Rachel Barkley
Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes begin a back-to-back set over the Easter holiday, starting with the New York Islanders at home, before traveling to face the Ottawa Senators less than 24 hours later.
The game is scheduled for 7:00 PM EDT.
The Hurricanes’ last game was one of their most dominant of the season, as they matched a franchise record for the fewest shots allowed (10) in a game. They took the win 5-1 over the Columbus Blue Jackets and locked their spot for the playoffs.
The game also featured a shorthanded goal from Alexander Nikishin, becoming the first rookie defenseman in franchise history to do so, tying Jamie McBain for most points by a rookie defenseman in Hurricanes history, and tying the team for most shorties this season alongside the Calgary Flames. You can read all about the game here!
Friday, the Hurricanes did not hold a practice, and as such, there is very little to go on for the projected lineup. However, now that the Hurricanes have clinched a postseason berth, there is a strong likelihood that some different folks will log ice time while the more productive players get rest in the next seven games.
Meanwhile, the Islanders continue to battle for their spot in the playoffs after missing them last season. They’ll be going into Raleigh with a loss in hand after Metropolitan Division rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, defeated them 4-1 Friday. While they hold the third spot in the Metro Division, they are just one point ahead of the Blue Jackets, who aren’t even in a wild-card position.
In the Crease
For the Hurricanes, they will likely start Brandon Bussi in net. After some dips in numbers and performance, he came in clutch in his last start – keeping the Hurricanes in the game amidst a breakdown versus the Blue Jackets. This season, he has a save percentage of .895, with a goals against average of 2.44 through a 28-6-1 record.
As for the Islanders, they are expected to start David Rittich, since Ilya Sorokin played Friday against the Flyers. This season, Rittich has a .894 save percentage, with a goals against average of 2.78 through a 14-9-3 record.
Expected Carolina Hurricanes Lines
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson
Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin
Goaltenders
Brandon Bussi / Frederik Andersen
Expected New York Islanders Lines
Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Emil Heineman
Calum Ritchie – Brayden Schenn – Mathew Barzal
Ondrej Palat – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb
Defense
Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech – Carson Soucy
Scott Mayfield – Adam Boqvist
Goaltenders
David Rittich / Ilya Sorokin
Special Teams
Carolina Hurricanes power play: 24.8% (4th, moved up one spot from previous game)
Carolina Hurricanes penalty kill: 80.8% (12th, moved up one spot from previous game)
New York Islanders power play: 17.0% (30th)
New York Islanders penalty kill: 81.0% (10th)
Hurricanes Game Notes
In the Hurricanes’ previous game, they clinched their eighth straight playoff berth. Out of all teams in the league, only the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs have longer active playoff appearance streaks (though the Leafs will end at nine, as they were eliminated from contention by the San Jose Sharks Thursday).
After Saturday, the Hurricanes will only play one more game in Lenovo Center this regular season, which will be Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, and will be the Hurricanes’ annual Fan Appreciation Night.
How To Watch
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
