CAROLINA HURRICANES (12-11-4-3, 31 pts.)
at
CALGARY FLAMES (8-13-4-3, 23 pts.)
Thursday, December 12 at 9:00 p.m. at Pengrowth Saddledome

GAME NIGHT

The defending Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes travel to Calgary to take on the Flames at Pengrowth Saddledome for the third of four consecutive road games. The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Hurricanes 4-1 on Wednesday night at Skyreach Center. Carolina is in the midst of four consecutive sets of back-to-back games. The Hurricanes are 7-6-0-0 in back-to-back games with a 5-2-0-0 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 eight times in regulation in its last 25 games. All but nine of the Hurricanes' last 25 opponents participated in the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Second-year forward Erik Cole has 13 points (9g, 4a) in the last 12 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 12 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 eight games. Francis will play in his 1,600th NHL game at Calgary Thursday night.

PRACTICE TIMES

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
Dec. 16	Monday	RecZone	12 noon

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. 10. Carolina’s faceoff percentage remains at the top of the league. The Hurricanes have won 1128-of-2047 (55.1%) faceoffs through 30 games this season, ranking tied for first through games of Dec. 8. Carolina recalled defenseman Tomas Malec from Lowell on Dec. 11. Forward Harold Druken was picked up off waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

CAROLINA AT HOME: 7-4-4-2
CAROLINA ON THE ROAD: 5-7-0-1
CAROLINA ON THE POWER PLAY: 34-of-181 (18.8%)
CAROLINA SHORTHANDED: 145-of-169 (85.8%)

CAROLINA INJURY UPDATE
Kevin Weekes missed the game at Edmonton (12/11) due to a concussion. He was placed on Injured Reserve on Nov. 29. Sami Kapanen missed the game at Edmonton (12/11) with a groin injury. He is day-to-day.

CAROLINA / CALGARY NOTES
The Hurricanes and the Flames meet for their only matchup this season. The Hurricanes and the Flames tied 3-3 in Raleigh on March 11, 2002. Captain Ron Francis led Carolina in scoring in last season’s matchup with two points (1g, 1a). Bates Battaglia and Jeff Daniels also netted goals for the Hurricanes. Calgary owns the series with Carolina 33-15-7-0 overall, 13-11-4-0 in Raleigh and 20-4-3 in Calgary.

FLAMES NOTES
Calgary returns home from Vancouver, where they defeated the Canucks, 2-1 on Monday, Dec. 9. The Flames are now 2-1 under interim head coach Al MacNeil. MacNeil was named to the position on Dec. 3. Center Rob Niedermayer is out with a knee injury and 2001-02 Art Ross Trophy winner, Jarome Iginla is questionable with a hip injury.

SCORING LEADERS AND GOALTENDERS

HURRICANES
	GP	G	A	TP
17 Brind'Amour	30	11	15	26
92 O'Neill	30	8	14	22
10 Francis	30	10	10	20
26 Cole	30	11	8	19
Goalies	GP	GAA	W-L-T	SV%
1 Irbe	12	3.18	4-8-0	.885
80 Weekes	20	2.07	8-6-4	.931
FLAMES
	GP	G	A	TP
37 Drury	27	7	15	22
12 Iginla	27	6	12	18
22 Conroy	26	7	9	16
23 Gelinas	28	7	9	16
Goalies	GP	GAA	W-L-T	SV%
1 Turek	17	2.79	6-8-3	.903
33 McLennan	13	2.71	2-8-1	.906