Sometimes, a few small changes can make a big difference. Coach Paul Maurice hopes that's the case with the Canes.

Maurice has shuffled the lines the past couple of games. He has moved Rod Brind'Amour from center to wing. He has Eric Staal on the point on the power play. He has the option of playing Jussi Jokinen at center or the wing -- the same for Brandon Sutter.

Will that translate into a victory Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues? No one can say, of course, but the Canes believe they're taking the right steps to ending their funk and six-game winless streak (0-3-3).

"There's been some better hockey by us the last couple of games," Staal said today after another productive practice. "It hasn't gotten us what we want. We have to work our way out of this and continue to work the way we have the last couple of days."

Most teams have a lull or losing streak during the season. The Canes are taking the approach they're having theirs at the start of the season, which in turns means there is no luxury of having another later.

"We've kind of put that affordability out of the question," Brind'Amour said. "At least we have a lot of season. We don't have to get to the top of the leader board in a month, but we do need to be there at the end of the year.

"We've got to chip away and chip away and get back in it. We have a lot of games to do that. But we can't have any more down time. We've had it and now we have to get it going."

Staying out of the penalty box will be a key to the turnaround. The Canes worked a lot the last two days on keeping their sticks down and out of the areas that have cost them a host of penalties in the first 10 games.

"It's keeping us from really pushing that momentum," Maurice said. "It's got to be 10 or 11 mimutes (in penalties) to (the opponents') three and four minutes each of our last two games, and nobody does that well.

"I think that's the big factor in how we're playing. ... I don't mind some of the penalties you take. You go in, you're aggressive, crosses the line, this game happens so fast sometimes that's just going to happen.

"It's the penalty that does nothing for you, there's no benefit to it. Basically every time we've lifted our stick to parallel we're going to the box. We've either got to complain about it or stop lifting our sticks -- those are our two options."

Maurice said Jokinen and Sutter may alternate between center and the wing. It's likely Jokinen will be at center against the Blues.

UPDATE: Center Stephane Yelle was cleared waivers and remains with the team. Yelle has had two strong practices. ...

Tim Gleason missed another practice and probably will be out another week with an upper-body injury, Maurice said.