First things first, Michal Jordan (yes, you read that correctly) has been called up from the Charlotte Checkers and will join the Hurricanes tonight in Raleigh as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jordan is a defense-man that is on call up duty due to injuries we will discuss in a moment. Michal was an AHL Western Conference All-Star for the Checkers and recorded 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points in 48 games. If Michal plays, this will be his first NHL action. Jordan will be wearing number 47 because Welsh owns 23.
Game Day
The Carolina Hurricanes, currently first in their division; are facing a tough opponent tonight in their first game at PNC Arena in 12 days against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This tough task in front of the Canes just got a little tougher with the news that Pitkanen will be out and Gleason is questionable.
Muller has said that the defensive depth chart will be as followed tonight...
Justin Faulk - Jay Harrison
Jamie McBain - Joe Corvo
Bobby Sanguinetti - Michal Jordan
To further complicate matters, Dan Ellis will be the net minder in front of this make shift defense tonight, seeing his first action since the 4 goal debacle in Philadelphia.
The Canes have also made a switch to their depth chart at the forward position, the Canes will lineup as followed...
Jiri Tlusty - Eric Staal - Alexander Semin
Jeff Skinner - Jordan Staal - Patrick Dwyer
Drayson Bowman - Jussi Jokinen - Tim Wallace
Andreas Nodl - Tim Brent - Kevin Westgarth
However, the Canes have already beaten the Leafs this year and it was a much better Leafs team than they will be facing tonight.
The Leafs are on a four game winning streak and haven't lost since they played Carolina a while back, but this will be the first game that they will be without both starting goaltender James Reimer and first line winger Matt Frattin in the same game.
This will be a struggle for both teams and this game will ultimately come down to who can dig deep the most without their go to guys.
News and Notes
- Eric Staal is on a ten game point streak, he is trying to break his own record and Carolina Hurricanes record of points in twelve consecutive games.
- Eric Staal was dead last in+/- rating last year, this year he is first.
- Eric Staal, Alexander Semin, Jiri Tlusty, and Joni Pitkanen are all in the top 15 in +/- rating.
- Eric Staal still leads the NHL in game winning goals with four.
- Joe Corvo is wearing the A in the absence of Tim Gleason
Chad LaRose: (Carolina) Healthy Scratch
Joni Pitkanen (Carolina) Out
Tuomo Ruutu (Carolina) Out
Tim Gleason (Carolina) Out
James Reimer (Toronto) Out
Matt Frattin (Toronto) Out
Joffrey Lupul (Toronto) Out
Mike Brown (Toronto) Out
Carl Gunnarsson (Toronto) Out
