A month into Kirk Muller’s tenure as coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, his players have reached the point where they’re no longer trying to grasp the changes Muller has made. Those have been internalized now. The hesitation on the ice is gone.

“You certainly feel like you know what you’re doing now,” Sutter said. “The first three or four games, there were a lot of gray areas. We were kind of hesitant and stuff like that. Now we’re kind of settled into how we want to play and what we’re supposed to do. We’re a little more comfortable around here and guys are starting to find it a little easier. It takes time.”

RALEIGH — Carolina Hurricanes center Brandon Sutter has agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the team that will pay him $1.5 million in 2011-12, $2 million in 2012-13 and $2.7 million in 2013-14.

"I'm pretty excited to get this done," Sutter said today. "With this done, I can just concentrate on my play and nothing else and continue to work to develop my game."

Sutter, 22, established career highs in games played (82), penalty minutes (25) and plus/minus rating (+13) last season, his third with the Hurricanes.

ATLANTA -- The Canes' Tim Gleason didn't want to watch the New York Rangers-Atlanta Thrashers game on Thursday night and hasn't tried to compute all the various playoff scenarios.

"If you do the matth you'll drive yourself crazy," Gleason said after today's morning skate at Philips Arena. "Our mindset is we've got to win."

Win tonight against the Thrashers, then again tomorrow night against the Tampa Bay Lightning: that's their goal. Do that and avoid shootout wins -- another one of those troublesome scenarios -- and the Canes will have hockey next week, in the playoffs.

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes couldn't hold on and lost more than the game.

With seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings on the line, the New York Rangers held on to their place in the standings with a 4-3 shootout win at the RBC Center Tuesday.

That extended the Rangers' lead over the eighth-place Hurricanes to three points. Had the Hurricanes won in regulation, they would have moved ahead of the Rangers by pulling even in points with a game in hand.

Needing additional forward depth for a road back-to-back at Tampa Bay and Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday, the Hurricanes called Brett Sutter up from Charlotte (AHL) today.

Sutter, a cousin of Hurricanes forward Brandon Sutter and the son of former Calgary Flames general manager Darryl Sutter, was acquired in the Ian White trade with the Flames on Nov. 17. He has 14 points in 33 games with the Checkers and has played in 18 NHL games in his career, including four with the Flames earlier this season.

(Update: Defenseman Bryan Rodney will be recalled from the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) and will join the Hurricanes in Florida on Wednesday.)

The Canes, sitting eight points out of playoff position in the East, are taking off today for back-to-back road games against the Florida Panthers and Atlanta Thrashers, knowing what to expect: Namely, two tough divisional games and the possibility of small crowds and little in the way of atmosphere.

Granted, the Thrashers' surge this season may be putting more bodies in the seats in Atlanta's Philips Arena. But games at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., usually attract small gatherings and it could be the same tomorrow night.

"It's a big week to claw back in and give yourself an opportunity to make those games-in-hand mean a lot more," Canes coach Paul Maurice said today. "I like the way we've played on the road here a little bit and pretty healthy, so feel pretty good."

The Canes will be without defenseman Jay Harrison on the two-game trip.

DALLAS — The Carolina Hurricanes were playing their third game in four nights when they hosted the Dallas Stars on Nov. 29.

The Stars swept through town with their fourth-straight win in a streak that ended at six. Dallas heads into tonight's rematch (8:30 p.m., FSCR) with a two-game losing streak after losing 5-3 to the Blackhawks in Chicago Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have had five days of rest to remember for a pair of back-to-back road games.

"We tried to take full advantage of it," Canes coach Paul Maurice said.

RALEIGH -- Brandon Sutter had the winning goal, Cam Ward had a winning game in net and rookie Jeff Skinner showed off his scoring skill again Friday with a winner of a move for the Hurricanes.

It all added up to a 2-1 overtime victory over the Colorado Avalanche at the RBC Center, ending the Canes' three-game slide at home.

Sutter ended what may have been his best all-around game of the season with the game-winner. Taking a pass from Joni Pitkanen, he chipped the puck past defenseman Mike Hunwick on the right wing and then beat Avs goalie Craig Anderson with a quick, high wrister.

It didn't take Canes general manager Jim Rutherford long to pull the trigger.

A day after saying some moves could be made, after saying a trade for a defenseman was being considered, the Canes worked a deal with the Calgary Flames that brought defenseman Ian White and forward Brett Sutter to Carolina for defenseman Anton Babchuk and forward Tom Kostopoulos.

"I made my first call to Calgary at the start of the season about Ian White," Rutherford said. "He's a player I've liked for a long time. ...It's heated up the last couple of weeks."

Asked if the Canes' recent 8-1 loss to Philadelphia and 7-2 loss to Montreal accelerated those plans, Rutherford said, "Darn right."

After a long, strenuous practice Monday at the RBC Center, most of the Canes were ready for some rest time at home later in the day.

Not Brandon Sutter and Justin Peters. They had more work to do -- at the Raleigh Rescue Mission.

Sutter and Peters volunteered to help serve dinner Monday night at the mission, and it was obvious their appearance was appreciated by those they served. More than 60 men and women -- some with small children -- filed through the line for a serving of beef tips, rice, peas, corn and beanie weenies, and many were smiling after having their plates filled.

"We go to the rink for a couple of a hours a day, but especially for us young guys we don't have families to go home to or kids to take care of, if we can come do something like this and give a helping hand to people who need a hand, we're happy to do it," Sutter said.