Overview
- Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed Brandon Bussi as the starter, while David Rittich was reported to be in net for New York.
- The Islanders held out Mathew Barzal for disciplinary reasons after he arrived late to the rink, and Elliotte Friedman reported rookie Cal Ritchie was expected to debut in his place.
- Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
- Both clubs enter after recent blown multi‑goal leads, with New York falling to last in the East and Carolina dropping three of its past four following a 5‑0 start.
- Carolina continues to navigate multiple injuries with recent recalls, and New York gets Alexander Romanov back, while local TV listings were in flux with a reported move from ESPN+/Hulu to FanDuel Sports Network.