The Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Boston Bruins to Raleigh for the final home game of the season in what will be the final game of a tough road trip for the wild card-grabbing Bruins, who have picked up just one point in the three games played, scoring only one goal in each match.
The game, which will be Fan Appreciation Night at the Lenovo Center, is scheduled for 7:00 pm EDT.
However, the last game was a tough one in itself for the Hurricanes. Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook were both absent for undisclosed reasons against the Ottawa Senators, leading to the return of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nicolas Deslauriers to the lineup.
The first period was fairly good, with twenty minutes of play ending with a tie, but things soon unraveled as the Hurricanes were unable to match the immediate level of the frustrated Ottawa team. Alas, at least Taylor Hall – who spent a little more than two seasons with the Bruins – scored his 300th career goal. You can read all about it here!
in the crease
For the Hurricanes, Brandon Bussey will be the likely starter due to the alternate tandem. It would be a reunion of sorts, potentially marking Busey's first game against the team that signed him to his first NHL contract in 2022. He has a save percentage of .894 this season with a goals-against average of 2.46 in a 29-6-1 record.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are expected to turn to Jeremy Swayman to focus on the pipes after Joonas Korpisalo played his last game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Swayman has borne the brunt of the starts for Boston this season, appearing in 51 of the 78 games played so far. This season he has a save percentage of .907 with a goals-against average of 2.70 with a 30-17-4 record.
Expected Carolina Hurricane Lines
Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall - Logan Stankoven - Jackson Blake
William Carrier - Mark Jankowski - Nikolaj Ehlers
Nicolas Deslauriers - Jespri Kotkaniemi - Eric Robinson
protect
Jacob Slavin - Jalen Chatfield
K'Andre Miller - Shawn Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere - Alexander Nikishin
goaltender
Brandon Bussey/Frederick Anderson
Expected Boston Bruins Lines
Morgan Geecki - Elias Lindholm - David Pastrnak
Casey Mittelstaedt - Pavel Zacha - Victor Arvidsson
Lucas Reichel - Fraser Minton - Marat Khusnutdinov
Tanner Jeannott - Shawn Kuraly - Mark Kastelic
protect
Jonathan Espirot - Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm - Mason Lohrei
Nikita Zadorov - Andrew Banks
goaltender
Jeremy Swayman / Joonas Korpisalo
special teams
Carolina Hurricanes Power Play: 24.7% (5th)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 80.1% (12th)
Boston Bruins Power Play: 23.7% (9th)
Boston Bruins Penalty Kill: 76.6% (26th)
storm game notes
With only four games remaining in the regular season, the Hurricanes will likely make roster adjustments to manage load in preparation for the playoffs. Until the puck drops, all lineups are mere guesses — but that's especially true in upcoming sets of games.
In the previous game, Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook were both ruled out of the starting lineup for undisclosed reasons, and their return remains uncertain.
how to see
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
