The Carolina Hurricanes will welcome the St. Louis Blues to Lenovo Center on Thursday, concluding their season series against them. He last played on January 13, where he was shut out on a three-and-out zilch by Blues goaltender Joel Hofer.
The game is scheduled for 7:00 pm EDT.
Facing Team Carolina will be different from their previous meeting, as the Blues will be without captain Braden Schenn after being dealt to the New York Islanders at the deadline. Additionally, former Hurricanes co-captain Justin Faulk also departed St. Louis at the deadline, as he was sent to the Detroit Red Wings.
Of the four players acquired in trades, only Jonathan Drouin and Justin Hall have experience in the NHL.
On Tuesday, the Hurricanes played a remarkably wild game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the two teams exchanging leads all night until the Penguins overcame a two-goal deficit with six skaters in the final minutes to force overtime. I blame Neil Diamond!
Nonetheless, the Hurricanes managed to defeat them in the shootout and Alexander Nikishin made history as he broke the franchise goal record for a rookie defenseman.
between the pipes
Wednesday was a much-needed holiday for the storm, so there was no practice to base the actual launch on. However, that doesn't stop me from trying my best to give you an educated guess. I care about you guys, and I know this is a big topic that we all want to know more about.
On Tuesday, Frederik Andersen took the crease against the Penguins and played honestly well. The Hurricanes have used him more since the Olympics, which will likely give him more playing time to build his confidence and prepare his body for the postseason. That being said, Brandon Bussey has been good, but as expected, his play has been a little shaky since returning from the Olympic break. Momentum is a huge force, and the three-week break disrupted that. Now he faces a new point of development in overcoming these struggles at the top level, something that every netminder deals with at the beginning of their NHL career.
If the alternative tandem continues, Bussey should start unless they opt to play him against the high-tempo, high-pressing Tampa Bay Lightning, against whom he performed well in the first game after the Olympic break. This season he has a save percentage of .898 with a goals-against average of 2.38 with a 25-4-1 record.
As for the Blues, they have relied heavily on Joel Hofer recently. However, I don't think he will be the starter. They have played two games in a row and Thursday's game will be the start of a back-to-back set that also includes travel. The other team in the set, the Edmonton Oilers, being a Western Conference rival, it is logical to think they would want Hofer to play that game.
Jordan Binnington will likely start against the Hurricanes. This season, with a 9-18-6 record and a goals-against average of 3.55, he has a save percentage of .868.
Expected Carolina Hurricane 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
protect
Jacob Slavin - Jalen Chatfield
K'Andre Miller - Shawn Walker
Mike Reilly - Alexander Nikishin
goaltender
Brandon Bussey/Frederick Anderson
Expected Blues Lines
Dylan Holloway - Robert Thomas - Jimmy Snaggrud
Jake Neighbors - Delibor Dvorsky - Jordan Kirou
Jonathan Drouin - Pavel Buchnevich - Otto Steinberg
Alexey Toropchenko - Jack Finley - Pius Suter
protect
Philip Broberg - Logan Mailloux
Theo Lindstein - Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler - Tyler Tucker
goaltender
Jordan Binnington / Joel Hoffer
special teams
Carolina Hurricanes Power Play: 22.4% (11th)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 79.4% (14th)
St. Louis Blues power play: 17.1% (25th)
St. Louis Blues Penalty Kill: 74.3% (29th)
storm game notes
Ahead of Tuesday's tilt against the Penguins, Rod Brind'Amour spoke with Hurricanes analyst Trip Tracy about the status of Shayne Gostisbeer, who has missed the last two games due to injury:
"I was hoping it wouldn't last too long. I'm not sure it would be an extended period, but it certainly doesn't look like he'll be there tonight or possibly the next few games... He's struggled with it all year."
Additionally, in the last game, Nikolaj Ehlers left the ice in the first period due to a knee injury. However, he returned early in the second period and played the rest of the game. Still, he remains someone to keep an eye on going into the game against St. Louis.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Deslauriers is yet to debut for the Hurricanes. It's unclear when he might enter the lineup. Nonetheless, he has continued to practice with the team and warm up before Tuesday's game.
how to see
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
