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'Canes aim for first win of season against Jets

Oct 21, 2014 - 3:06 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Carolina Hurricanes are finally starting to get healthy and hope that can lead them to their first victory of the season on Tuesday night as they visit the Winnipeg Jets.

The Hurricanes are winless through their first four games of the season and have posted back-to-back shootout losses following a pair of setbacks to the New York Islanders to open the schedule.

Carolina has not gone five straight games without a win to open the season since 2003-04, when the club posted two losses and three ties. The 1987-88 Hartford Whalers marked the last time the franchise opened a season 0-5.

Carolina, though, is expected to have forward Jeff Skinner in the lineup for the first time this season as he returns from a concussion suffered on Oct. 5 in the preseason finale.

The 2011 Calder Trophy winner collected a career-high 33 goals along with 54 points in 71 games last year, his fourth in the NHL.

"I feel good. It's been nice for me to have a few practices under my belt. We've had a couple real good days out here, and that's been good for my confidence," Skinner said on Carolina's website. "I'm ready to get going"

Defenseman Andrej Sekera (upper body) and John-Michael Liles (undisclosed) could also return to the ice tonight, while forward Eric Staal, who has missed the past two with an upper-body injury, is expected to travel with Carolina for the rest of its road trip.

The Hurricanes began a five-game swing with a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers last Thursday and play their next four in Western Canada.

Forward Chris Terry has stepped up for the shorthanded Hurricanes, scoring three goals in four games. He had the lone tally versus the Rangers, while Anton Khudobin made 33 saves.

"The effort was good," said Hurricanes first-year head coach Bill Peters. "These guys work and compete. Can't question that."

Khudobin lost his only career start versus the Jets, but gave up only two goals on 27 shots faced. Cam Ward is 22-11-4 with a 2.96 goals against average and .902 save percentage versus the Jets and it is unknown which goaltender will start tonight.

The Jets come in having lost four straight in regulation since a season- opening 6-2 win at Arizona. They have scored just two goals over the losing streak while giving up 13.

Winnipeg saw Calgary score three times in the second period on Sunday en route to a 4-1 setback. Mark Scheifele had the goal and Ondrej Pavelec made 25 saves.

"In that second period you have to find that confidence to stay up and stay aggressive," Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice said.

Maurice will face the Hurricanes for the first time since his second stint as the club's head coach came to an end on Nov. 28, 2011. He first joined the franchise as head coach of the Whalers in 1995-96 before getting fired midway through the 2003-04 campaign, and was again hired as the club's head coach on Dec. 2, 2008.

Winnipeg will play the third contest of a five-game homestand hoping to avoid losing five straight in regulation for the first time since Jan. 2-11.

Pavelec is 7-7-2 with a 3.47 GAA and .890 save percentage in 17 previous starts versus the Hurricanes.

The Jets have won five of the last seven meetings between these two clubs, though the 'Canes have taken a victory in three of their last four trips to Winnipeg.