Hurricanes hope to stay alive vs. Coyotes (Mar 21, 2018)

The Carolina Hurricanes haven't been eliminated from playoff contention, but they're trending in that direction without a major turnaround.

They'll be facing a team Thursday night that already has met the fate of being elimination from playoff contention.

The Arizona Coyotes can put the Hurricanes in a deeper hole if they can pull out a road victory at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.

"Where we are stinks," said Carolina center Jordan Staal said. "We have to come to work. We can't just not work. ... It's no fun to let each other down like that."

The Hurricanes have lost four of their past five games, sinking in the Eastern Conference standings after making it above the playoff line just a few weeks ago.

Now, there's little room for missteps if the Hurricanes are going to make the necessary climb.

"It's disappointing," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "If we're not the hardest-working team, we don't give ourselves a chance."

The Hurricanes insist much of this depends on turning in the right focus and effort.

"Just work ethic, it doesn't matter if we make mistakes," Staal said. "... When it gets loose is when we're not playing our game."

The Hurricanes have allowed at least six goals in four of their last seven games. Many of those goals given up have come in rapid sequences.

"When they score, they usually score their (next one) right away," Hurricanes right winger Sebastian Aho said.

Scott Darling was in the net for Tuesday night's 7-3 home loss to Edmonton, with all indications that the Hurricanes will go back to Cam Ward for the Arizona game.

Arizona began its six-game road trip by learning that defenseman Jason Demers would miss the last 10 games of the season because of an upper-body injury.

The Coyotes, who won 4-1 on Wednesday night at Buffalo, will play six games in nine nights on the road.

The Coyotes put Dylan Strome, who racked up 50 points in 47 AHL games, right to work.

"He got called up to play," Arizona assistant coach John MacLean said of the 21-year-old center.

Strome said: "We try to preach the same thing down there as we do up here. Just have fun and go out there and do your thing."

For Arizona's Clayton Keller, this will be the first chance to increase a franchise record that he set Wednesday night. His 55 points are a rookie team record.

Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet returned after missing Monday's game to attend his mother's funeral.

The Hurricanes announced Wednesday that defenseman Brett Pesce and forward Victor Rask will miss the remainder of the season because of shoulder injuries. Pesce was on the ice 20 minutes Tuesday night.

Already this week, the Hurricanes are without defenseman Noah Hanifin because of a concussion.

The Hurricanes recalled defenseman Roland McKeown on emergency from the American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers. McKeown, 22, made his NHL debut Nov. 4 at Arizona, marking one of his three NHL games.

The Hurricanes are 16-15-6 on home ice with four home games remaining, so they won't be able to win a majority of their home games.

In the previous meeting this season, Arizona won at home in a 2-1 shootout Nov. 4.