Preview: January 4 vs. Minnesota

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes open a weekend back-to-back set at the Lenovo Center against the Minnesota Wild.

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When: Saturday, January 4

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

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Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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

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Canes Record: 23-13-2 (48 Points, 3rd - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 3-1 Win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday, Jan. 2

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Wild Record: 24-11-4 (52 Points, 2nd - Central Division)

Wild Last Game: 4-3 Win (SO) over the Washington Capitals on Thursday, Jan. 2

Last Game...

• The Canes got a goal from Brent Burns on the first shift of the game in Florida on Thursday. Pyotr Kochetkov was the star of the show from there, stopping 26 of 27 shots faced and allowing the team to get a third-period game-winner from Jaccob Slavin.
• Juha Jaaska made his NHL debut in the contest and Martin Necas skated in his 400th game in the league.

Jacko's Back...

• Carolina assigned Jaaska back to Chicago on Friday and activated forward Jack Drury from injured reserve. Drury suffered a broken bone in his hand on Dec. 10 and underwent surgery following, missing the team's last 10 games.
• Now seemingly good to go, Drury led the team with a 56.4% win percentage in the faceoff dot before going down.

Blue Line Bump...

• With goals from Burns and Slavin on Thursday, the Hurricanes now rank tied for fourth in the NHL with 22 goals from defensemen this season. The other team sitting at that mark? Tonight's opponent - the Minnesota Wild.
• Carolina also ranks T-7th with 88 total points from the blue line during the 2024-25 campaign. Since Rod Brind'Amour became head coach ahead of the 2018-19 season, the Canes have posted 1,126 points from the back end - good for fourth in the NHL.

In Net...

• Pyotr Kochetkov (15-7-1 | 2.46 GAA | .902 SV%) was stellar on Thursday, getting back in the win column after losing two in a row for the first time this season. Will the team go back to him tonight, or will they start the stint of two games in two days with Dustin Tokarski (2-1-0 | 2.35 GAA | .907 SV%)?
• The team will hold a morning skate to start the day, it is expected that we'll learn more about the situation then.

On The Other Side...

• The Wild come to town winners of four of their last five games, including a shootout victory over Washington on Thursday to start their two-game trip east.
• Their recent string of wins has come even with the losses of star Kirill Kaprizov and Captain Jared Spurgeon due to injuries. Neither will play this evening in Raleigh but someone who has stepped up in their absence is 23-year-old Marco Rossi, who has eight points in his last eight games.
• Entering Saturday's play, Minnesota has the fifth-most points among all NHL teams (52), however, they rank in the bottom 10 in both power play (18.6% - 21st) and penalty kill (70.2% - 30th).
• Filip Gustavsson has carried the bulk of the work in net for the team, playing 26 of the team's 39 games this season. His .924 sv% ranks second in the NHL (min. 25 gp) this season behind only the reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck (.927).

Injury Updates

• 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.
• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere suffered an upper-body injury on Friday, Dec. 27, and will miss some time. Rod Brind'Amour said pregame on Dec. 31 that the blueliner is set to miss "a couple of weeks, maybe more."
• Forward Jack Drury sustained a broken bone in his hand on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and undergoing surgery as a result. He was activated from injured reserve on Friday, Jan. 3, and could return to the lineup as soon as tonight.
• Goaltender Frederik Andersen suffered a knee injury in the team's win over Seattle on Saturday, Oct. 26. The Canes announced on Friday, Nov. 21 that the goaltender would undergo surgery and be out of action for 8-12 weeks.
• 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 black uniforms. To view the team's full 2024-25 uniform schedule, click here.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes are right back in action on Sunday as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Lenovo Center.
• Next Game: Sunday, Jan. 5 vs. Pittsburgh | 6:00 pm | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights