CAROLINA HURRICANES (12-10-4-3, 31 pts.)
at
EDMONTON OILERS (14-9-4-1, 33 pts.)
Wednesday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Skyreach Center

GAME NIGHT

The defending Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers at Skyreach Center for the second of four consecutive road games. The Senators defeated the Hurricanes 5-2 on Saturday night at Corel Centre. Carolina is in the midst of four consecutive sets of back-to-back games. The Hurricanes are 7-5-0-0 in back-to-back games with a 5-1-0-0 record in the front half and a 2-4-0-0 record in the back half of back-to-back games. Carolina plays a total of 19 sets of back-to-back games this season. Carolina has lost just seven times in regulation in its last 24 games. All but eight of the Hurricanes' last 24 opponents participated in the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Second-year forward Erik Cole has 13 points (9g, 4a) in the last 11 games. Cole was named a runner-up for NHL Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 23-29, totaling seven points (4g, 3a) and registering a (+5) rating in three games. The BBC line of Rod Brind’Amour, Bates Battaglia, and Cole continues to drive the Hurricanes’ offense with 29 points (14g, 15a) in 11 games. Carolina captain Ron Francis scored his 524th career NHL goal against Florida on Wednesday, moving him into a tie with Bryan Trottier for 22nd on the NHL’s all-time goals list. Francis has tallied seven points (2g, 5a) in the last seven games.

PRACTICE TIMES

Dec. 10	Tuesday	Skyreach Centre	TBA
Dec. 11	Wednesday	Skyreach Centre	11:30 a.m.
Dec. 12	Thursday	Pengrowth Saddledome	11:30 a.m.
Dec. 13	Friday	Pengworth Saddledome	TBA
Dec. 14	Saturday	Xcel Energy Centre	TBA
Dec. 15	Sunday	Xcel Energy Center	TBA

ON THE AIR
Television: Fox Sports Net (NC & SC)
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
Rod Brind’Amour’s team-leading 16 points (7g, 9a) on the power play this season, ranks tied for seventh in the NHL through games of Dec. 9. Carolina’s faceoff percentage remains at the top of the league. The Hurricanes have won 1090-of-1979 (55.1%) faceoffs through 29 games this season. Brind’Amour has won 427-of-740 (57.7%) of his faceoffs this season. He ranked eighth in the league in faceoff percentage through games of Dec. 4. Kevyn Adams has won 208-of-358 (58.1%) of his faceoffs this season and was sixth in the NHL in that category through games of Dec. 8.

CAROLINA AT HOME: 7-4-4-2
CAROLINA ON THE ROAD: 5-6-0-1
CAROLINA ON THE POWER PLAY: 33-of-175 (18.9%)
CAROLINA SHORTHANDED: 140-of-163 (85.9%)

CAROLINA INJURY UPDATE
Kevin Weekes missed the game at Ottawa (12/7) due to a concussion. He was placed on Injured Reserve on Nov. 29. Sami Kapanen missed the game at Ottawa (12/7) with a groin injury. He is day-to-day.

CAROLINA / EDMONTON NOTES
The Hurricanes and the Oilers meet for their only matchup this season. Carolina won last season’s series 1-0-1. The Hurricanes and the Oilers tied 1-1 in Raleigh on Nov. 11, 2001. Carolina won the rematch 4-1 in Edmonton on Jan. 10, 2002. Bates Battaglia led the team in scoring against Edmonton last season with two goals. Jeff O’Neill tallied two assists for two points in the series with the Oilers. Edmonton owns the series with Carolina 29-17-12-0 overall and 18-6-5-0 in Edmonton. The series is tied in Raleigh 11-11-7-0.

OILERS NOTES
The Oilers return home following a three-game road trip that saw them compile a 2-1-0-0 record from Dec. 5-8. For the first time since the 2000-01 season, Edmonton registered back-to-back shutouts. The Oilers blanked the Florida Panthers 4-0 (Dec. 7) and then Atlanta 3-0 (Dec. 8). Edmonton has a four-game home undefeated streak in progress. Georges Laraque was placed on the NHL Injured Reserve List on Dec. 5 and is out of the lineup indefinitely with a lacerated left elbow suffered against Colorado on Nov. 30.

SCORING LEADERS AND GOALTENDERS

HURRICANES
	GP	G	A	TP
17 Brind'Amour	29	11	15	26
92 O'Neill	29	8	14	22
10 Francis	29	10	10	20
26 Cole	29	11	8	19
Goalies	GP	GAA	W-L-T	SV%
1 Irbe	10	3.09	4-7-0	.886
80 Weekes	20	2.07	8-6-4	.931
OILERS
	GP	G	A	TP
22 Carter	28	13	14	27
89 Comrie	28	10	14	24
94 Smyth	28	10	13	23
16 York	27	4	13	17
Goalies	GP	GAA	W-L-T	SV%
30 Markkanen	8	2.66	4-3-0	.905
35 Salo	22	2.08	7-4-2	.920