Nov 23, 2008 - 4:03 AM
0 shoutsNashville (9-9-1) at Carolina (11-7-2), 3:00 pm EST
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- It only seems fitting Eric Staal has reasserted himself as the Carolina Hurricanes' most prolific scorer during their season-high, three-game win streak.
Staal and the Hurricanes hope to continue their winning ways when they host the offensively dormant Nashville Predators on Sunday.
Staal recorded a hat trick in Carolina's 5-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday, completing the feat in the final minute of the second period. The 24-year-old had gone eight games without a goal - his longest drought since he went nine without one in the 2006-07 season.
After a 38-goal and 82-point campaign in 2007-08, Staal has just eight goals and 13 points through 20 games. Last season, it took him just 11 contests to reach eight tallies.
Prior to the Hurricanes' five-goal outburst, they had scored two goals or less in each of their previous seven games. Carolina defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2, in a shootout last Sunday and edged the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, two nights later.
Nashville has been hampered by offensive struggles as well, netting one goal in each of its last two games - a pair of 4-1 losses to the San Jose Sharks and Lightning, respectively, this week.
The Predators are 3-5-0 in their last eight games, seven of which have been played on the road.
From the Bleachers
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NASHVILLE: 5
CAROLINA: 2
Final
Nov 23 5:27 PM -
NHL
NASHVILLE 5
CAROLINA 2
3RD PRD: NAS - SHEA WEBER 10 (MARTIN ERAT, RADEK BONK) 12:42
Nov 23 5:18 PM -
NHL
NASHVILLE 4
CAROLINA 2
3RD PRD: CAR - CHAD LAROSE 5 (MATT CULLEN, JOSEF MELICHAR) 6:26
Nov 23 5:04 PM -
NHL
NASHVILLE 4
CAROLINA 1
3RD PRD: CAR - MATT CULLEN 5 (RYAN BAYDA) 0:32
Nov 23 4:53 PM -
NASHVILLE: 4
CAROLINA: 0
End of 2nd
Nov 23 4:34 PM -
NHL
NASHVILLE 4
CAROLINA 0
2ND PRD: NAS - JASON ARNOTT 10 (SHEA WEBER, MARTIN ERAT) 14:12
Nov 23 4:24 PM -
NHL
NASHVILLE 3
CAROLINA 0
2ND PRD: NAS - (PP) SHEA WEBER 9 (RYAN SUTER, DAVID LEGWAND) 8:42
Nov 23 4:18 PM -
NHL
NASHVILLE 2
CAROLINA 0
2ND PRD: NAS - SCOTT NICHOL 2 (GREG ZANON) 2:45
Nov 23 4:05 PM -
NASHVILLE: 1
CAROLINA: 0
End of 1st
Nov 23 3:42 PM -
NHL
NASHVILLE 1
CAROLINA 0
1ST PRD: NAS - JASON ARNOTT 9 (JEAN-PIERRE DUMONT, GREG DE VRIES)
13:59
Nov 23 3:34 PM
