Carolina (8-6-2) at Atlanta (6-7-2), 7:30 p.m. EST
ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The surging Atlanta Thrashers look to remain
hot on Friday as they host the Carolina Hurricanes in a
Southeast Division clash.
The Thrashers have recovered from a miserable start - going
1-7-1 from October 14 to November 1 - to win four straight
games. An offense that looked awful has finally emerged,
registering at least four goals in each of the last four
contests.
They will try to extend their winning streak to five against a
familiar opponent. Not only are the Hurricanes one of their
division rivals, but the Thrashers just took care of them a few
days ago. In a November 9 meeting in Raleigh, the Thrashers
scored four second-period goals to take control en route to a
5-2 triumph.
Left wing Ilya Kovalchuk tallied his sixth goal of the season in
the victory, while goaltender Johan Hedberg made 35 saves. He
has picked up two wins in a row while filling in between the
pipes for starter Kari Lehtonen, who has been out since October
30 with a stiff back and flu symptoms.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have dropped two straight - both
within the division. Following their loss to Atlanta, they were
dominated by the Southeast-leading Washington Capitals thanks to
Alexander Semin's two-goal, three-assist performance.
Carolina has scored just seven goals over its last four games.