Pitkanen, Walker will miss Canes' road trip

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Pitkanen, Ruutu on Finnish team

Canes defenseman Joni Pitkanen and forward Tuomo Ruutu have been named to Finland's Olympic team for the 2010 Vancouver Games, but forward Jussi Jokinen was left off the team.

Team Canada will be named at noon today.

Pitkanen and Ruutu both missed the 2006 Winter Games because of injuries and will be making their Olympic debuts.

Canes aim for more scoring

The Carolina Hurricanes' first practice of 2010 ended Friday with several players lined up, firing shot after shot, slamming pucks into the net in rapid-fire fashion.

If only the Canes could do that more often in games.

Consider that the Hurricanes have scored fewer than three goals in 24 games this season. Their record in those games: 1-20-3.

Pitkanen getting his legs back

A lot of eyes seemed to be following Joni Pitkanen around the ice Tuesday at the RBC Center.

The defenseman was putting in his first full practice with the Carolina Hurricanes since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Sept. 10. Pitkanen missed all four preseason exhibition games but hopes to be fit enough and ready come Friday when the Canes open the regular season against the Philadelphia Flyers.

But Tuesday was the first big test for No. 25.

Canes' Pitkanen to have knee surgery

Canes defenseman Joni Pitkanen will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will be sidelined for a couple of weeks, general manager Jim Rutherford said today.

Pitkanen has skated this week in informal workouts at the RecZone in preparation for training camp but left the ice early Wednesday. He had knee surgery early last season and missed eight games.

"I don't know exactly the nature of the injury but it is my understanding he will be out for a couple of weeks," Rutherford said. "My understanding of it is that it is minor."

Maurice: Staal may return next week

Canes coach Paul Maurice said today that center Eric Staal may be able to return to the lineup next week.

Staal has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury. He had played 349 consecutive regular-season games, the second-longest active streak in the NHL, before missing the Florida game on Nov. 4.

"We really want to make sure we don't put him back in and this thing get reaggravated," Maurice said. "We can't go through this again. We need him to come back and play and play his big minutes."