Hurricanes’ promising young roster has a distinct Chicago flavor

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Teuvo Teravainen has three goals and six assists in 14 games this season. (AP Photo)

RALEIGH, N.C. — Blackhawks center Tanner Kero caught a glimpse of the dry-erase board on the wall of the cramped visitors’ dressing room before the game Saturday against the Hurricanes at PNC Arena and smiled.

Teuvo Teravainen was listed on the top line, with Joakim Nordstrom and Marcus Kruger in the bottom six. Trevor van Riemsdyk was on defense, Scott Darling was in goal and defenseman Klas Dahlbeck was among the healthy scratches.

More than a quarter of the Hurricanes’ roster used to play for the Hawks. Even Hurricanes coach Bill Peters spent three seasons as the coach at Rockford, guiding players such as goalie Corey Crawford and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson before they became Stanley Cup champions.

‘‘It’s definitely different,’’ Kero said. ‘‘But it’s exciting. I think both teams will be fired up for this one.’’

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Darling, van Riemsdyk and Kruger are the newest additions to Chicago East. But while having familiar faces certainly eased the transition, van Riemsdyk insisted there’s no Chicago clique in the Hurricanes’ dressing room.

‘‘It gives you that comfort before you even get here, but as soon as you do get here, you realize what a great group of guys it is,’’ van Riemsdyk said. ‘‘The core group that has been here are all easy to get along with and fun to hang out with. You don’t feel like you’re just hanging out with the Chicago guys.’’

The former Hawks almost became leaders by default on a very young roster, joining three-time Stanley Cup champion Justin Williams as experienced veterans in the room. But the playoffs are a long way away, so that leadership is subtle, not overt.

‘‘We have a couple of guys here who went through that experience in Chicago, and it’s something to draw on,’’ van Riemsdyk said. ‘‘Maybe it helps you with your own game, and then people see that and take something from it. It’s just a part of you and helps your game without you even knowing it.’’

While Darling has stepped into the starter’s role for the first time in his NHL career, Kruger still has found himself pigeonholed into the defensive, fourth-line center role he always has thrived in.

‘‘Here in the beginning, it’s been pretty much the same,’’ said Kruger, who entered the game with no goals and one assist in 14 games. ‘‘I [do] whatever they want me to do. Obviously, you want to chip in more offensively.’’

The Hurricanes have been a possession monster early on but, like the Hawks, have struggled to score goals. Kruger, who knows a little something about winning championships, said he sees great potential in the lineup.

‘‘I think we have all the pieces to do something really good,’’ he said.

Kero back in

Kero, who initially was pegged as Kruger’s logical replacement on the fourth line, finally got back in the lineup after being a scratch in eight consecutive games. Coach Joel Quenneville said Kero handled the prolonged absence as well as could be expected.

‘‘It’s only natural to be a little frustrated with it,’’ Kero said. ‘‘We’re all competitors, and you want to be out there helping your team as much as you can. It’s tough when you’re sitting out, but I tried to stay positive as much as I could. Now I’ve got my chance to prove I belong out there.’’

Follow me on Twitter @MarkLazerus.

Email: mlazerus@suntimes.com


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