CAROLINA HURRICANES (5-4-2-2, 14 pts.)
at
BUFFALO SABRES (3-6-3-0, 9 pts.)

Thursday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. at RBC Center

GAME NIGHT

The defending Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes host the Buffalo Sabres at the RBC Center as the Hurricanes play the fourth game of a franchise-record nine-game homestand. The Hurricanes fell to the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday, and have not lost in regulation in the last five games (2-0-2-1). Carolina is 4-1-2-1 in its last eight games, all of which have come against teams that participated in the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Center Harold Druken arrived from Vancouver on Tuesday and made his Carolina Hurricanes debut on Tuesday against the Flyers. Left wing Jan Hlavac arrived on Wednesday and is expected to play his first game with Carolina on Thursday night against Buffalo. Hurricanes netminder Kevin Weekes is 4-1-2 in his last seven games with a goals against average of 1.67 (12g, 432 min.) and a save percentage of .948 (12G, 231 SA).

PRACTICE TIMES

Nov. 7	Thursday	RBC Center	10:30 a.m.
Nov. 8	Friday	RecZone	11 a.m.
Nov. 9	Saturday	RBC Center	10:30 a.m.
Nov. 10	Sunday	RBC Center	TBA
Nov. 11	Monday	RBC Center	TBA

ON THE AIR
Television: Fox Sports Net (N.C. & S.C.)
Radio: WKIX 102.3 FM (Goldsboro); WKXU 101-1 FM (Burlington); 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)
Internet: www.nhl.com

CAROLINA NOTES
Rod Brind’Amour is off to the fastest start in his career in terms of goal scoring. He is currently tied for first on the team in scoring with 13 points (8g, 5a) and is Carolina’s leading goal-scorer with eight goals in 13 games. Sami Kapanen (2g, 3a) and Brind’Amour (2g, 3a) are the leading scorers for Carolina on the current homestand. Hurricanes netminder Kevin Weekes is 4-1-2 in his last seven games with a goals against average of 1.67 (12g, 432 min.) and a save percentage of .948 (12G, 231 SA).

CAROLINA AT HOME: 3-2-2-1
CAROLINA ON THE ROAD: 2-2-0-1
CAROLINA ON THE POWER PLAY: 14-of-85 (16.5%)
CAROLINA SHORTHANDED: 70-of-81 (86.4%)

CAROLINA INJURY UPDATE
Josef Vasicek missed the game vs. Philadelphia (11/5) due to back spasms. He is day-to-day.

CAROLINA / BUFFALO NOTES
The Carolina Hurricanes and the Buffalo Sabres meet tonight for the first of four games this season. The Hurricanes were 1-1-1-1 against Buffalo last season, with their win coming on New Year’s Eve in Buffalo, 5-4. The Sabres won the other meeting at HSBC Arena, 3-2 in overtime on Dec. 14. Buffalo also defeated Carolina 4-2 on Dec. 4 and the two teams played to a 2-2 tie on Jan. 29 in Raleigh. Ron Francis was the leading scorer in the season series with six points (3g, 3a). The Hurricanes are 53-75-19-1 all-time against Buffalo, with a 30-33-11-0 record at home and a 23-42-7-1 mark in Buffalo.

SABRES NOTES
Thursday night’s contest marks the final game of a six-game road trip for the Sabres. Miroslav Satan's 256-consecutive games played streak was snapped when he left Friday's Edmonton contest during the third period and then sat out Sunday’s contest at Columbus. He has continued to experience hip pain but it is expected to play Thursday. The Sabres fell to the Blue Jackets 3-2 in their most recent contest.

SCORING LEADERS AND GOALTENDERS

HURRICANES
	GP	G	A	TP
92 O'Neill	13	4	9	13
17 Brind'Amour	13	8	5	13
10 Francis	13	4	3	7
24 Kapanen	13	4	3	7
Goalies	GP	GAA	W-L-T	SV%
1 Irbe	3	4.35	0-3-0	.833
80 Weekes	11	1.93	5-3-2	.937
SABRES
	GP	G	A	TP
77 Gratton	12	3	9	12
71 Hecht	10	4	5	9
81 Satan	11	4	4	8
24 Pyatt	12	3	3	6
Goalies	GP	GAA	W-L-T	SV%
35 Noronen	2	1.92	0-1-1	.941
43 Biron	10	2.37	3-5-2	.903