CAROLINA HURRICANES (18-29-7-6, 49 pts.)
vs.
BOSTON BRUINS (28-23-5-2, 63 pts.)
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2003, 7 p.m. at RBC Center

GAME NIGHT

The defending Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes return to RBC Center to face Northeast Division foe Boston at 7p.m. in the first game of a three-game homestand. Tonight’s game is Carolina’s second of a back-to-back set that began with a 4-3 loss in Toronto on Tuesday. The Hurricanes are scheduled to practice on Thursday at RBC Center before the concluding the homestand against Tampa Bay on Friday and Anaheim on Sunday afternoon.

PRACTICE TIMES

Feb. 19	Wednesday	RBC Center	11:30 a.m.
Feb. 20	Thursday	RBC Center	TBA
Feb. 21	Friday	RBC Center	10:30 a.m.
Feb. 22	Saturday	RecZone	10:45 a.m.
Feb. 24	Monday	RBC Center	11 a.m.

ON THE AIR
Television: Fox Sports Net (NC)
Radio: WKIX 102.3 FM (Goldsboro); WKXU 101.1 FM (Raleigh); WDTF 570-AM (Raleigh); WMFD 630-AM (Wilmington); WDLZ 98.3-FM (Murfreesboro); WSJS 600-AM (Winston-Salem); WRUP 97.9-FM (New Bern/Morehead City); WSTK 910-AM (Jacksonville); WNMX 106.1 (Charlotte); WCNC 1240-AM (Elizabeth City); WZBO 1260-AM (Edenton)
Internet: www.nhl.com

CAROLINA NOTES
Right wing Jeff O’Neill has 10 goals in the last 21 games. His four-game goals streak (Jan. 3-8: 5g, 0a) was the longest this season by any Carolina player. O’Neill leads the team with 22 goals and 46 points. He ranked tied for seventh among all NHL players with six game-winning goals through games of Feb. 16. Josef Vasicek has six goals and five assists in the last 12 games. Left wing Ryan Bayda made his NHL debut on Friday against Washington and earned his first NHL goal on Tuesday in Toronto after recording his first NHL point, an assist on Sean Hill’s goal, Saturday at Philadelphia.

CAROLINA AT HOME: 10-11-5-3
CAROLINA ON THE ROAD: 8-18-2-3
CAROLINA ON THE POWER PLAY: 48-of-317 (15.1%)
CAROLINA SHORTHANDED: 251-of-305 (82.3%)

CAROLINA INJURY UPDATE
Left wing Jaroslav Svoboda, back, day-to-day, missed three games (Feb. 14-18).
Right wing Jesse Boulerice, concussion, day-to-day, missed three games (Feb. 14-18).
Right wing Jeff Heerema, wrist, injured reserve, missed five games (Feb. 9-18).
Left wing Erik Cole, broken leg, injured reserve, missed seven games (Feb. 5-18).
Center Rod Brind’Amour, hand surgery, injured reserve, missed 12 games (Jan. 22-Feb. 18).

CAROLINA / BOSTON NOTES
The Hurricanes and the Bruins meet for the second of four matchups this season. Boston got the best of Carolina in the teams’ first meeting on Nov. 21 when Glen Murray’s two goals and Brian Rolston’s marker propelled the Bruins past the Hurricanes 3-1. Kevyn Adams scored the game’s first goal, his third of the season and Kevin Weekes made 29 saves in the loss. The teams split the regular season series last year 2-2-0, with each team winning both of its road games. Carolina defeated Boston at FleetCenter 6-2 on Feb. 28 and 2-0 on March 30. Boston defeated Carolina 6-3 on Jan. 2 and 3-2 on March 26 in Raleigh. Ron Francis was the leading scorer in the 2002-03 season series with seven points (2g, 5a), including his 500th career NHL goal on Jan. 2 in Raleigh. The Hurricanes are 53-80-14-0 all-time against the Bruins, including a 31-34-7-0 record at home and a 22-46-7-0 record in Boston.

BRUINS NOTES
- The Bruins are 1-3-0-0 on their current seven-game road trip with a 3-1 setback in Montreal on Feb. 11, a 6-5 overtime victory in Florida on Feb. 14, a 5-2 loss in Tampa Bay on Feb. 15 and a 5-1 loss in Nashville on Feb. 17. - They have taken points out of eight of their last 13 games at 6-5-1-1. - The Bruins have taken points out of 35 of their 58 games this season at 28-23-5-2.

SCORING LEADERS AND GOALTENDERS

HURRICANES
	GP	G	A	TP
92 O'Neill	60	22	24	46
10 Francis	60	19	22	41
17 Brind'Amour	48	14	23	37
26 Cole	53	14	13	27
20 Hlavac	56	9	15	24
Goalies	GP	GAA	W-L-T	SV%
30 DesRochers	4	3.77	0-3-0	.875
80 Weekes	38	2.50	11-18-5	.918
BRUINS
	GP	G	A	TP
19 Thornton	53	29	44	73
27 Murray	58	29	34	63
12 Rolston	58	21	18	39
26 Knuble	51	17	20	37
16 Stumpel	55	11	23	34
Goalies	GP	GAA	W-L-T	SV%
30 Hackett	8	3.21	4-4-0	.890
31 Shields	24	2.69	10-10-3	.900