Chicago Blackhawks (9-5-4, second in the Central Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (10-3-1, fourth in the Central Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Friday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Patrick Kane leads Chicago into a matchup against Carolina. He ranks fourth in the league with 23 points, scoring seven goals and recording 16 assists.
The Hurricanes are 10-3-1 against Central Division opponents. Carolina is the top team in the Nhl with 6.4 assists per game, led by Jordan Staal averaging 0.7.
The Blackhawks are 9-5-4 against the rest of their division. Chicago is 19th in the Nhl with 30.3 shots per game and is averaging 2.9 goals.
In their last meeting on Feb. 4, Chicago won 6-4. Alex DeBrincat scored a team-high two goals for the Blackhawks in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho leads the Hurricanes with nine assists and has 14 points this season. Staal has seven goals and seven assists over the last 10 games for Carolina.
Kane has 23 total points while scoring seven goals and totaling 16 assists for the Blackhawks. DeBrincat has 11 points over the last 10 games for Chicago.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 7-2-1, averaging four goals, 7.3 assists, four penalties and 8.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game with an .888 save percentage.
Blackhawks: 7-2-1, averaging three goals, five assists, 2.7 penalties and six penalty minutes while allowing 2.2 goals per game with a .934 save percentage.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: Petr Mrazek: out (thumb).
Blackhawks: None listed.
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