The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Mar. 19 their projected lineup for the upcoming game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with goaltender Frederik Andersen set to start for the second time in eight days against Pittsburgh.
Andersen recently made 24 saves and stopped two out of three shots in a shootout, earning his second of three consecutive victories. He has won four out of five games since the Olympic break, with additional wins over Detroit, Edmonton, and Tampa Bay. Eric Robinson will return to play after being a healthy scratch in Columbus, while Nicolas Deslauriers will sit out to make room. Robinson has not scored in his last seven games but remains tied for ninth on the team with 11 goals this season.
The projected forward lines include Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis; Hall-Stankoven-Blake; Ehlers-Staal-Martinook; and Carrier-Jankowski-Robinson. The defense pairs are Slavin-Chatfield, Miller-Walker, and Reilly-Nikishin. Andersen is listed as the starting goaltender. Injuries include Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body) and Pyotr Kochetkov (hip surgery), while scratches are Nicolas Deslauriers and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Power play units feature Aho, Ehlers (Staal), Jarvis, Svechnikov with Nikishin on PP1; Blake, Hall, Jankowski, Stankoven with Miller on PP2. Jordan Staal takes faceoffs for the first power play unit and rotates off if possession changes.
The Hurricanes have recognized players such as Eric Staal and Rod Brind’Amour in their Hall of Fame for significant contributions according to the official website. The team achieved a major milestone by winning the Stanley Cup in 2006 according to the official website.
The Lenovo Center in Raleigh serves as home venue for the Hurricanes and features over 700,000 square feet with multiple seating levels and amenities according to the official website. The arena accommodates up to 20,000 people and hosts more than 150 events each year according to the official website. The team’s activities contribute over $200 million annually to the local economy through events and community engagement according to the official website.