For a team only 15 games deep into the season (albeit a shortened one), the Carolina Hurricanes have battled far more adversity than you would guess especially considering that they enter tonight's game sitting atop (tied but with a game in hand) the division standings.

The team started the season with 2 miserable efforts and resounding losses before gradually clawing its way into the 2013 season with a few wins followed by a great stretch of road hockey at least in terms of results.

Then the Canes were hit by a rash of injuries all within 4-5 days of each other losing Skinner, Brent, Pitkanen, Gleason and McBain. Suddenly they were playing with a makeshift lineup that included the fall AHL pairing of Sanguinetti/Jordan and emergency callup Ryan Murphy making an unexpected debut in the top 4. Then the whole swap mart scene for the equipment managers and locker room placard posters was compounded by consecutive real rough efforts by Cam Ward who had a relapse after seemingly righting the ship after a slow start.

So tonight it looks like we get another makeshift blue line (doesn't sound like Pitkanen or Gleason will be ready to go) combined with a return to Dan Ellis in net. The timing makes for drama and excitement as the Canes play co-division leader Tampa and the boatload of offensive weapons that they have.

The drama for tonight is along worth the price of admission though there are no guarantees that this story ends well:

--Does Tampa's league-leading offense feast on the undermanned Canes blue line to the tune of 6-7 goals and a miserable night for Canes faithful?

--Or does the patchwork defense play well (as it did Thu despite the loss) and get more help in net for a feel-good home win and assertion that the Canes are the team to catch in the Southeast?

--Does Ryan Murphy who settled in nicely on Thursday logging almost 24 minutes look even better and stake a claim to a spot on the Canes blue line just as soon as the Canes can give it to him (maybe April after his junior season ends)?

--Do the Canes leaders rise up in the face of adversity and match the Lightning in terms of intensity and offensive production with big nights from Eric's top line that continues to play well and also Jordan who will get a big assignment trying to shut down 1 of Tampa's 2 great scoring lines?

--Can Dan Ellis muster another stellar effort this time against an even better offensive team, right the ship as he has done a couple times already in this short season and stake a claim to the #1 goalie slot for the time being?

The stakes are obviously much lower, but this one has the feeling of game #5 vs. New Jersey in the 2002 playoffs if anyone's memory goes back that far.

Personally, I am hoping to see Ryan Murphy's first goal or at least scoring point in person before he gets shipped back to juniors. And I look for a solid effort from Ellis combined with a similarly decent defensive effort leading to an entertaining 5-4 Canes win.

If nothing else, it is worth attending or tuning in to see how it ends!

For a quick heads up when I post a Canes blog follow me on Twitter at CarolinaMatt63.

Go Canes!

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