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Hurricanes-Predators Preview

Jan 7, 2010 - 2:07 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Carolina (11-23-7) at Nashville (25-15-3), 8:00 p.m. EDT

It appears the Carolina Hurricanes have finally hit their stride away from home. Continuing that road success could be a challenge without one of their top players.

The Hurricanes will be without star center Eric Staal as they try for a third consecutive road win Thursday night against the Nashville Predators.

Tied with Ray Whitney with a team-leading 27 points, Stall was granted a leave of absence after his wife's sister died of cancer earlier this week at age 26.

The Hurricanes (11-23-7), whose 29 points are the fewest in the NHL, are already minus injured forwards Erik Cole (upper body), Chad LaRose (lower body) and Scott Walker (shoulder) and defenseman Joe Corvo (calf). Winger Sergei Samsonov could miss a second straight game with an upper-body injury.

Losing Staal comes at a time when Carolina has won consecutive road games for the first time this season. The Hurricanes are a league-worst 3-13-4 away from home, but won 6-3 at Washington on Dec. 28, and 2-1 in overtime against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday for their second win in three games overall.

"We're on a roll," said Carolina coach Paul Maurice, whose team is 6-6-2 since going 3-13-3 from Oct. 23-Nov. 30. "We won our last two (on the road).

"It's really important for us because we are looking for confidence in any area that we can find it."

Cam Ward has helped keep the Hurricanes competitive of late, allowing three or fewer goals in seven straight starts. Ward, who's started 11 of 12 games since missing 13 with a lacerated left leg, made 27 saves Saturday against the Rangers after stopping 33 shots in a 2-1 loss to them last Thursday.

Ward is 6-14-5 with a 3.03 goals-against average on the season and 0-2-0 with a 3.02 GAA against Nashville.

Whitney, who scored the winner against the Rangers, has three points in his last three games, but one assist in his last four contests versus the Predators.

Though Carolina has some generated some momentum on the road, it's 1-4-0 all-time at Nashville. The Predators have won two in a row and three of the last four (3-0-1) in the series.

Defenseman Shea Weber had two goals and an assist in Nashville's 5-2 win at Carolina in their last meeting Nov. 23, 2008.

Nashville (25-15-3) looks to bounce back after having its three-game winning streak snapped with a 3-1 loss to Calgary on Tuesday.

The Predators didn't score until Patric Hornqvist tallied his team-leading 14th goal late in the third period as they fell to 1-1 on a four-game homestand.

"We didn't have a lot of motivation and that comes out to be the difference in the hockey game," said Nashville forward Steve Sullivan, who has two assists in his last two games overall and three points in the last four against Carolina.

After Dan Ellis made 31 saves in Tuesday's loss, Pekka Rinne is expected to be back in net for the Predators, who've alternated goaltenders the last seven games.

Rinne is 16-7-2 with a 2.74 GAA, but has never faced Carolina.