The Hurricanes will be hoping to come out strong despite having played yesterday.
What - Game 18 (14-4-0)
When - 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 21
Where - Prudential Center; Newark, NJ
How to Watch - FanDuel Sports Network South, MSGSN
The Carolina Hurricanes continue to prove the doubters wrong as after 18 games, they sit alone atop the Metropolitan Division.
Even with injuries to Frederik Andersen and Seth Jarvis, the Canes are still finding a way.
Following a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers last night, the Canes moved ahead of the idle Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils.
Funny enough, the Devils are now the Hurricanes' next opponent as they try to spoil both their three-game win streak as well as perfect 6-0-0 Metro division record.
New Jersey has been sitting for a while after a 4-0 shutout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, but before that they had beaten the Florida Panthers twice on the road (also lost 1-0 to San Jose at home before that).
After a disappointing season last year, the Devils appear to be back on their feet a bit as they rank in the top 10 for goals per game, goals against per game and both power play and penalty kill.
Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen have also both brought stability to the net, something New Jersey has notably lacked.
It should be a hard-fought battle between two top teams, but it will also be a fight between a very well rested team and a potentially tired squad.
Streaks
- None
Milestone Watch
- Sean Walker is one point shy of 100 career points.
- Sebastian Aho scored his 58th career game-winning goal on Wednesday, setting a new franchise record.
- Dmitry Orlov also played in his 100th game as a Carolina Hurricane on Wednesday.
Game Notes
- Carolina is 1-0-0 over New Jersey this season, having won 4-2 on Oct. 15 at Lenovo Center.
- Brett Pesce, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, is currently day-to-day. He has yet to play Carolina as he also missed the first game due to recovery from lower-body surgery.
- Carolina is 6-0-0 against the Metropolitan Division this season.
Key Matchups
Projected Starting Goalies
- Spencer Martin: 1-1-0; 0.891 Sv%; 2.80 GAA
- Jacob Markstrom: 8-5-1; 0.907 Sv%; 2.58 GAA
Leading Scorers
- Goals - Martin Necas (11) / Nico Hischier (10)
- Points - Martin Necas (30) / Jesper Bratt (26)
Power Play
- Carolina - 23.3% (9th)
- New Jersey - 28.6% (5th)
Penalty Kill
- Carolina - 85.7% (5th)
- New Jersey - 84.5% (8th)
Hurricanes Projected Lineup
Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Jack Roslovic
Eric Robinson - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Martin Necas
Jordan Martinook - Jordan Staal - William Carrier
Tyson Jost - Jack Drury - Jackson Blake
Jaccob Slavin - Brent Burns
Dmitry Orlov - Jalen Chatfield
Shayne Gostisbehere - Sean Walker
Spencer Martin
Pyotr Kochetkov
Injuries and Scratches: Ty Smith, Seth Jarvis (UBI), Frederik Andersen (LBI), Jesper Fast (neck)
Devils Projected Lineup
Timo Meier* - Nico Hischier - Stefan Noesen
Ondrej Palat - Jack Hughes - Jesper Bratt
Paul Cotter - Erik Haula - Dawson Mercer
Kurtis MacDermid - Justin Dowling - Tomas Tatar
Brenden Dillon - Dougie Hamilton
Luke Hughes - Brett Pesce*
Jonas Siegenthaler - Johnathan Kovacevic
Starter
Backups
Injuries and Scratches: Shane Bowers, Nick DeSimone, Nolan Foote, Nathan Bastian (jaw), Curtis Lazar (knee)
*Both Timo Meier and Brett Pesce are currently day-to-day for the Devils.