Game Preview: Calgary Flames at Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are back tonight with another home game against the Calgary Flames at 5 PM in the Lenovo Center with a chance at the top spot in the Metropolitan Division.

Friday’s 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets was a get-right game for the Canes, who before that had only won two of their last six. Seth Jarvis led the way with a hat trick, which puts him at 15 goals on the season.

Even with the recent struggles and injuries, Carolina sits just one point behind the New Jersey Devils for the top spot in the Metro. With the Devils losing to the Philadelphia Flyers last night, the Canes have a chance to take over as the top team in the division with a win tonight.

And that shouldn’t be too difficult against a Flames team that has the second-lowest points total in the NHL this season. The Flames have won four out of their last five, but still, it’s clear that Calgary is currently in the middle of a rebuild, allowing the perfect opportunity for the Canes to build some momentum and establish their first winning streak since their four game winning streak that spanned Nov. 4-Nov. 9.

The Flames are led offensively by Nazem Kadri, who, still at the age 35, is putting up solid numbers with a team-leading 21 points in 26 games this season. Rasmus Andersson highlights the defensive core, with 18 points in 26 games — a strong point total for a defenseman on a struggling team.

There’s not much else to say about Calgary outside of those two in terms of production from skaters.

Dustin Wolf, who led an impressive rookie goaltending campaign last year with a .910 save percentage and 2.81 GAA, has struggled so far to start the season. Wolf has a .890 save percentage this year to go along with a 3.33 GAA, a big drop off in terms of numbers. But with little support in front of him, it’s unclear how much of the blame should fall on the 24-year old goalie’s shoulders.

Backup Devin Cooley got the start in Calgary’s 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Friday, saving 37 of 40 shots. Cooley, in nine starts, has a .930 save percentage and 2.01 GAA. The Flames are still projected to have Wolf in net tonight, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they roll with the hot hand in Cooley.

For the Canes lineup tonight, there’s a solid chance Jordan Staal suits up tonight for the first time since Nov. 21.

All the rest should be about the same from Friday’s lineup against the Jets, including goaltender Brandon Bussi who could get the nod in net for the second straight game. In the win two days ago, Bussi stopped 12 of 13 shots that came his way.

This season, Bussi has posted a .899 save percentage and 2.57 GAA, winning six of his seven starts.

As the lineup starts to get healthier and find the same rhythm from early in the season, tonight’s game is a prime opportunity for the Canes to build some momentum and reclaim the throne on top of the Metro standings.

Here’s how to catch all the action tonight if you won’t be at the game:

Time: 5 PM ET

Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC

Streaming: FanDuel Sports App, the ESPN app for out-of-market coverage

Radio: 99.9 The Fan FM

Line: ML: CAR -255; PL: -1.5 -105