Overview
- Carolina enters on a four-game winning streak and holds the Eastern Conference lead after a 7-2-0 run.
- The Hockey Writers projected Kochetkov to start after he was first off the ice at the morning skate, with Brandon Bussi listed as a scratch in the projections.
- Bussi remains a season-long storyline after being claimed off waivers Oct. 5 and reaching 10 wins in his first 11 NHL games, now 11-1-0 with a 2.05 GAA and .911 save percentage.
- Nashville has rebounded with a 7-3-0 stretch and seeks a second straight win after a 5-2 result over St. Louis, with Ryan O’Reilly pacing recent production and Filip Forsberg leading in goals.
- The teams meet at 8 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena after Carolina’s 6-3 win in the Dec. 6 matchup, when the Hurricanes scored twice on the power play.