will get forwards Boone Jenner and Matt Calvert back from injuries Tuesday. Cam Ward allowed a total of two goals in the victories over Arizona and Los Angeles and is expected to be back in net against Carolina.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Carolinas, FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (2-6-2): Alexander Semin sat out the last two games as a healthy scratch but reportedly skated with captain Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty at practice Monday and could return the lineup. Tlusty leads the team with eight points, while Terry and Riley Nash have contributed seven apiece. Elias Lindholm, the fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, has registered three goals and an assist in his last two games after going without a point in the previous seven.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (4-7-0): Columbus has given up too many goals of late, but the offense hasn’t exactly been producing, registering only eight tallies during its losing streak. The return of Jenner, who collected 16 goals and 13 assists as a rookie in 2013-14 before suffering a broken hand during the preseason, could help at both ends of the ice. The Blue Jackets already are without one of their top defensemen in James Wisniewski (finger), and fellow blue-liner Cody Goloubef is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus C Ryan Johansen has gone five games without a goal after scoring five in the first six contests of the season.
2. Carolina (0-5-1) is one of three teams in the league, along with Edmonton (0-2-1) and Los Angeles (0-3-2), without a road victory.
3. Blue Jackets G Curtis McElhinney, who gave up nine goals on 61 shots in his last two contests, is expected to get the start Tuesday.