The Hurricanes reached the midway point in the season with a 21-15-5 record. That's slightly better than the past two seasons, but the important part is that the team appears to be playing better.

Four victories in a row are part of the positive slant. More than that, they've settled on line combinations that appear to be stable. And they've gone with goalie Cam Ward for an extended stretch, settling that issue before it became complex.

Making those factors possible has been the restoring of a healthy lineup. For the first time in nearly two years, injuries haven't dictated the lineup.

The Hurricanes start the next phase of the season Thursday night at Florida. Not only is the lineup together, but it also seems more in tune under the new coaching staff than just a...

With his team down three against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, New Jersey coach Brent Sutter pulled his goalie when the Devils got a power play with about 9 minutes left in the game. The catch was that move put extra pressure on his son, Brandon, who was trying to kill the penalty for the Hurricanes.

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their modest winning streak by overcoming a slow start. Joni Pitkanen and Justin Williams each had a goal and an assist, and the Hurricanes rallied from an early two-goal deficit for a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. "We didn't press when we were down 2-0," Williams said.