Hurricanes @ Devils

Who will WIN this matchup?

Carolina Hurricanes (28-21-6)

@ New Jersey Devils (20-26-8)

Starting Goalies:

Petr Mrazek (CAR): Unconfirmed

Keith Kinkaid (NJ): Confirmed

Current odds:

Carolina Hurricanes: (-160)

New Jersey Devils: (+140)

• After crashing a party and ending a lengthy hex in New York, the Carolina Hurricanes will not have to travel far as they visit the New Jersey Devils on Sunday afternoon. After ruining the Stanley Cup anniversary celebration of the New York Rangers on Friday, Carolina will look to remain perfect on the fourth stop of its five-game road trip.
The Hurricanes have won two of the first three games on the trek via shutout after blanking the Rangers 3-0 to improve to 13-4-1 in their last 18 contests and keep their playoff drive going. “I think we’re rolling, but we’ve got to keep the foot on the pedal. No steps back,” Carolina’s Warren Foegele told reporters. “We need each win, and I think everyone in this room knows that.”

• New Jersey, which is in last place in the Metropolitan Division, will try to avoid finishing winless on its four-game homestand (0-2-1) as it meets Carolina for the third time this season. The Devils dropped a 4-2 decision to Minnesota on Saturday for its 10 loss in 14 games (4-9-1).

• Sitting just outside the playoff picture, Carolina is feeling good about its chances to make the postseason due to the goaltending tandem of Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney as each has posted a shutout on the road trip. “(Goaltending) is the difference in our season. These guys have both been great,” coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters. “It just gives us a lot of confidence that when we’re not playing our best, we still have a chance to win. That’s special, really.” McElhinney has split of pair of decisions against the Devils this season despite yielding only two goals.

• New Jersey has been outscored 11-4 during its three-game skid and showed little offensively against Minnesota, mustering just 18 shots – the second time this season the team has failed to register 20. Right wing Kurtis Gabriel, who has received a regular spot in the lineup, has appeared in all four games this month and is showing a physical presence with 25 hits despite not playing more than eight minutes in any of the contests. Jesper Bratt pulled the Devils within a goal on Saturday with a third-period tally that extended his point streak to a season high-tying three games.

• Hurricanes C Sebastian Aho has collected 13 points in his last nine games but three goals and zero assists in 10 career meetings with the Devils.

• New Jersey G Keith Kinkaid is 7-2-0 with a 1.87 goals-against average versus Carolina during his career.

• Carolina captain Justin Williams has registered 17 of his 32 points away from home.