WRAL Sports Fan

Hurricanes

Hurricanes may be without three top forwards

By Tim Hall

Nov 6, 2009

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs have been on a collision course for the past week.  Both teams have been stuck with just 7 points in the standings.  That's a tie for the league-low.  Both teams are riding four-game losing streaks.  And somebody has to win Friday night.

But right as the other low team in the standings comes to town injuries hit Carolina hard again.  Forwards Tuomo Ruutu and Ray Whitney both suffered upper body injuries in the 3-0 loss at Florida Wednesday.  Eric Staal missed that game and the latest release from the Hurricanes lists him being out 2-4 weeks.

Ruutu and Whitney both took part in the pre-game skate at the RBC Center on Friday but both are still game time decisions.  Defenseman Nick Wallin was missing from the skate but he will play against Toronto.

Late Thursday Carolina recalled Zach Boychuk from the Albany River Rats.  The 20-year-old could be in line to make his NHL-season debut against Toronto. 

The Canes would be without three of their top five scorers if Staal, Whitney and Ruutu all sit out.  While that remains to be seen general manager Jim Rutherford hopes a win is near after the performance in Florida.

“But when things are going bad, they go bad. We couldn’t buy a break around the net, and they get breaks on both of their deflected goals. At some point in time, we’re going to get some deflected goals and end up on top," Rutherford told CarolinaHurricanes.com.

As the Hurricanes are dinged up in their scoring department, Leafs star winger Phil Kessel just made his long awaited season debut on Tuesday night in an overtime loss to Tampa Bay.  Kessel took a huge hit from Mattias Ohlund early in the game and it didn't phase him.  The 36-goal scorer with Boston a year ago had offseason rotator cuff and labrum surgery, and he was skating in practice on Thursday.

Carolina's seven points in the first 14 games matches the worst start in franchise history.  The Whalers went through the same start in 1992 and 1993.