Metropolitan leader Carolina and Buffalo meet

Carolina Hurricanes (45-16-8, first in the Metropolitan) vs. Buffalo Sabres (25-34-11, sixth in the Atlantic)

Buffalo, New York; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Metropolitan-leading Carolina Hurricanes face Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres are 11-19-10 in conference play. Buffalo is ninth in the Eastern Conference with 29.8 shots per game and is averaging 2.7 goals.

The Hurricanes are 24-11-6 in Eastern Conference play. Carolina is third in the Eastern Conference averaging 5.8 assists per game, led by Tony DeAngelo with 0.7.

In their last meeting on Dec. 4, Carolina won 6-2. Teuvo Teravainen scored a team-high two goals for the Hurricanes in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 54 points, scoring 31 goals and collecting 23 assists. Jeff Skinner has five goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Buffalo.

DeAngelo leads the Hurricanes with a plus-27 in 51 games this season. Teravainen has 10 points over the last 10 games for Carolina.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 5-2-3, averaging three goals, 5.2 assists, 2.1 penalties and 4.4 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game with an .887 save percentage.

Hurricanes: 4-3-3, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.8 assists, 4.2 penalties and 10.9 penalty minutes while allowing 2.2 goals per game with a .916 save percentage.

INJURIES: Sabres: None listed.

Hurricanes: Jesperi Kotkaniemi: out (lower-body), Ethan Bear: day to day (lower-body).

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