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Goalie Nods: Hurricanes go back to Eddie Lack

Carolina Hurricanes v Philadelphia Flyers

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 15: Goalie Eddie Lack #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes in action against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on December 15, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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The last time we saw Eddie Lack in the crease for the Carolina Hurricanes he allowed four goals on 16 shots against the Tampa Bay Lightning and drew the wrath of his coach, Bill Peters (who had no regrets about it).

It was a poor performance, in what has been a rough season for Lack that has included a concussion and a second straight disappointing stat line since he joined the team at the start of the 2015-16 season.

He is going to get an opportunity to redeem himself for that poor showing this past week when he gets the start on Sunday night in Arizona against the Coyotes as the Hurricanes look to snap their current five-game losing streak. That streak is a part of a 14-game stretch that has seen the team win just four games.

Lack enters the game on Sunday currently sitting 60th out of the 60 goalies that have appeared in at least 10 games this season in save percentage, and is looking for anything to help salvage his season and time with the Hurricanes. When they acquired him a year ago it was with the intention that he might be able to challenge Cam Ward, or at least give him a capable platoon partner in the net, to help solidify a position that has been a consistent weakness for several years now.

None of that has happened.

In his 43 appearances with the Hurricanes over two years he has managed only an .896 save percentage which currently places him among the bottom of the NHL’s goaltender leaderboard.

He gets an opportunity to get back on track against a Coyotes team that beat the Hurricanes -- and Ward -- on Friday night.

The Coyotes will go with Mike Smith.

Elsewhere on Sunday...

-- Thomas Greiss goes for the New York Islanders, who will be without defenseman Johnny Boychuk, when they visit the Calgary Flames. The Flames will start Brian Elliott.

-- Matt Murray is back in the starters net for the Pittsburgh Penguins for their Sunday evening game against the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson gets the call for the Sabres.

-- It will be Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Cory Schneider when the Blue Jackets pay a visit to New Jersey to take on the Devils. Both teams are playing the second half of a back-to-back this weekend.

-- No word yet from the Sharks and Wild on their starters. It will likely be Martin Jones vs. Devan Dubnyk.

-- Richard Bachman will make his first start in the NHL this season for the Vancouver Canucks when they visit the Anaheim Ducks. Bachman appeared in just one NHL game a year ago. The Ducks have yet to announce their starting goaltender for Sunday night’s game.

-- Jake Allen goes for the St. Louis Blues as they try to snap their five-game losing streak when they visit the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche have yet to announce their starter.