Preview: Hurricanes at Predators

NASHVILLE - After splitting their two-game, season-opening series in Detroit, the Carolina Hurricanes head to Nashville for a back-to-back set against the Predators.

The Match-Up

Carolina Hurricanes (1-1-0, 2 points) at Nashville Predators (2-0-0, 4 points)
Monday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.
Watch: FOX Sports Carolinas,
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Listen: 99.9 FM The Fan,
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Key Notes

Milestones in Defeat: Though the Canes dropped a 4-2 decision to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, both Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton recorded milestone point totals. With his primary assist on Vincent Trocheck's power-play marker in the third period, Svechnikov tallied his 100th career NHL point. He recorded his 101st point later in the period with his second goal of the season. On Trocheck's same goal, Hamilton's secondary assist was his 300th career NHL point.
Geek Squad: Morgan Geekie was recalled from the taxi squad and played his first game of the 2020-21 season on Saturday. In his season debut, Geekie recorded three shots on goal and two hits and was 4-of-7 in the faceoff dot in 11;27 of ice time.Geekie burst onto the scene late in the 2019-20 season with four points (3g, 1a) in his first two career NHL games.

Numbers to Know

82:44: Petr Mrazek surrendered his first goal of the season at 2:44 of the second period against the RedWings on Jan. 16, and his shutout sequence of 82:44 marked the second longest season-opening shutout streak in franchise history.
11-3-1: The Canes are 11-3-1 in their last 15 games against the Predators, which includes wins in seven of their last eight games of the series.
7-5-0: Last season, the Canes were 7-5-0 in the first game of a back-to-back set. This marks their first of 10 back-to-backs this season.

The Opposition

2019-20 record: 35-26-8, 78 points (.565 points %), 4th in Central Division
CAR vs. NSH in 2019-20: 1-1-0
2019-20 leading scorer: Roman Josi, 65 points (16g, 49a)
Key additions: Matt Benning (D), Mark Borowiecki (D), Luke Kunin (C)
Key subtractions: Nick Bonino (C), Mikael Granlund (C), Craig Smith (RW)
After being upset by the Arizona Coyotes in four games in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, the Predators retooled their supporting cast around key pieces like forwards Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg, defensemen Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis and goaltender Pekka Rinne. Josi won the 2020 Norris Trophy after putting up career highs in goals (16), assists (49) and points (65) in 69 games, second among all NHL defensemen in each category.
The Predators defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets two games in a row to begin the season. Nashville used a four-goal third period to land a 5-2 victory on Saturday night, as they completed the two-game, season-opening sweep.

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- Highlights: DET 4, CAR 2 - Postgame: Rod Brind'Amour, Jan. 16 - Postgame: Trocheck, Jan. 16 - Postgame: Svechnikov, Jan. 16