Bruins at Hurricanes
One day after wasting a golden opportunity to move closer to a postseason berth, the Carolina Hurricanes get another chance when they host the Boston Bruins on Friday. Carolina dropped a 3-1 road decision to last-place Toronto on Thursday to remain two points behind idle Pittsburgh for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Hurricanes have played very well at home of late, earning at least one point in seven of their last eight games at PNC Arena (6-1-1). Boston is in a fight of its own for a playoff spot as it sits in third place in the Atlantic, one point ahead of wild card-leading — and division-rival — Detroit and four in front of the Penguins. The Bruins are unlikely to be intimidated by the Hurricanes' recent home success, as they have won eight of their last 10 on the road. All three contests between Boston and Carolina last season were 2-1 decisions, with the Bruins going 2-0-1.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVA, NESN (Boston), FSN Carolinas
ABOUT THE BRUINS (33-22-6): Boston believes its current stretch of 18 games in 33 days, with no more than one day off between contests, is the perfect preparation for the postseason should it qualify. "When you're in the playoffs, you're playing a seven-game series, you're playing every second night, so we have to be ready to face those kind of issues, and so that's what our challenge is right now," coach Claude Julien told the team's website. "It's up to (the coaching staff) to give them the days off that they need right now in between." Loui Eriksson is second on the team with 23 goals, scoring seven in his last eight games.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (28-24-10): Brad Malone has not played since Jan. 24 and could be a former member of the team by game time as he was placed on waivers Thursday. The 26-year-old center has recorded two goals and three assists in 37 games this season. Carolina also could be without Andrej Nestrasil (lower body) and Jay McClement (upper body), both of whom were injured in Thursday's contest.
OVERTIME
1. Bruins C Patrice Bergeron needs one power-play goal to reach double digits for the third time in his career and first since scoring a personal-best 14 in 2006-07.
2. Carolina C Jordan Staal, who leads the team in scoring (39 points), had his six-game point streak halted Thursday but has collected six goals and 11 assists in his last 15 contests.
3. Boston is 3-for-3 on penalty shots this season, with C Brad Marchand recording two of the goals.