Metropolitan leader Carolina and Detroit meet

Detroit Red Wings (28-35-10, fifth in the Atlantic) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (48-18-8, first in the Metropolitan)

Raleigh, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Metropolitan-leading Carolina Hurricanes take on the Detroit Red Wings.

The Hurricanes are 26-13-6 in Eastern Conference games. Carolina has scored 246 goals and is ninth in the NHL averaging 3.3 per game. Sebastian Aho leads the team with 34.

The Red Wings are 18-18-5 in Eastern Conference play. Detroit averages 9.2 penalty minutes per game, the seventh-most in the Eastern Conference. Givani Smith leads the team serving 108 total minutes.

In their last meeting on March 1, Detroit won 4-3.

TOP PERFORMERS: Aho leads the Hurricanes with 75 points, scoring 34 goals and adding 41 assists. Andrei Svechnikov has six goals and five assists over the last 10 games for Carolina.

Dylan Larkin leads the Red Wings with 68 points, scoring 31 goals and adding 37 assists. Jakub Vrana has five goals over the last 10 games for Detroit.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 6-3-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.9 assists, 4.4 penalties and 10.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game with a .912 save percentage.

Red Wings: 2-5-3, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.2 assists, 3.7 penalties and 8.4 penalty minutes while giving up 4.1 goals per game with an .880 save percentage.

INJURIES: Hurricanes: Brendan Smith: day to day (undisclosed), Jesperi Kotkaniemi: out (lower-body).

Red Wings: Jake Walman: day to day (upper body), Givani Smith: out (undisclosed).

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