UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The New York Islanders will switch up their lines tonight for the Canes and plan to have veteran Doug Weight centering the line with John Tavares, the No. 1 pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Not that it means a lot to the Hurricanes.
"We're so early with where we are, it's all about us," Canes coach Paul Maurice said today. "Clearly they've got some high-end young skill up there that can skate and like to handle the puck. They've been outshooting everybody early and I'm actually expecting that in the first period, and we have to mentally handle that.
"They're going out just blazing, firing everything at the net. They'll be buzzing, so we have to be as physical as we can to slow that part of their game down."
Cam Ward, who will start his eight straight game in net, probably can expect a lot of work, although maybe not as much as the Canes' first game at Nassau Coliseum last year. Ward faced 60 shots in that one, won by Carolina 4-3.
Tavares, who turned 19 last month, has seven points (3g, 4a) in his first six games for the Isles (0-3-3).
"He's done fine," Isles coach Scott Gordon said today. "It's great that he's been able to contribute offensively. It's probably put his mind at ease."
Tavares said it has been a big help to have Weight offering advice and said he looked forward to playing on a line with him tonight. He did take one slight dig at the 38-year-old forward.
"I think he was drafted the same year I was born," Tavares said with a laugh.
True enough -- 1990 in both cases.
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
