Eric Staal has sustained only a third-degree, right-knee sprain of his MCL that will not require surgery.
The MRI results are in and the news is as good as the Hurricanes could have hoped for. Staal will need three months to rehabilitate the injury but will not need to go under the knife. If all goes well, Staal should be good to go once training camp opens in September. All Staal owners in keeper leagues can exhale now.

There is no word yet on the results of Eric Staal's MRI.
He is undergoing the imaging on his knee sometime Saturday in Raleigh. The Canes and Staal's owners have their fingers crossed. The hope is that he has a severe sprain and not a torn ligament as a result of his knee-on-knee collision with Alexander Edler at the IIHF World Championships.

Eric Staal will return to Raleigh on Friday to he'll undergo an MRI on Saturday.
He suffered an apparent knee injury Thursday while representing Canada at the IIHF World Championship. Staal was the victim of a knee-to-knee hit from Sweden's Alexander Edler in the quarterfinals of the tournament and he appeared to be in serious pain.

Eric Staal suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in Canada's quarterfinal shootout loss to Sweden at the IIHF World Championships.
He received a knee-on-knee hit from Alexander Edler, who was assessed a major for kneeing, with 4:14 left in the first period. Staal wasn't able to put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the ice. "It's unfortunate and hopefully it's not too serious," Carolina GM Jim Rutherford said. "If it is serious, hopefully there will be enough recovery time for him to be ready for next season. We'll just hope for the best." He will have an MRI exam in Stockholm from NHL doctors.

The Hurricanes are the first team in North Carolina to support gay and lesbian inclusivity.
"People's right to choose whatever in their lives is important. It's important enough for the Hurricanes to support it," Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said. "For people to have to carry certain things around in their life and not feel comfortable sharing it with other people, to me it isn't right. "You don't have to agree with everybody with what they do in their life, their different choices in their life. But everybody has that right." Canes winger Kevin Westgarth hopes the NHL "can become a beacon for other sports," as the NHL and NHLPA partnered with You Can Play in April.

Justin Faulk is playing standout hockey for the United States at the IIHF World Championships in Sweden and Finalnd.
The Hurriances' defenseman has registered four assists in four games and is playing heavy minutes in all game situations. We have long been touting Faulk as a player to watch. He is now a player to draft. Don' wait until too late to select him in your pools next season.

Eric Staal will represent Team Canada at the upcoming world championship and he's hoping that his appearance in the tournament will help his chances of earning a roster spot at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
"I want to make sure I'm still on the radar," said Staal, who will be playing in his first IIHF World Hockey Championships since 2008. "Any time you get a chance to represent your country, you take advantage of that. The fact I haven't played further into the spring in a few years also played into it." Carolina teammates Jordan Staal, Jeff Skinner and Jay Harrison will join him on Canada's roster.

The Carolina Hurricanes will enter the 2013 NHL Entry Draft with the fifth overall selection.
The Canes had just an 8.1 percent chance of winning Monday night's lottery, but they ended up retaining the No. 5 pick.

Jiri Tlusty will skate for the Czech Republic at the world championship.
He finished in a fifth-place tie among all players with 23 goals in 48 games during the lockout-shortened campaign. Tlusty set a new career-high with his goal total and he reached a personal best with 38 points and a plus-15 rating as well. He played very well alongside Eric Staal and Alexander Semin and the three of them will be counted on again for offense in 2013-14.

Cam Ward doesn't think his knee injury was the reason for Carolina's No. 26 finish in the league's overall standings.
"There's other areas where we just weren't good enough," Ward said. "I guess it was bad timing but you had Justin Faulk go down, you had Joni (Pitkanen) go down, you can go down the list. At the end of the day it wasn't good enough." He appeared in 17 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury on March 3rd. Dan Ellis and Justin Peters started 16 games apiece in 2013, but as expected none of them was able to match the numbers that Ward put up during his 16 starts.

Dan Ellis may be permitted to test the waters as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Justin Peters has a one-way contract entering next season, so he probably has an inside track on the team's backup goalie duties.

Chad LaRose is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
All 508 games he has played in his career have come with Carolina, but there's a chance that the team may not retain his services. He recorded two goals and two assists in 35 games this year.

Jamie McBain will continue playing hockey this spring at the world championship with Team USA.
He will skate with Carolina teammate Justin Faulk on the blueline of the United States next month.

Jay Harrison has been added to Team Canada's roster for the upcoming world championship.
He was said to be suffering from a concussion at the end of the regular season. Maybe his status will be determined just before the tournament begins in May. If he is healthy and ready to play then he will join fellow Hurricanes Eric Staal, Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner in Canada's lineup.

Former Penguins forward Jordan Staal got a standing ovation from the fans in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
"It was nice," Staal said. "I have good memories in this building and in this city and I appreciate that from the fans." Of course, it's easy for Penguins fans to swallow Staal's decision to turn down a contract with the Penguins and then be traded to Carolina. As good as Staal is, the Penguins haven't missed a beat without him and are certainly in a better cap position than they would have been had he re-signed. The Penguins have the top seed in the Eastern Conference while Carolina finished 13th in the conference.

Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller was diplomatic after his team suffered an 8-3 loss to Pittsburgh in its season finale.
Carolina had already long since been eliminated from the playoffs. "There's only going to be one real happy team this year, like every year," Muller said. "It's been an emotional ride and such a Jekyll and Hyde season for us. With all the injuries it has been a tough grind for these guys. Despite the score, I'm proud of the way the guys pushed to the end. They'll learn from it and it will make them better next year." The Hurricanes certainly have some great players, but they need to try and build around them by adding some complimentary players this summer. Among other things, they might want to look at a stronger backup goaltender for Cam Ward (knee), whose absence was certainly felt.

Joe Corvo returned to action on Saturday April 27.

Tim Brent returned to action on Saturday April 27.

Justin Peters gave up eight goals in Carolina's 8-3 loss to the Penguins on Saturday night.
Ouch. This is a start that underscores Hurricanes' biggest problem this year -- keeping the puck out of the net. Cam Ward's injury certainly didn't help matters, but it's clear that Carolina needs to be tougher in the defensive zone. The Hurricanes finishes the season with a minus-32 goal differential.

Kevin Westgarth potted two goals for the Hurricanes as they were blasted by the Penguins 8-3 on Saturday night.
The goals were his first of the season. Tuomo Ruutu registered the other goal, while Eric Staal had two helpers.

Jay Harrison is dealing with a concussion.
Harrison had already been ruled out of the season finale. He's got all summer to recover, but it's hard to put a timetable on concussions, so we can't really say if he'll be fine for the start of 2013-14 or not.

Joe Corvo was not on the ice during the Hurricanes Saturday morning skate.
He has been nursing an undisclosed injury and perhaps is not recovered enough to play. The Canes only had five defenseman during the morning scrimmage so if Corvo can't go they will have to call someone up on an emergency basis.

Updating an earlier item, it looks as if Justin Peters will get the start against the Penguins Saturday night.
We had previously speculated it would be Dan Ellis. Adjust your goaltending rotation accordingly.

Dan Ellis is the likely starter for Saturday night's season finale against the Penguins.
Nothing official yet, but if we had to bet we would put our money on Ellis.

Justin Faulk was named as the Hurricanes' Most Valuable Player this season by the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association
That is quite the honor. We have long been touting Faulk as a prospect to keep an eye on. It seems he is finally beginning to get widespread recognition amongst the hockey community. Faulk, who has registered 15 points in 37 games this campaign, will make a nice sleeper pick at draft tables next season.

Eric Staal has been nominated by his teammates for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
It is awarded anually to the NHL player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy contribution in his community. Not surprisingly, Staal has been selected by his teammates as their nominee for the award three times.

Joe Corvo (undisclosed) didn't play Thursday, but Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford thinks he could play in Saturday's finale.
All Rutherford said regarding the injury was that it was "nagging." Corvo has 17 points in 39 games this year.

Jay Harrison (face) won't play in the season finale on Saturday.
He took a puck to the face against the Rangers. The rearguard had 10 points this season.

Tuomo Ruuto will have surgery on his hip this offseason.
Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said it had been planned and that he will be back for training camp. Ruutu had his first hip surgery in December. In 16 games, he has eight points.

Dan Ellis took the glass-half-full approach with his team's latest overtime loss.
Carolina was down 2-0 after the first period against the Rangers, then tied it in the second and took the lead early in the third. A bad bounce allowed the Rangers to tie it, and a perfect shot from Ryan Callahan sent the Rangers home winners. "We stuck with them," Ellis said. "That's a team that's going to the playoffs and will make a good push. We've got some banged up bodies and are missing some guys but we really worked hard. Tonight, they got a bounce off the boards to tie it up, just one of those freak bounces. And (Callahan) just sneaks it under the bar. I was just off my angle and it was just off my jersey. But we competed hard as a team."

The Hurricanes started the game with all three of their Staal brothers on the same line Thursday night against the Rangers.
Pretty cool. They were the fourth trio of brothers in NHL to play in the same game. Jared Staal was making his NHL debut, and he played 12:16 with a shot on goal. "It was even more than I thought it would be, a lot of fun," Jared Staal said. "I didn't feel that out of place. I had a blast."

Dan Ellis was beaten four times on 38 shots Thursday as Carolina dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Rangers.
Ellis has done as much as can be expected with Cam Ward injured, but the difference between the two netminders is very noticeable. You'll have the opportunity to start Ellis once more if you're in desperate need of goaltending.

Jiri Tlusty scored a pair of goals for the Hurricanes in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Rangers on Thursday.
With 23 goals on the campaign, Tlusty has shattered any reasonable projection made for him prior to the season. Tuomo Ruutu also found the back of the net for Carolina in the loss.

Hurricanes defenseman Jay Harrison was forced to leave Thursday's game against the Rangers after taking a puck to the face.
A Ryan Callahan wrist shot caught Harrison in the face and left him bloodied, forcing him to the locker room immediately, We'll update his condition once we know more.

Hurricanes defenseman Jay Harrison was forced to leave Thursday's game against the Rangers after taking a puck to the face.
A Ryan Callahan wrist shot caught Harrison in the face and left him bloodied, forcing him to the locker room immediately, We'll update his condition once we know more.

Chad LaRose skated on Carolina's top line alongside Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty in Thursday's morning skate.
He received the promotion because Alexander Semin is sidelined with a concussion. LaRose has four points in 33 games this season and coach Kirk Muller likes to shuffle his combinations, so his time on the first line may not last throughout the match though.

Alexander Semin will miss Carolina's last two games of the season because he has a concussion.
He did not practice Wednesday and coach Kirk Muller called it a "maintenance day" at the time, but after Semin didn't skate Thursday morning the Canes bench boss announced that the Russian winger was concussed. Semin fit in well with Carolina this season in a great bounce-back campaign. He registered 13 goals and 44 points in 44 games, which ranks him second on the team in scoring, and he had a plus-14 rating as well. The Canes rewarded him with a five-year contract extension worth $7 million per season at the end of March.

The Carolina Hurricanes likely need a bit of a makeover on defense in order to get back into the playoffs.
Justin Faulk is considered to be the team's best defender and he has only 102 career games under his belt going into the final two contests of the 2013 campaign. His plus-3 rating leads the club's defense corps and his 15 points trails only Joe Corvo, who is a free agent this summer. Losing Cam Ward didn't help the Hurricanes when it came to preventing goals, but their personnel on the back end could use a shake up heading into next year and it's something to watch over the summer.

Tim Wallace has been called up by Carolina.
He was just sent down Wednesday morning only to be brought back up Wednesday afternoon.

Jared Staal has been called up by Carolina and he'll make his NHL debut on the same line as his brother Jordan Staal Thursday against the Rangers.
He is the younger brother of Hurricanes centers Eric and Jordan Staal. Jared has four goals, three assists and 25 penalty minutes in 52 games with AHL Charlotte this season. He was originally drafted in the second round by Phoenix in 2008 and was acquired by Carolina in 2010.

Carolina has reassigned Tim Wallace to the minors.
In 26 games with the Hurricanes this year, Wallace has two points and 64 hits.

Riley Nash has been sent down to the minors.
He has nine points in 32 games with Carolina this season.

Despite playing in a shortened season due to the lockout, Pat Dwyer tied his career-high for goals in a year, with his eighth marker, in Tuesday's shootout win over the Islanders.
He scored eight goals in 80 games in 2010-11, but it took him just 44 contests to accomplish that feat this campaign. Dwyer has 15 points this season, which is probably slightly above expectations but still not enough to get him much fantasy attention.

Jordan Staal picked up a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win against the New York Islanders.
It was Staal's first marker since April 1st, which had amounted to an 11-game goalless drought. Alexanders Semin and Patrick Dwyer had Carolina's other regulation goals in the contest, while Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty finished with an assist each. Riley Nash and Jeff Skinner scored in the shootout.

Dan Ellis was superb in a 4-3 shootout win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
He made 36 saves in the contest to post his second straight win after he played well in a 3-2 victory versus Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Hurricanes are playing for pride right now and Ellis could make for a decent start in the final week of the year if you desperately need a goaltender.

Dan Ellis is expected to be back in net again Tuesday night.
Ellis rebounded in his most recent start, stopping 35 of 37 shots in a 3-2 win. He's not an awful choice if you're desperate for a goalie choice in the final week of the season.

Joe Corvo recorded his 11th assist of the season on Sunday.
After a disappointing campaign with the Boston Bruins, Corvo's third stint with Carolina has gone well. He has 17 points in 38 games, including eight points with the man advantage. Corvo will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and his fantasy value for the 2013-14 campaign will be dependent on where he ends up and, more specifically, how much power-play ice time he gets with his new team.

Eric Staal registered two assists in Carolina's 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay.
That gives Staal 18 goals and 49 points in 45 games this season. He's been great all season and should be one of the safer bets to record at least 70 points going into the 2013-14 campaign.

Alexander Semin had a goal and two assists in a 3-2 victory Sunday.
Semin ended up with the Carolina Hurricanes after it became apparent over the summer that no one would meet his asking price for a long-term contract. Semin has answered his critics this season by scoring 12 goals and 43 points in 41 games. It wasn't enough to save the Hurricanes season, but gave Carolina the confidence to sign him to a five-year, $35 million contract extension.

Dan Ellis turned aside 35 of 37 shots Sunday as Carolina outlasted the Lightning by a score of 3-2.
Ellis hasn't had very many successful outings in place of the injured Cam Ward this year, but this is one he can be proud of. If you're desperate for goaltending help during the season's last week he's not a bad choice.

Jiri Tlusty scored a pair of goals for the Hurricanes in a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Tlusty is enjoying the best season of his career as his total of 21 goals is a personal best despite the fact he accumulated those stats in only 45 contests. Alexander Semin also registered a goal and an assist in the Carolina victory.

Justin Peters gave up five goals on 38 shots in the Hurricanes' 5-3 loss to the Flyers on Saturday night.
What a disappointing year for the Hurricanes, who are now 17-24-3 and have earned just three points (one win) in 11 April games. Peters now has a 3.01 goals-against average and .903 save percentage on the year.

Jeff Skinner scored but Carolina came up short in its 5-3 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday night.
The gifted forward missed the team's last game with an upper-body injury. Skinner now has 13 goals and 23 points in 38 games this year. It's been a bit of a rough season for the 20-year-old as he's been dinged up, but the future remains very bright. Eric Staal and Justin Faulk potted the other goals.

Jeff Skinner (upper body) will return to the Carolina Hurricanes' lineup on Saturday.
Skinner missed Thursday's game due to the ailment. There was some concern that he might have suffered a concussion, given his injury history, so they were very cautious with him. "After the game, the doctors here wanted to take a look at me, so we thought the best thing was to come home," said Skinner. "He didn't think it was a concussion, but he wanted to make sure. He wanted to run through the tests and make sure we weren't missing anything because everyone knows there is some gray area." Fortunately, he was cleared to play after further examination.

Although the Flyers are a tough team, it appears the Hurricanes do not believe they need Kevin Westgarth in the lineup against them Saturday night.
It looks as if Carolina is going to dress seven defensemen and scratch Westgarth against Philly Saturday night. Adjust your roster accordingly.

Although nothing is official, Jeff Skinner could return to the Hurricane lineup Saturday night against the Flyers.
He was on the ice Saturday morning practising on a line with Jordan Staal and Tuomo Ruutu. We will try and update you as to Skinner's status closer to game time but it appears he will suit up. Adjust your roster accordingly.

Justin Peters will get the call against the Flyers Saturday night.
Both teams have no chance at a playoff berth so there is little to play for in this one.

The Carolina Hurricanes were mathematically eliminated from the playoff chase Thursday night.
The Canes lost 4-3 to the Jets in overtime and were finally eliminated when the Rangers won in regulation. The Canes' elimination was only a matter of time considering their abysmal late-season stretch and league-worst home record. "I've said it for a while, the way we've been playing we haven't gotten great results we really deserve," coach Kirk Muller said after Thursday's loss.

Dan Ellis was nominated for the Masterton Trophy, which is given to a player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Ellis entered the season with no team after undergoing surgery to repair a severe abdominal tear last season. He then signed a professional tryout contract with the Canes' AHL affiliate in Charlotte and eventually won a roster spot. After the lockout, he then beat out Justin Peters for the job as Cam Ward's backup, only to end up sharing starting duties with Peters once Cam Ward was lost for the rest of the season with an injury. On the season, Ellis is 4-8-1 with a .902 save percentage and a 3.19 GAA in 16 NHL games.

Justin Peters allowed four goals on 31 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Jets on Thursday.
The Cam Ward injury has proven to be extremely costly for the Hurricanes, as Peters has struggled to carry the load in his absence. His record falls to 4-9-1 with this defeat.

Tuomo Ruutu scored his first two goals of the season Thursday, but the Hurricanes were beaten in overtime by Winnipeg 4-3.
Ruutu is scoring around his usual pace with six points in 12 games since returning from injury and could be a useful pickup in leagues that reward PIM over the eyar's final weeks. Alexander Semin also scored in a losing effort for the Canes.

According to coach Kirk Muller, Jeff Skinner may be available to play this weekend.
The team is still waiting on some test results to come back, but it doesn't appear as though Skinner was concussed or seriously hurt in Tuesday's game against Ottawa. Muller is hopeful that Skinner will be able to play as early as Saturday's match against Philadelphia. Stay tuned.

Joni Pitkanen's procedure on his broken heel bone was apparently successful, according to Carolina GM Jim Rutherford.
It was reported that the success of the surgery may not be known for a few months, but Rutherford has heard that it went well. Pitkanen is projected to be ready to go next fall for training camp.

Carolina GM Jim Rutherford is still waiting for an official diagnosis of Jeff Skinner's status, but he's hopeful that the Hurricanes forward wasn't concussed.
"I don't know enough to comment on anything other than when I talked to Jeff he seemed to be doing fine," said Rutherford when he went to check on Skinner after he was hit hard and high by Ottawa defenseman Jared Cowen on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes play six games before the end of the 2013 season. All we know for now is that Skinner won't be available for at least Thursday's contest and probably more.

Joni Pitkanen underwent surgery on Tuesday for his broken heel bone.
Carolina GM Jim Rutherford said they won't know for few months whether or not the procedure was successful. Pitkanen hasn't played since crashing into the end boards on a delayed icing call on April 2. The original timetable for his return was set at 10 to 12 weeks.

Justin Faulk generated a goal and an assist in Tuesday's loss to Ottawa.
He has racked up eight shots, three points and a plus-2 rating in his past two contests. Faulk has averaged 23:29 of ice time per game this season and he should be on everyone's radar next year even though he didn't exactly shine during the NHL's lockout-shortened campaign.

Jeff Skinner has returned to Raleigh for further examination for an "upper-body injury."
He left Tuesday's game against Ottawa and did not return after he was hit hard at center ice by Jared Cowen. Skinner has suffered concussions in each of the past two seasons, so he'll be tested to see if he's got another one. The Hurricanes play at Winnipeg Thursday night.

Justin Peters made 31 stops in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Tuesday.
He has been playing better over his last outings, but he has only won to show for his efforts. The Hurricanes plummeted down the standings when they lost starting goaltender Cam Ward to injury. Peters and Dan Ellis have not been able to right the ship while attempting to fill in during Ward's absence.

Eric Staal earned a goal and an assist in Carolina's 3-2 loss to Ottawa Tuesday night.
Defenseman Justin Faulk also concluded the game with a goal and a helper. Staal has put together a modest four-game point streak of late, but the goal was his first since March 30.

Jeff Skinner was hit high by Ottawa's Jared Cowen in Tuesday night's game and he won't return.
Skinner has had issues with concussions before, so Cowen's hit to his head probably won't bode well for him, the Hurricanes and his fantasy owners.

Justin Peters will likely start in goal Tuesday night.
Peters has been better in his last two starts, allowing just two goals in each appearance after giving up six goals total in the two starts before that. However, Peters has just one win to show for his efforts and the Canes are in full freefall mode. You can do better.

Justin Peters made amends for his last netminding effort against the Boston Bruins as he stopped 28 shots Saturday night to help the Carolina Hurricanes end their losing slump.
Peters was pulled on April 8 in his last meeting with the Bruins after he allowed two goals on four shots. He was the first star in the game Saturday night, which Carolina won by a 4-2 score. It was Carolina's first win in eight games and Peters' first win since March 30.

Carolina Hurricanes left winger Jiri Tlusty scored two goals in a 4-2 triumph over the visiting Boston Bruins Saturday night.
Tlusty's goals gave the former Maple Leaf a career-high 19, and the Hurricanes ended a seven-game losing streak. Jeff Skinner (12th) and Joe Corvo (sixth) also notched goals for Carolina. Alexander Semin and Jordan Staal each had two assists.

Tim Brent may be out for another week with a lower-body injury, according to coach Kirk Muller.
He was injured in Tuesday's match against Pittsburgh. Brent has no goals and three assists in 29 games this season.

Pat Dwyer (lower body) will get back into Carolina's lineup Saturday night.
He has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury.

It's been confirmed that Justin Peters will get the nod against Boston Saturday night.
He was pulled on April 8 in his last meeting with the Bruins after he allowed two goals on four shots. Peters hasn't won a game since March 30.

We expect Justin Peters to be in goal Saturday against Boston.
He didn't play too badly in the Canes' 3-1 loss to the Caps Thursday stoppoing 28 of 30 shots and should get the chance against the Bruins.

Jordan Staal has not had the kind of season he, or Carolina management had envisioned when he signed a 10-year, $60 million contract extension in the summer.
Staal has registered only 24 points in 40 games, which is similar to his production as a third-line center in Pittsburgh to his arrival in Carolina. Initially, Staal clicked with Jeff Sknner on the Canes' second line but since Skinner sustained a concussion, both he and Staal have been relatively inefective. For those of you who drafted Staal in keeper pools, you reasonably may expect him to increase his offensive output next season.

Jeff Skinner scored a power-play goal in a 3-1 defeat.
Skinner hadn't scored in his previous nine games. Eric Staal and Joe Corvo assisted on the goal.

Justin Peters stopped 28 of 30 shots in a 3-1 loss Thursday.
Carolina has now lost seven straight games. They've completely collapsed, going from the Southeast Division title race to a serious contender for the first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Coach Kirk Muller said Drayson Bowman (upper body) will probably be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The Canes have nine game left on their 2013 schedule, including Thursday night's contest. Bowman has five points in 37 games with Carolina this campaign.

Dan Ellis was experiencing soreness in his knee, which caused him to miss his start against Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
The ailment is associated with an injury to his other leg last season and it's believed to be an overcompensation type of issue. The Hurricanes haven't called up any goalies from the minors, so it looks like Ellis will stay in the lineup but Justin Peters will start Thursday night at Washington.

Tim Wallace has been brought up by Carolina.
He was recalled from the minors Wednesday. Wallace has one goal and 52 hits in 21 games with the Hurricanes this year.

The Carolina Hurricanes own the worst home record in the league (7-13-0) this campaign.
"I think a lot of it has to do with you get in those bad ruts, there's more pressure at home," coach Kirk Muller said Tuesday. "Expectations are higher. There's a little more pressure at home for results. You go on the road and can play a nice, simple game. I think it's more the case of we go out and we're ready to play, then you get scored on. When you're fragile and you're at home, when those things happen the guys tighten up on the sticks and squeeze it a little tighter." The Canes have lost six games in a row and have dropped 13 of their past 14 matches to plummet down the standings.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Brendan Woods to a three-year, entry-level contract.
He will earn $600,000 in 2013-14, $650,000 in 2014-15 and $700,000 in 2015-16 at the NHL level and in the AHL he will be paid $65,000. Woods was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft by the Hurricanes. He had 12 points and 47 penalty minutes in 41 games with the University of Wisconsin this past season. Woods will report to AHL Charlotte.

Zac Dalpe has been reassigned to the AHL by Carolina.
He has one goal and two assists in 10 games with the Hurricanes this season.

Nicolas Blanchard has been summoned from the minors on an emergency basis.
He has nine points and a team-leading 124 penalty minutes in 61 games with AHL Charlotte this campaign. Blanchard will be making his NHL debut if he gets into the lineup for Thursday's match at Washington.

Pat Dwyer missed Tuesday's contest because of a lower-body injury.
He has notched seven goals and seven assists in 38 games this campaign. Consider him day-to-day for the time being.

Dan Ellis was supposed to start for Carolina Tuesday night against Pittsburgh, but couldn't after suffering a lower-body injury during the pregame warmup.
Justin Peters ended up starting in his place. Ellis was able to handle the backup job, so it's unclear if he'll miss any action as a result of his lower-body ailment. The Hurricanes play at Washington on Thursday night.

Tim Brent suffered a lower-body injury Tuesday night that forced him out of Carolina's 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh.
He concluded the contest with 9:16 of ice time and should be considered day-to-day for now.

Drayson Bowman (upper body) was hurt in Tuesday's loss to Pittsburgh.
He finished Tuesday's loss to the Penguins with just 7:20 of ice time. Bowman scored his third goal of the season in Monday's defeat against Boston. Coach Kirk Muller didn't update Bowman's status following the game, so consider him day-to-day for now.

Alexander Semin returned to action on Tuesday April 9.

Justin Peters allowed four goals on 32 shots in a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh Tuesday.
The Hurricanes have dropped six straight games as they continue to slide down the standings. Peters and Dan Ellis haven't been providing the Hurricanes with steady goaltending of late, but they had big shoes to fill to begin with due to the absence of Cam Ward.

Joe Corvo scored a power-play goal Tuesday night to give Carolina a 1-0 lead early in the first period, but the Hurricanes ended up losing 5-3 to Pittsburgh.
Fellow Canes defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti also scored in the contest and so did forward Riley Nash. Jordan and Eric Staal chipped in with an assist each in the defeat.

Carolina Hurricanes reassign Brett Bellemore to AHL Charlotte.
Bellemore was recalled Saturday and registered an assist in two games with the Hurricanes. He has two assists in eight NHL games this season.

Dan Ellis is expected to get the start in net Tuesday night.
Ellis replaced starter Justin Peters after just eight minutes Monday night, although both struggled in a 6-2 loss to Boston. The Hurricanes have been in a freefall of late, winning just once in their last 13.

Justin Faulk (knee) will make his return to the lineup Tuesday night.
Faulk has been sidelined since March 19 with a sprained knee. Coincidentally, the Hurricanes have gone into a tailspin since he was hurt, a sign of how much he means to their blue line. Faulk has three goals and 10 points in 28 games this season.

Dan Ellis didn't get the start but got the bulk of the work for the Hurricanes as each of their goalies struggled in the team's 6-2 loss to the Bruins on Monday night.
Justin Peters lasted all of 7:58 before being yanked because he gave up two goals on four pitches. Ellis wasn't exactly all that great, either, giving up four goals on 28 shots. The Hurricanes have won just once in their last 13 games.

Pat Dwyer sniped a goal in Carolina's 6-2 loss to Boston on Monday night.
Dwyer's goal was his seventh of the season, pulling him to within one of tying his carer-high. Drayson Bowman scored the other goal. Neither player is worth monitoring in fantasy leagues.

Brett Bellemore was called up from the minors on Saturday April 6.