Colorado Avalanche (41-12-5, first in the Central) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (39-12-5, first in the Metropolitan)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Nazem Kadri leads Colorado into a matchup with Carolina. He ranks sixth in the league with 72 points, scoring 22 goals and recording 50 assists.
The Hurricanes are 21-4-2 on their home ice. Carolina averages 9.3 penalty minutes per game, the sixth-most in the Eastern Conference. Vincent Trocheck leads the team serving 66 total minutes.
The Avalanche are 18-9-2 on the road. Colorado ranks fifth in the Western Conference with 35.3 shots per game and is averaging 3.9 goals.
The teams square off Thursday for the first time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho leads the Hurricanes with 58 points, scoring 24 goals and adding 34 assists. Teuvo Teravainen has five assists over the last 10 games for Carolina.
Gabriel Landeskog leads the Avalanche with 30 goals and has 59 points. Cale Makar has 13 assists over the last 10 games for Colorado.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 7-1-2, averaging three goals, 5.2 assists, 4.4 penalties and 9.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game with a .920 save percentage.
Avalanche: 6-3-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.6 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game with a .909 save percentage.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: Frederik Andersen: day to day (undisclosed), Brendan Smith: out (upper-body), Tony DeAngelo: out (midsection).
Avalanche: Bowen Byram: out (personal).
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