The Hurricanes will look to gain ground on the Metro's top team.
What - Game 32 (20-10-1)
When - 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 20
Where - Capital One Arena; Washington, DC
How to Watch - FanDuel Sports Network South
The Carolina Hurricanes have seemingly found their game again just at the right time as they prepare to take on the Washington Capitals (21-8-2) who sit at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
Carolina is coming off of a 4-0 shutout win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday and look a lot like we've come to expect.
Over their past four games, the team is playing more like they need to on both sides of the puck and their 3-1-0 record in that span reflects that.
The Canes still need to work a bit more on limiting the high-dancer chances they're conceding, but if Pyotr Kochetkov can continue playing like he did Tuesday, they'll be just fine.
Washington is coming off of a tough 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, a game win which they had a 2-0 lead heading into the final frame.
(The Hawks were led to victory thanks to a three-point night of former Hurricane Teuvo Teravainen in that game too).
The Capitals, who are on a two-game slide, will also be without captain Alex Ovechkin for a few more games as he recovers from a broken leg.
However, Washington has proven just how deep of a team they are in his absence with strong play at all position groups.
It should be a good one tonight between two top teams.
Streaks
- Sebastian Aho (2g, 1a) and Jordan Martinook (2g, 1a) have scored in back-to-back games.
- Jordan Staal (3a) has assists in back-to-back games.
Milestone Watch
- Jordan Staal is one assist away from 400 career assists.
- Andrei Svechnikov is two assists away from 200 career assists.
Game Notes
- Carolina is 1-0-0 against Washington this season, having won 4-2 at Lenovo Center on Nov. 3.
- Martin Necas (6g, 17 points in 15 games) is a point-per-game player against the Caps.
- The two teams will faceoff two more times after tonight (April 2 in Raleigh and April 10 back in DC).
Key Matchups
Starting Goalies
- Pyotr Kochetkov: 13-5-0; 0.902 Sv%; 2.47 GAA
- Logan Thompson: 12-2-2; 0.911 Sv%; 2.48 GAA
Leading Scorers
- Goals - Martin Necas (14) / Connor McMichael (15)
- Points - Martin Necas (44) / Dylan Strome (38)
Power Play
- Carolina - 27.3% (5th)
- Washington - 20.8% (18th)
Penalty Kill
- Carolina - 85.3% (3rd)
- Washington - 83.8% (6th)
Hurricanes Projected Lineup
Eric Robinson - Sebastian Aho - Seth Jarvis
Andrei Svechnikov - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Martin Necas
Jordan Martinook - Jordan Staal - William Carrier
Jackson Blake - Tyson Jost - Jack Roslovic
Jaccob Slavin - Brent Burn
Dmitry Orlov - Jalen Chatfield
Shayne Gostisbehere - Sean Walker
Pyotr Kochetkov
Dustin Tokarski
Injuries and Scratches: Jack Drury (hand), Frederik Andersen (LBI), Jesper Fast (neck)
Capitals Projected Lineup
Andrew Mangiapane - Dylan Strome - Tom Wilson
Connor McMichael - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Aliaksei Protas
Jakub Vrana - Hendrix Lapierre - Taylor Raddysh
Brandon Duhaime - Nic Dowd - Ivan Miroshnichenko
Rasmus Sandin - John Carlson
Martin Fehervary - Matt Roy
Jakob Chychrun - Trevor van Riemsdyk
Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren
Injuries and Scratches: Alexander Alexeyev, Dylan McIlrath, Lars Eller (illness), Alex Ovechkin (leg), Nicklas Backstrom (hip), T.J. Oshie (back), Sonny Milano (UBI)