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Thrashers-Hurricanes Preview

Nov 27, 2009 - 7:30 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Atlanta (11-7-3) at Carolina (5-14-5), 7:00 p.m. EDT

No matter where they've played or how loud the crowd has been, the Atlanta Thrashers have thrived on the road this season.

The Thrashers will try to add their impressive record away from home Friday night by denying the Carolina Hurricanes their fourth straight victory at the RBC Center.

Atlanta (11-7-3) is tied for second in the Southeast Division mainly on the strength of its 7-2-1 road record. The Thrashers earned another impressive victory away from home Wednesday night by beating reigning Western Conference champion Detroit 2-0 to open this two-game trip.

Former Red Wing Slava Kozlov had a goal and an assist for the second straight game, and Ondrej Pavelec - feeding off the crowd at Joe Louis Arena - stopped 40 shots for his second shutout this season.

"It's pretty fun to play in front of this crowd and those people," Pavelec said. "They were loud."

The Thrashers began this trip after a 0-1-2 stretch at home in which they gave up 10 goals.

Despite the Hurricanes' struggles, Atlanta could get a test in this matchup. Carolina (5-14-5) is averaging a league-worst 2.17 goals on the season but has come alive during its home win streak, scoring 12 times in its last three games at the RBC Center.

The Hurricanes have also won four of their last five meetings with the Thrashers since Feb. 21, 2008.

Back from a 10-game absence due to an upper-body injury, Hurricanes All-Star center Eric Staal is set to play his first home game since Nov. 1.

Staal returned to the ice Wednesday night in Anaheim and assisted on Brandon Sutter's goal with 53 seconds to play, but Carolina couldn't find the equalizer in a 3-2 defeat - its second straight loss.

"Every loss stinks," goaltender Manny Legace said. "It seems like we played that third period not to lose."

Staal has a franchise-record 90 goals at the RBC Center, but only one assist in six games there this season. He has 15 career goals against the Thrashers - his second-most against any opponent - but hasn't scored against them since recording a hat trick in Atlanta on Dec. 26, 2008.

Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk tied a career high with five points (two goals, three assists) in the last meeting between these clubs, a 5-3 home win for the Thrashers on Feb. 28. Kovalchuk's 29 goals versus the Hurricanes are his most against any opponent.

Getting Kovalchuk on the scoreboard early could be key if the Thrashers are to snap Carolina's home win streak. Atlanta is the league's only team to win every game in which it's led.

The Thrashers are also 8-0-0 when scoring first, but have just one goal in their last two visits to Carolina.

Pavelec allowed five goals in his only previous matchup against the Hurricanes on Nov. 10, 2007. Atlanta teammate Johan Hedberg has struggled to a 4.23 goals-against average in his last five starts against Carolina, but has won two of them.

With Michael Leighton suffering from a groin injury, the Hurricanes could give Legace his fifth straight start or Justin Peters might make his NHL debut. Legace, signed to a one-year contract Nov. 9 after starter Cam Ward suffered a lacerated leg, has not faced the Thrashers since Dec. 23, 2007, but is 2-0-1 with a 1.33 lifetime GAA against them.