Overview
- Puck drop is 7 p.m. EST in Raleigh for the teams’ first of three meetings this season.
- Carolina enters on a three-game slide after blowing multi-goal leads, surrendering 11 goals over its past two outings.
- With Frederik Andersen winless in seven decisions, the Hurricanes are expected to turn to Brandon Bussi or Pyotr Kochetkov, and Bussi took the starter’s net at the morning skate.
- Detroit arrives on a 3-0-0 run and 9-2-2 stretch, with captain Dylan Larkin pacing the attack and goalie John Gibson 8-0-0 in December.
- Pregame reports list no injuries for either side, and recent coverage cites the clubs with roughly equal point totals, accounting for differences in games played.