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BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Carolina Hurricanes take the national stage Wednesday night as they face the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.

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When: Wednesday, January 15

Puck Drop: 6:00 p.m. ET

Watch: TNT, Max, TruTV

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

Odds at Time of Publishing, via Fanatics Sportsbook: Canes -185

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Canes Record: 26-15-3 (55 Points, 3rd - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 3-2 Loss (OT) to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, Jan. 12

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Sabres Record: 16-22-5 (39 Points, 8th - Atlantic Division)

Sabres Last Game: 6-2 Loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, Jan. 11

Last Game...

  • The Canes scored twice in the third period - including one inside the final minute - to force overtime against Anaheim on Sunday. The Ducks ultimately claimed victory, but Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis secured their team a point.
  • Pyotr Kochetkov suffered the loss in net, allowing three goals on 20 shots.

Streaking Svech...

  • Svechnikov's goal on Sunday extended his point streak to five games. It was also his ninth power-play goal of the season, ranking him tied for fourth among all NHL forwards.
  • In 11 career games against Buffalo, #37 has recorded 13 points (2-11-13).

Jordo, You're A Star...

  • Just one day after his brother's #12 was raised to the rafters in Raleigh, Captain Jordan Staal was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week.
  • The Captain posted seven points (5g, 2a) in four games from Jan. 6-12 to lead all NHL skaters in goals and points (tied) during the seven-day stretch.

All Eyes On Us...

  • There are just two games in the NHL tonight and both are featured as a TNT, Max, and TruTV doubleheader - hence the rare 6 p.m. weekday start.

In Net...

  • With three days since their last game, the Canes have the option to go back to Pyotr Kochetkov (16-9-2 | 2.54 GAA | .901 SV%) tonight. The 25-year-old has faced the Sabres once in his career, earning a 20-save victory over them in Raleigh last December.
  • Carolina also has the option to turn to former Sabre Dustin Tokarski (4-1-0 | 2.00 GAA | .907 SV%). Tokarski earned his third NHL shutout in his last appearance, turning away all 14 shots faced from the Vancouver Canucks. Tokarski played 42 of his 85 career NHL games with Buffalo from 2020-2022.

On The Other Side...

  • It's been a tough first half of the season for the Sabres, who currently sit last in the Eastern Conference.
  • Despite averaging just 27.0 shots per game (27th - NHL), they average 3.0 goals per game (14th - NHL). However, they allow 3.37 goals per game, the sixth-most among all NHL clubs.
  • JJ Peterka has been hot over the last month, producing 14 points in 13 games with the club.
  • Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has started eight of the team's last nine games in net, going 5-2-1 in them. On the season as a whole, he is 13-13-4 with an .896 SV%.

Injury Updates

  • Forward William Carrier suffered a lower-body injury on Jan. 4. Rod Brind'Amour said on Jan. 14 that Carrier is still considering all options and the team is expected to make a decision soon on how long he'll be out of the lineup.
  • Forward Tyson Jost suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 31 which was labeled as "long-term" by Rod Brind'Amour ahead of the Jan. 2 contest in Florida.
  • Goaltender Frederik Andersen returned to practice with the team on Jan. 8 for the first time since having knee surgery on Nov. 22. Andersen's original prognosis was that he would be out for 8-12 weeks, and his return to practice came just before the seven-week mark. He is "on track to return to play soon", per GM Eric Tulsky on Jan 14.
  • Forward Jesper Fast was ruled out for the 2024-25 season in August after having neck surgery.

What Are We Wearing?

  • The team will be wearing their white uniforms. To view the team's full 2024-25 uniform schedule, click here.

What's Next After This Game?

  • Carolina is scheduled to practice on Thursday before a Friday night meeting with the Vegas Golden Knights at Lenovo Center.
  • Next Game: Friday, Jan. 17 vs. Vegas | 7:00 pm | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights