WHERE: RBC Center, Raleigh TV: FSN RADIO: WCMC-99.9

TICKETS: (919) 834-4000

BURNING QUESTION

Can the Hurricanes maintain their momentum at home against a defensively sound team likely to make few mistakes with the puck?

CAROLINA

Back-to-backs problem for Canes

The Canes return home to the RBC Center, where they're 8-1-1 in their past 10 games, after Wednesday night's game at the Atlanta Thrashers. ... Cam Ward has started seven straight games in goal. ... This is the 15th of Carolina's 17 back-to-back sets this season. The Canes are 4-8-2 in the second game -- 0-2-1 in the past three. ... The Hurricanes are 2-6-0 against Western Conference teams. PLAYERS TO WATCHGLEN WESLEY, D

If he's in the lineup tonight, Wesley will play in his 1,446th NHL game, tying Tim Horton for sixth all-time among defensemen and 14th in NHL history. Among active players, only Chris Chelios and Brendan Shanahan have played more games than Wesley, 39, who went into Wednesday's game with six points. MINNESOTA

Wild looking for first Raleigh goal

The Wild has never scored in two games at the RBC Center, losing 2-0 in January 2002 (Arturs Irbe) and 1-0 in March 2003 (Kevin Weekes). ... Minnesota went 2-0-1 at Southeast Division opponents last week, then returned home for two games. The Wild completes its tour of the Southeast this week. ... Kurtis Foster (back), Petteri Nummelin (groin) and Derek Boogaard (back) are out.SEAN HILL, D

Hill, who appeared in 369 games in two stints with Carolina, returns to the RBC Center with his third team since leaving as a free agent in 2004. A two-time 13-goal scorer with the Canes, he has yet to score this season in 25 games after serving a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL's steroid policy.