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Hurricanes face Lightning hoping to increase division lead

Nov 8, 2007 - 2:17 PM Tampa Bay (6-8-1) at Carolina (9-3-3) 7:00 pm EST

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The Carolina Hurricanes look to continue their impressive start Thursday when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Even though the season still is young, Carolina already leads the Southeast Division by seven points with no other team above .500. They have registered an NHL-best 58 goals so far this season.

Cory Stillman scored a natural hat trick in the first 12 minutes and Eric Staal added a pair to lead Carolina to a 5-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Monday night. Stillman became the second player in franchise history to record a first-period hat trick. Ron Francis had the other in 1985, when the team was based in Hartford.

Goaltender Cam Ward recorded his third career regular-season shutout - all against the Capitals - for the Hurricanes, who have won five of its last seven games.

On the other side of the rink, the Lightning appear to be getting back on track. Johan Holmqvist stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced as the Lightning snapped a six-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

After winning five of his first six starts, Holmqvist failed to register a victory in each of his next five. The Swedish neminder, however, put together one of his better outings of the season Wednesday en route to his first win since October 25.

Vincent Lecavalier, who registered a goal and an assist Wednesday, has eight tallies and a team-leading 20 points this season after winning the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2006-07. He scored a league-leading 52 goals last season.