Hurricanes cling to slim playoff hopes, visit Devils

The Stanley Cup will be outside the Prudential Center Saturday before the New Jersey Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes.

Unfortunately for both teams, it's likely the closest each will get to the Cup this season.

As part of the NHL Centennial Fan Arena touring exhibit, the Stanley Cup will be on display in Championship Square next to the Prudential Center on Saturday. Fans can see it ahead as the last-place Devils (27-34-12) play out the string while the Hurricanes (32-27-13) cling to remote playoff hopes.

This will be the fifth consecutive season that New Jersey fails to reach the postseason. Carolina is on the verge of an eighth straight year missing the playoffs.

However, the Hurricanes are not out of it just yet. By virtue of their current nine-game points streak (6-0-3), Carolina is just five points out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 10 games to play.

What makes the Hurricanes task so difficult, though, is that they sit behind three teams in the standings in the battle for the final postseason berth in the East.

"The guys are real smart," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said to the team's web site. "They know what's on the line; and they know that it's very important for them moving forward. That's really what it amounts to. This is the most important time of the season."

The Hurricanes are coming off a 4-1 victory over the Canadiens in Montreal on Thursday, and will be closing out a four-game road trip in New Jersey. Lee Stempniak recorded his second two-goal game of the season in Thursday's win, and the red-hot Jeff Skinner netted his team-high 29th goal, his eighth in the past seven contests.

"We're just playing a complete game," said Stempniak, who has seven points in his last seven contests. "We're not making mental mistakes, and we're working hard. I think there's some confidence to our game."

Elias Lindholm extended his point-scoring streak to nine consecutive games with his 10th goal in Montreal; and the Hurricanes are now 21-5-5 this season when he records a point.

Backup goaltender Eddie Lack made 21 saves Thursday, and has won each of his last three starts, allowing only four goals in that span.

"It was a huge two points for us," Lack told the Hurricanes web site. "We just want to keep rolling here."

Peters did not say whether Lack or Cam Ward will start against the Devils. Likewise, Devils coach John Hynes has not committed to either Cory Schneider or Keith Kinkaid as the starter between the pipes on Saturday.

In fact, Hynes said after his club's 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday that playing time down the stretch, at all positions, will be decided on a game to game basis.

"The objective, like everything, is to give guys opportunities, but it also comes down to performance," Hynes said. "We'll give guys opportunities as long as they play well and deserve them."

Several youngsters on the Devils roster are taking advantage of increased playing time in the final weeks of the season.

Pavel Zacha, the 2015 first-round draft pick, enters play Saturday on a six-game point streak. The 19-year-old also has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his last 24 games.

Fellow first-rounder John Quenneville (2016) has three points in five games since being recalled from the minor leagues, including his first NHL goal and two-point game this past Tuesday against the New York Rangers.

Of course, the club still leans heavily on veteran Kyle Palmieri, who leads the Devils with 25 goals and 50 points this season, his second straight 50-point campaign. Palmieri has 10 goals and 17 points in his last 15 games.

"I'm getting some better shots off, shooting more, and making sure they hit the net," Palmieri said of his strong second half play this season. "Our whole line (Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac) is playing well, keeping opposing goaltenders honest during this good stretch here."

The Devils are 2-3-0 in their last five games after a brutal 0-8-2 winless skid.

This is the fourth and final meeting this season between the Devils and Hurricanes, with New Jersey winning the first three contests by an aggregate 10-4 score.