Preview: January 5 vs. Pittsburgh

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes wrap up a home ice back-to-back with a divisional battle against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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When: Sunday, January 5

Puck Drop: 6:00 p.m. ET

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Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

Odds at Time of Publishing, via Fanatics Sportsbook: Canes -230

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Canes Record: 23-14-2 (48 Points, 3rd - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 4-0 Loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, Jan. 4

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Penguins Record: 17-17-6 (40 Points, T-4th - Metropolitan Division)

Penguins Last Game: 3-2 Loss (SO) to the Florida Panthers on Friday, Jan. 3

Last Game...

• The Canes were shut out for the third time this season on Saturday, failing to score against the Minnesota Wild en route to a 4-0 defeat.
• Jack Drury returned to the lineup after missing 10 games due to hand surgery.
• Making his 25th start of the campaign, Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 saves on 27 shots.

Previous Meetings With Pittsburgh This Season...

• October 18: Carolina converted on a pair of power plays and rattled off four consecutive goals to top the Penguins 4-1 at PPG Paints Arena.
• November 7: Jack Roslovic, Sebastian Aho and Jalen Chatfield turned in multi-point performances to help the Canes to their eighth straight win, knocking off Pittsburgh 5-1 at Lenovo Center.

In Search Of Consistency...

• As we've heard several times this season, Rod Brind'Amour talked post-game last night about consistency remaining an issue with his group. On Thursday they put together a strong performance against a tough Florida team on the road, but then "never got going" at home last night against a Minnesota club without star Kirill Kaprizov and Captain Jared Spurgeon.
• We've also heard the head coach talk about how his top guys need to be the team's top guys. Andrei Svechnikov has just one goal in his last 12 games. Of his 12 goals this season, eight have come on the power play and three have been into an empty net. His lone five-on-five goal this season came on Oct. 19.
• After starting the season with 43 points in 28 games, Martin Necas has only three points in his last 11 games.
• Seth Jarvis has just one goal in his last 13 games.
• From the start of the season until American Thanksgiving, the team averaged 4.0 goals per game, tied for the most in the NHL. Since then? Just 2.53, ranking 29th among all 32 clubs.

In Net...

• With Pyotr Kochetkov getting the nod last night, Dustin Tokarski (2-1-0 | 2.35 GAA | .907 SV%) is likely in line to take on one of his former teams this evening.
• Tokarski last played on Saturday, Dec. 28, making 21 saves in a victory over the New Jersey Devils. He played for the Penguins and their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the 2022-23 season.
• He has faced the Penguins five times in his NHL career, posting a .928 sv% in those games.

On The Other Side...

• The Penguins come to town sitting just below the Canes in the Metropolitan Division standings.
• Sidney Crosby and Rikard Rakell have been hot over the last month, each producing 16 points in 13 games for the team. The team has needed all the offense they can get though, as they allow an average of 3.43 goals per game this season, the most in the NHL.
• Last year Pittsburgh had a plethora of issues on the power play, finishing 30th in the league (15.3%), but thus far this year they've been excellent in that department and currently rank fourth (26.3%).

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."
• 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 scheduled to be off on Monday but will fly to Tampa ahead of a Tuesday night meeting with the Lightning at Amalie Arena.
• Next Game: Tuesday, Jan. 7 at Tampa Bay | 7:00 p.m.
• Next Home Game: Thursday, Jan. 9 vs. Toronto | 7:30 pm | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights