Game Thread: Carolina @ Toronto Puck Drop 7PM

[Anybodyhome]

Starting The Second Half Busy: The Canes begin the "second half" of their regular season schedule with a stretch of four road games in six days. After tonight in Toronto the team will continue on for a meeting in Ottawa tomorrow, Boston Thursday and then Minnesota Saturday. It's the beginning of 40 games in 80 days for the team, leading to the end of the campaign.

Let's Pick Up Where We Left Off: Carolina entered the break after earning four wins in six days. The team is 7-1 in their last eight outings.

Just Fine Away From Home: Rod Brind'Amour's club is 15-5-1 away from PNC Arena this season, matching the New York Rangers for the most wins on the road among any team in the NHL this season.

Maple Syrup For Neci: In three career games against the Maple Leafs, Hurricanes forward Martin Necas has recorded six points.

Kotkaniemi Out: Sunday afternoon the team announced that forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi has entered COVID-19 Protocol, rendering him out of commission for at least the team's games tonight and tomorrow. It will be the first games missed of the season for the 21-year-old center, who totaled 20 points in the club's first 42 games.

Tervainen TBD: Following practice Sunday afternoon Rod Brind'Amour said that Teuvo Teravainen could be a game-time decision tonight, still battling the lower-body injury he suffered on January 21. "Turbo" participated in practice at Wake Competition Center, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is for sure in tonight.

Milestone Watch: Antti Raanta is one win shy of 100 in his NHL career. Derek Stepan is two points shy of 500 for his NHL career.

Forwards:

Martinook - Aho - Necas

Svechnikov - Trocheck - Jarvis

Niederreiter - Staal - Fast

Lorentz - Stepan - Teravainen*

Defensemen:

Slavin - DeAngelo

Skjei - Pesce

Smith - Cole

Starting Goalie:

Andersen

COVID-19 Protocol:

Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Game-Time Decision:

Teuvo Teravainen (Lower-Body)

Scratches:

Ethan Bear

[Harbingers]

Really hoping TT is a go with KK being in protocol. Do we dress 7D if TT can’t go? 

[Harbingers]

Balls. No TT in warmups. Leivo in instead. Bear is a healthy scratch again. 

[Anybodyhome]

Toronto is favored tonite. Not sure if it's home ice, but no fans anyway, so I'm not sure

[Harbingers]

2 minutes ago, Anybodyhome said:

Toronto is favored tonite. Not sure if it's home ice, but no fans anyway, so I'm not sure

Home team and it’s the leagues darling. The line started going Carolina’s way as soon Mrazek was announced in net earlier. 

[Stumpy]

I expect to see us exploit Petr's aggressiveness with a few extra passes and a heavy forecheck... RBA knows Mrazek better than anyone in the league!

[Harbingers]

Both teams playing hard and digging in. This is gonna be a long night. 

[Harbingers]

Nino was gonna get him a goal come hell or high water tonight. 

[Harbingers]

Smith didn’t even want to fight. That was BS from the refs. 

[Darkseid89]

I thought that was BS, pressured him to fight off a clean hit.

[Darkseid89]

It is a bit like watch the Canes play the Canes.

Tough and fast team, Toronto is.

[Anybodyhome]

I think the Canes are the better team thus far. Anderson is the biggest difference aside from our blue line being head & shoulders better.

[Anybodyhome]

BS call. Of course the stick will come up when you're falling backwards.

[Bama Panther]

6 hours ago, Lets get it Canes said:

Big game against one of the best teams in the league tonight. 

You’re right. Toronto is playing against one of the best teams in the league tonight.