The Carolina Hurricanes are set to start a three-game road trip in Canada with a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, March 20. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and fans can watch on FanDuel Sports Network South or listen via 99.9 The Fan and the Hurricanes App.
This matchup is important as the Hurricanes currently lead the Metropolitan Division with a record of 43-19-6, while the Maple Leafs sit eighth in the Atlantic Division at 29-28-12. The Hurricanes are coming off an overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, where Sean Walker scored his first career overtime winner and Jackson Blake reached his 20th goal of the season. Five players on the team have now surpassed the 20-goal mark this season.
The Hurricanes have been rotating goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi since returning from the Olympic break. Bussi may be in line to start despite recent losses, but Andersen has won his last four starts. On Toronto’s side, they will be without Auston Matthews for the rest of the regular season due to injury and have struggled defensively, allowing more goals per game than any other Eastern Conference team.
Injury updates include defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere being out with a lower-body injury and goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov recovering from hip surgery. After facing Toronto, Carolina will travel to Pittsburgh for their next game on Sunday afternoon.
The Carolina Hurricanes play their home games at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, which features over 700,000 square feet of space and can accommodate up to 20,000 people for events according to the official website. The venue hosts more than 150 events each year and contributes over $200 million annually to the local economy through its activities and community engagement according to its official website.
The franchise has recognized significant contributors such as Eric Staal and Rod Brind’Amour by inducting them into its Hall of Fame according to its official website. The team also achieved a major milestone by winning the Stanley Cup in 2006 according to its official website.
