The Carolina Hurricanes (28-15-4) will begin a set of back-to-backs Friday, starting with an all too familiar foe, the Florida Panthers (24-18-3), in Raleigh. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM EST.
Coming off a loss to St. Louis on Tuesday and an overtime loss to Detroit on Monday, the Hurricanes look to get back into the win column, but may have to do so without key players.
Meanwhile, the Panthers have had to deal with injuries of their own. Brad Marchand has been out of the lineup since he took a hit from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann on January 6th, and on the backend, Seth Jones has been absent since he was hit with a puck during the Winter Classic. Nonetheless, they have found success in recent games, riding a two-game winning streak.
Both the Hurricanes and Panthers will play rested, with multiple days between previous games.
During practice Thursday morning, Brandon Bussi was in the starter’s crease. This season, he has established a goals against average of 2.31 and an average save percentage of .902, with a 16-3-1 record.
The Panthers are expected to start Sergei Bobrovsky, who currently has a goals against average of 2.90 and a career low .881 save percentage, with a 19-12-1 record.
Expected Hurricanes Lines
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Nikolaj Ehlers
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Jordan Martinook – Jordan Staal – Seth Jarvis
Eric Robinson – Mark Jankowski – Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Mike Reilly – Alexander Nikishin
Goaltenders
Brandon Bussi / Frederik Andersen
Expected Panthers Lines
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer
Sandis Vilmanis – Evan Rodrigues – Mackie Samoskevich
Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicka
Defense
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis
Donovan Sebrango – Jeff Petry
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky / Daniil Tarasov
Special Teams
Hurricanes power play: 19.58% (17th)
Hurricanes penalty kill: 78.79% (20th)
Panthers power play: 18.79% (21st)
Panthers penalty kill: 83.77% (5th)
Hurricanes Game Notes
During practice Thursday, Shayne Gostisbehere was notably absent. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said that Gostisbehere ‘didn’t feel great’ and that his status for the game was unknown.
Jaccob Slavin practiced on the top line alongside Jalen Chatfield, but it’s a question whether he will enter the lineup against the Panthers, as the team has been wary of playing him in back-to-backs. Brind’Amour confirmed that the rehabilitation protocol the team has followed is related to the lower-body injury Slavin sustained in the summer.
After an absence from the ice on the two-game road trip, William Carrier returned to practice. Brind’Amour seemed hopeful that he would play versus the Panthers, but did not confirm it. If Carrier draws in, Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be the likely scratch.
How to Watch
TV: Fanduel Sports Network South
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
