The set-up: The 25-25-9 Carolina Hurricanes have played themselves out of playoff contention by posting just one victory in their last eight contests (1-5-2). Meanwhile, the Lightning have gone 6-1-2 over their last games, giving them at least one point in eight of the nine.

Carolina: The Hurricanes lost a 3-2 shootout at Florida on Tuesday, playing without leading scorer Jeff Skinner (36 points). He was sent back to Raleigh to be evaluated for an upper-body injur, and fellow forward Brock McGinn left Tuesday's game with a similar ailment. Cam Ward had 29 saves against the Panthers but may give way Wednesday to backup Eddie Lack, who has allowed just three goals on 65 shots over his last three appearances, including two starts.

Tampa Bay: The Lightning's recent surge has the team believing a fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs is not out of the question. They are now only five points out of the last wild card with 21 games to play. Tampa Bay traded away its top goalie, Ben Bishop, and a key forward, Brian Boyle, plus there is the potential for more moves before Wednesday's 3 p.m. EST deadline.

The pick: Tampa Bay closes out a four-game homestand Wednesday against Carolina and should have plenty of confidence against the struggling Hurricanes, having earned points in five consecutive games against them (4-0-1). That includes a pair of victories in December, Carolina is 7-16-7 on the road this season, allowing 3.10 GPG. Make Tampa Bay a 10* play.