Hurricanes 1 - 4 Canucks
Final
  for this game

Staal set to return as winless 'Canes battle Canucks

Oct 28, 2014 - 3:12 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The winless Carolina Hurricanes will welcome Eric Staal back into the lineup on Tuesday night.

It couldn't come any sooner.

The Hurricanes try to avoid an eighth straight setback to begin the season on Tuesday night as they visit the Vancouver Canucks.

Staal has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury, one of several players to miss time already this season. Staal's brother Jordan has not played yet due to a broken right fibula, while a concussion sidelined Jeff Skinner for a few games earlier in the month.

Eric Staal, who has proven rather durable over his career with just 20 games missed due to injury, figures to return right the first line between Jiri Tlusty and Alexander Semin.

"He's a big, strong guy," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said on his team's website. "Now you're able to bump guys down in the lineup to where they should be as young guys, and it just gives you a little more depth at that position."

Carolina's 0-5-2 start in the worst in franchise history and the club was bested 6-3 by the Edmonton Oilers last time out on Friday. Skinner, Riley Nash and Jay Harrison all scored, but the Oilers finished the game with three unanswered goals in the third period.

Harrison also had an assist and Anton Khudobin made 23 saves.

"The effort was fine. I thought we competed and did good things," Peters said. "We need a win here sooner rather than later."

Cam Ward will start for Carolina tonight and is 2-3-1 with a 3.33 goals against average and .882 save percentage in six prior meetings with Vancouver.

While the return of Staal should provide a boost, the Hurricanes will be looking to win in Vancouver for the first time since Oct. 15, 1999. They have lost six straight as the guest in this series since.

The Canucks look to make it two victories in a row overall tonight as they bested the Washington Capitals 4-2 on Sunday. Henrik Sedin, Nick Bonino and Luca Sbisa all scored during a 1:47 span late in the second period.

Ryan Miller made 20 saves and Radim Vrbata added an empty-net goal for the Canucks, who had dropped three of their last four games coming in. Chris Higgins added two assists.

"I thought we defended pretty well," Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins said. "Miller came up with some big saves for sure."

Miller is 13-9-4 with a 2.67 GAA and .914 save percentage lifetime versus Carolina.






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