(My Sportsbook) - The surging Carolina Hurricanes will aim for their sixth consecutive victory this evening, when they visit the struggling Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena.

The Hurricanes have used their five-game winning streak to open a larger lead atop the Southeast Division. Carolina has 81 points and is seven ahead of Washington and Florida for the top spot.

Carolina is also third in the Eastern Conference standings and six points behind Ottawa for the second seed.

The Hurricanes picked up their most recent win on the road, as they blanked Chicago 3-0 on Wednesday. Cam Ward made 25 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and Carolina rode a three-goal first period to earn the victory at the United Center.

Eric Staal picked up a goal and two assists, while Erik Cole and Matt Cullen also lit the lamp for the Hurricanes.

Ward stopped 10 shots in the first, six in the middle stanza and nine in the third to notch the sixth whitewashing of his career.

The five straight wins marks a season-high for Carolina and is the club's longest winning streak since rattling off nine consecutive decisions during the 2005-06 regular season. The Hurricanes, who won their first-ever Stanley Cup title that season, actually had two nine-game win streaks during that campaign with the latest coming from December 31-January 19.

Carolina is 17-17-2 as the visiting team this season, but has taken three of its last four on the road.

The Sabres, meanwhile, have lost four straight, six of seven and eight of their last 10 games. However, Buffalo is still only four points behind Philadelphia for the eighth and final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.

Buffalo was last in action Wednesday night in Pittsburgh and the Sabres were slammed by the Penguins, who were without captain Sidney Crosby. Tyler Kennedy registered a goal and two assists as the Pens notched a 7-3 rout of the Sabres at Mellon Arena.

Daniel Paille scored twice for Buffalo and Jochen Hecht also added a goal. Ryan Miller allowed six goals on 32 shots before being pulled for Jocelyn Thibault halfway through the third period.

Buffalo will close out the month of March with six of eight games on home ice before playing its final three tests of the regular season on the road. The Sabres are 17-13-5 as the host this year, but have lost six of seven and seven of their last nine in western New York.

Carolina is 2-1 against the Sabres this season, but Buffalo has still taken six of eight and seven of the last 12 meetings. The Hurricanes have also been defeated in three straight and five of their last seven tests at HSBC Arena.