Hurricanes travel to Buffalo for back half of unexpected home-and-home (Dec 22, 2016)
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Thursday night's game between Carolina and Buffalo will serve as the second half of an unexpected home-and-home series for the Hurricanes, but not for the Sabres.
The two teams squared off on Saturday in Carolina, with the Hurricanes picking up a 2-1 shootout victory. Both teams were scheduled for games to open the week, but Carolina's Monday game against the Detroit Red Wings was postponed due to an ice problem at PNC Arena.
"We apologize to our fans who made the trip to PNC Arena tonight hoping to see the Hurricanes extend their nine-game home point streak," said Hurricanes president Don Waddell in a statement. "A mechanical problem arose early this evening with the cooling system that keeps the ice solidified."
With that ice mishap behind them, the Hurricanes (13-11-7) will look for a similar performance to Saturday's shootout victory. Joakim Nordstrom scored in regulation, and Lee Stempniak and Sebastian Aho scored in the shootout. Cam Ward made 23 saves and stopped both shots in the shootout for Carolina.
Carolina led the game 1-0 until Buffalo's Evander Kane evened the score with 2:37 left in regulation.
With that victory, the Hurricanes improved to 8-0-1 in their last nine home games.
"It was a tight game throughout the whole match," center Jordan Staal said, according to the team's website. "Shootouts have been a sore spot for us. (Ward) did a great job and a couple big goals from two skilled guys got us over the top."
"It's good to get the win in the shootout," said Stempniak, per the team's website. "Those points make a difference at the end of the year."
The Sabres (12-11-8), meanwhile, cannot find a way to win in the shootout. On Tuesday, the Sabres picked up a point for the fourth straight game but fell in their fifth shootout of the season. Buffalo is 1-5 in shootouts this year, and starting goaltender Robin Lehner is 0-3 in shootouts and has yet to stop an attempt in six tries this season.
"Keep trying and keep working at 'em," Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said, according to the team's website. "We keep practicing them a different way, focus a different way, mindset a different way and it's what we've got to keep doing."
"I need to keep working on them," Lehner said. "The first one there, it caught me a little off-guard. And (Aleksander) Barkov's a good shooter. What can I say?"
One bright spot for Buffalo has been the play of young defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who has taken another step forward as the team's best blue-liner. Ristolainen had a goal and an assist against the Hurricanes and has 15 points in his last 13 games. Last Friday, Ristolainen picked up his second career overtime goal, becoming only the fourth Sabres defenseman in franchise history to score multiple overtime goals in his career.
Ristolainen leads all Buffalo skaters with 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 31 games.
