CAROLINA HURRICANES. NEWS CLIPPINGS Jan. 9, Injured Aho at Hurricanes practice, but playing status unclear. Gameday: Hurricanes at Lightning

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1 Injured Aho at Hurricanes practice, but playing status unclear By Chip Alexander January 08, :22 PM UPDATED January 08, :31 PM Two days after taking a nasty looking spill in Boston, Sebastian Aho was back on the ice Monday and practicing with the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Aho suffered a lower-body injury Saturday against the Bruins, twisting his right leg and falling backward as he battled defenseman Kevan Miller for the puck on the boards. The Finnish forward, tied for the team scoring lead with 33 points, did not return to the game after the injury late in the first period of the Canes 7-1 loss. The Canes did not practice Sunday. Aho did not appear to be limited in Monday s practice, taking line rushes with center Jordan Staal and winger Teuvo Terevainen and going through all the team drills. I m good now, Aho said. It felt good skating. The Canes ( ) left later Monday for Tampa. Fla., where they will face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Canes coach Bill Peters, speaking to the media, did not fully commit to having Aho in the lineup. Peters said he received mixed reviews on how well Aho physically handled the practice. He said Aho would skate again Tuesday morning and a game-time decision would be made on whether Aho plays against the Lightning. Peters said he watched the replay of Aho s injury after the first period Saturday at Boston s TD Garden, saying, It looked real bad when we looked at it. I don t think it s as bad as it could have been, but we ll see. Aho, who called it a weird play, was evaluated Sunday by team doctors and participated in the annual Skate with the Canes fan event Sunday at PNC Arena. The Canes, through Sunday s games, were one point below the playoff cut line in the Eastern Conference. The Pittsburgh Penguins hold the second wild-card playoff spot with 47 points, but have played three more games than the Canes. Peters would like a bounce-back game that mirrors the one the Canes had a few days after being hammered 8-1 by the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-1 road win Dec. 21 over the Nashville Predators. I expect the same response (Tuesday), a real good effort from everybody, Peters said. The Hurricanes on Tuesday activated veteran forward Lee Stempniak off injured reserve and returned forward Lucas Wallmark to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Stempniak, who had 16 goals and 24 assists last season, has not played this season because of an upper-body injury. Gameday: Hurricanes at Lightning by Michael / CarolinaHurricanes.com 12:00 AM TAMPA BAY - Sun and warmth! I could get used to this. This is the gameday hub, where you can find all the latest news and information you need to know for tonight's matchup featuring the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning. Make Hurricanes.com a regular stop throughout the day, as we update this hub with notes, photos and more as puck drop draws near. The Hurricanes will be on the ice at Amalie Arena for an 11:30 a.m. morning skate, and that's where we'll be posted up to bring you the latest. Last updated: 12:00 a.m. CANES LOOK FOR RESPONSE IN TAMPA BAY 12:00 a.m. The Carolina Hurricanes have suffered two lopsided losses in the last three weeks. The first came on Dec. 19 in Toronto,

2 an 8-1 afternoon kerplunking. The Canes responded with a 4-1 win in Nashville, their first of four straight victories. The second lopsided loss happened Saturday in Boston, a 7-1 dud that even an early goaltending swap couldn't save. "I was hoping to get a spark. It didn't obviously work. We looked a little bit flat, and it was a little quiet," head coach Bill Peters said of his decision to pull Cam Ward, who gave up two early goals. "We just weren't sharp. When we're not sharp, you know what it looks like." So, what will the response be like on Tuesday night in Tampa Bay? "I expect the same response tomorrow," Peters said after a Monday practice in Raleigh. "A real good effort from everybody." Just like heading into Nashville, facing the Lightning in their own building is not an easy task. Tampa Bay boasts an Eastern Conference-best 63 points and a staggering record at Amalie Arena. "They're real deep," Peters said. "They're a good team defensively, and you can't feed their transition game." The old Southeast Division foes have met once already this season, but that was all the way back in just the third week of the season. The Hurricanes were within a goal in the third period, 2-1, until the Lightning scored three late goals to claim a 5-1 victory. "We watched a lot of the game - it was a long time ago now, early in the year," Peters said. "Lots of good chances in the third. We just have to get back to playing to our identity and playing fast." Sebastian Aho suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday night in Boston, but he skated with the team in practice on Monday. His status for Tuesday night's game in Tampa Bay remains uncertain. "I'm getting mixed reviews on that. I don't know. He's getting looked at again right now," Peters said. "That'll be a gametime decision. He'll skate again tomorrow and see how it reacts. That'll be game-time, I think." Lee Stempniak was activated from injured reserve on Monday. The veteran forward has yet to play a game this season due to two upper-body injuries. CANESPR NOTES: Josh Jooris is one game shy of 200 career games in the NHL. The Canes are against the Atlantic Division this season and in their last six games against the Atlantic. CLICKS AND CLIPPINGS Articles Audio Videos Stempniak Activated from Injured Reserve Recap: Canes Can't Contain Bruins CanesCast, Ep. 24 In the Room: Bill Peters, Jan. 8 In the Room: Sebastian Aho, Jan. 8 Gameday Links First Goal Contest presented by Kayem Carolina at Tampa Bay Time: 7:30 PM EST Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL, STATS/TSX TAMPA -- The oasis in the middle of a rough January for the Tampa Bay Lightning is a three-game homestand, surrounded by nine road games. And as Tampa Bay returns to Amalie Arena for Tuesday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, they still carry the NHL's best record at , including a mark on their just-completed five-game road trip. "We believe in each other in this room," said center Steven Stamkos of a recent two-game stretch that saw the Lightning lose to Montreal in a shootout and in regulation at Ottawa. "I don't think anyone feels entitled. We just didn't play the right way." That consecutive games without a win is cause for alarm speaks to how well the Lightning have sustained their success this season. Tampa Bay leads the NHL in goals per game, ranks second in goals allowed and also has the league's No. 3 power play, converting 24.7 percent of its opportunities. That's a daunting challenge for the Hurricanes, who come to Tampa with a record, one point outside the current Eastern Conference playoff picture. Carolina ran off a stretch, but has gone since, bouncing from a 4-0 win at

3 Pittsburgh to a 7-1 loss at Boston as they continue a fourgame road swing. "They're good defensively," coach Bill Peters said of Tampa Bay. "People don't talk about that, that they're good defensively... And obviously they have a real good power play." Carolina doesn't rank higher than 20th in any of the major statistical categories -- left wings Teuvo Teravainen (11 goals, 22 assists) and Sebastian Aho (13 goals, 20 assists) are tied for the team lead with 33 points. They would rank fifth on the Lightning, which has the NHL's top point-getter in Nikita Kucherov (59), also tied for the league lead with 27 goals. Stamkos has 17 goals and 34 assists to tie for fourth in the league with 51 points. As Peters mentioned, the high scoring has obscured perhaps the most impressive part of Tampa Bay's first-place start. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy leads the NHL with 26 wins and ranks second in goals-against average, allowing only 2.04 per game. The Lightning lost backup goalie Peter Budaj to injury, but got a win at Detroit from his replacement, Louis Domingue, who went 0-6 with Arizona before he was traded. Tampa Bay got good news Monday when they learned that veteran defenseman Dan Girardi is only day-to-day after taking a high shot to the back of his head and neck as he tried to block a shot in Sunday's win at Detroit. Cooper called the play "one of the scariest things I've seen" in hockey, grateful to not have a more significant injury to a key addition to his lineup this season. As much as Carolina is overmatched, Peters needs only point to the team's first meeting in Raleigh in October. While it ended up a 5-1 win for Tampa Bay, it was 2-1 with three minutes to play, very much up for grabs before the Lightning pulled away. Tampa Bay hopes to get the most of their three-game stop at home -- they're back on the road the rest of the month, save a few of their best players getting to play on home ice for the NHL All-Star Game, which is played in Tampa this month. Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Game Preview and Storm Advisory The Hurricanes take on the dominant Tampa Bay Lightning tonight in enemy territory as they look to reclaim the Wild Card 2 spot from the Pittsburgh Penguins. By Andrew Ahr@andrew_ahr Jan 9, 2018, 8:03am EST James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports Carolina Hurricanes ( ) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (30-9-3) Tuesday, January 9, :30 p.m. ET Amalie Arena - Tampa, FL TV: Fox Sports Carolinas Radio: 99.9 The Fan Opposition coverage: Raw Charge Follow Canes Country on Social Media Facebook Canes Country The Carolina Hurricanes take on the league best Tampa Bay Lightning looking to bounce back after one of their worst games of the year last weekend in Boston. Last time a lopsided loss was the catalyst for a four-game winning streak; could history repeat itself? Vital Statistics Category Hurricanes Lightning Record Points Division Rank T6 Metro 1 Atlantic Conference Rank 9 EC 1 EC Last 10 Games Streak Lost 1 Won 1 Goals/Game Goals Against/Game Shots/Game Shots Against/Game Faceoff % Power Play % (Rank) 16.0 (25) 24.7 (3) Penalty Kill % (Rank) 79.0 (24) 80.7 (T18) ES Corsi For %

4 Category Hurricanes Lightning ES PDO PIM/Game 5:58 9:05 Goaltender #1 Category Cam Ward Andrei Vasilevskiy Record Save % GAA Goaltender #2 Category Scott Darling Louis Domingue Record Save % GAA Game Notes The Hurricanes lead all-time series against Tampa Bay with a record, including a record in Florida. Tonight marks the second of three games between the former division rivals; the first came on October 24th when the Lightning dominated by a score of 5-1. The last game in the series will also be the Canes last game in the regular season, coming on April 7th in PNC Arena. Sebastian Aho left Saturday night s 7-1 routing in Boston after entangling his skate with a Bruin and twisting his right leg awkwardly in what looked like it could be a serious leg injury. While he did not return to the game, he was declared to be day-to-day by the team and participated in a normal practice routine yesterday. The Hurricanes take on the league s best team tonight in a game of consequence. The Penguins have overtaken the Canes in the WC2 playoff spot with 47 points, but picking up a point or two tonight would vault the Canes back over Pittsburgh. Storm Advisory The 2018 World Junior Championship has drawn to an entertaining close here are some takeaways. [The Athletic ($)] Which NHL players are most deserving to walk the red carpet at the All-Star game? [ESPN] The NHL is currently uneven with 31 teams total. How would the league realign if Seattle received an expansion bid? [ESPN] The inaugural Hurricanes Bash has been announced. Grab your tickets to benefit a good cause now: The Hurricanes alumni game is coming up this Saturday, and parking and admission are completely free: Hometown Weekly Report: January 8 Written by Nicholas Niedzielski Published: January 08, 2018 The Checkers wrapped up a tough road trip with a sweep at the hands of the Hershey Bears before returning home for a much needed home stand. Week in Review Team Statistics Overall record Home record Road record Last weeks' record Last 10 games Division Standings 4th Conference Standings 7th League Standings 10th Hershey 5, Checkers 1 Heading to Hershey for the first time this season, the Checkers battled through a deadlocked first period before a Jake Chelios tally midway through the middle frame nabbed them the lead. The Bears would draw back even a minute later, then jumped ahead in the waning moments of the

5 period to start a roll of their own. Hershey would score twice more to go ahead 4-1 with half a period to go and force the Checkers into some drastic moves. Charlotte pulled their goalie with over five minutes to play in hopes of sparking a rally, but the move would backfire, with Hershey skating away with the convincing victory. Full recap Hershey 3, Checkers 0 Charlotte s offensive drought rolled over into the next night s rematch, as the Checkers were unable to solve Hershey netminder Vitek Vanecek, who denied all 29 shots he was faced with. On the other side, Riley Barber gave the Bears an early lead less than 90 seconds into the contest, one that they would hang on to for the remainder of regulation. Hershey would add two more tallies to cushion their lead and come away with the weekend sweep of Charlotte. Full recap Three Stars Of The Week 3rd Star Andrew Miller 0g, 1a 2nd Star Nicolas Roy 0g, 1a 1st Star Jake Chelios 1g, 0a Notables ROAD WEARY The Checkers are returning home after a tough road trip in which the club go through Binghamton, Lehigh Valley and Hershey. By points percentage, this marks the worst of Charlotte s five road trips so far this season, though the win in Lehigh Valley on Dec. 30 helped the team avoid matching the four-game losing streak that occurred during the latter half of November s trek. Charlotte, which is now over its last 11 road games, is away from home this season, with those nine road losses tied for the most in the conference. MISSING OFFENSE Valentin Zykov Selected To 2018 AHL All-Star Classic Read More Notebook: Fixing Things Read More Last Week's News Science Of Hockey Program Returns It s no secret that it has been Charlotte s offense propelling the team through the first half of this season, but this recent slump has seen that attack largely absent. Despite still ranking second in the AHL in terms of goals per game, the Checkers have scored two or fewer goals in four of their last five games, all of which have been losses. Prior to that, the Checkers had been held to two or fewer goals in consecutive games just once back-to-back losses on the road in Springfield in mid-november. The Checkers are this season when scoring two or fewer goals. POWER OUTAGE This recent string of road losses also showcased just how important Charlotte s power play has been this season. The Checkers failed to convert on the man advantage in four of the five games during this most recent road trip, all of which ended in losses. Charlotte s power play, which ranks as the third-best in the AHL, has only gone scoreless 13 times all season, with the team going in those instances. STINGY ON SHOTS The Checkers have locked down their opponents shooting chances as of late. They have allowed 23 or fewer shots on goal in five of the last nine contests, jumping up to third in the AHL rankings. Charlotte is overall in games where the team s opponent registers 23 or fewer shots, but are in the four most recent instances. In those three losses, the Checkers have allowed five goals on 18 shots, six goals on 19 shots and five goals on 23 shots. ROY WOWS While Warren Foegele has been taking most of the headlines, Nicolas Roy is quietly putting together a very strong rookie campaign. The first-year pro ranks fifth on the team in scoring, while his 15 helpers lead all team rookies and rank fourth overall. Roy has been especially strong as of late, notching eight points in his last eight games. Ranks Andrew Miller is tied for seventh in the AHL in scoring (34) and is tied for fifth in assists (25) Valentin Zykov leds the league in goals (19), is tied for the league lead in power-play goals (11) and ranks second in shooting percentage (31.1) Warren Foegele is tied for second among league rookies and tied for fifth in the AHL in goals (17), leads the league in shorthanded points (6), is tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals (4), ranks sixth among league rookies in points (27) and ranks third among rookies in shooting percentage Philip Samuelsson is tied for third in the AHL in plus-minus (+22) Alex Nedeljkovic is tied for third in the AHL in wins (14) Nicolas Roy is tied for second among league rookies in shorthanded goals (2) and is tied for 17th in scoring Trevor Carrick is tied for third among league defensemen in assists (18), ranks second in powerplay assists (14) and is tied for fourth in power-play points (14) INJURIES Sergey Tolchinsky missed three games starting 12/30 Patrick Brown missed one game starting 1/8 Transactions Incoming

6 Jan. 3: (C) Aleksi Saarela assigned to Charlotte (AHL) Outgoing Jan. 3: (C) Mitchell Heard assigned to Florida (ECHL) Coming Up - Friday, Jan. 12 at 7:15 pm - Checkers vs. Toronto - Saturday, Jan. 13 at 6 pm - Checkers vs. Toronto By the Numbers CATEGORY RECORD AHL RANK Power play 22.1% 4th 3rd LAST WEEK Penalty kill 82.3% t-16th 17th Goals per game nd 2nd Shots per game th 17th Goals allowed per game Shots allowed per game Penalty minutes per game 3.06 t-15th t-13th rd 4th th t-9th CATEGORY Points Goals Assists Power play goals Shorthanded goals Game-winning goals Shots on goal Penalty minutes Plus/minus LEADER(S) Andrew Miller (34), Valentin Zykov, Warren Foegele (27) Valentin Zykov (19), Warren Foegele (17), Aleksi Saarela (13) Andrew Miller (25), Trevor Carrick (18), Nicolas Roy (15) Valentin Zykov (11), Aleksi Saarela (6), Patrick Brown, Andrew Poturalski (4) Warren Foegele (4), Nicolas Roy (2) Andrew Poturalski, Valentin Zykov, Warren Foegele (4) Aleksi Saarela (83), Warren Foegele (74), Andrew Poturalski (65) Zack Stortini (48), Trevor Carrick (44), Patrick Brown (40) Philip Samuelsson (+22), Roland McKeown (+20), Warren Foegele (+14) Wins Alex Nedeljkovic (14) Goals-against average Alex Nedeljkovic (2.85) Save percentage Jeremy Smith (.902) TODAY S LINKS