The Carolina Hurricanes are set to face the New York Rangers on Saturday, April 12, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. The puck is scheduled to drop at 3:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN+. Local radio listeners can tune in to 99.9 The Fan or the Hurricanes App for live coverage.
The Hurricanes, with a record of 46-27-5, are currently second in the Metropolitan Division. They are coming off a hard-fought 5-4 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday, a match in which player Seth Jarvis contributed significantly with a multi-point performance.
Having secured their position with a point from the last game, the Hurricanes are assured home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. This marks another year of maintaining home ice in the opening round since 2021, strengthening their postseason resume with eight series wins since 2019.
The Hurricanes have had success against the Rangers in previous encounters this season. Frederik Andersen achieved a 22-save shutout during a 4-0 victory in New York. On a different occasion, Jackson Blake netted a crucial third-period goal to secure a 4-3 win in Raleigh. Another notable performance was Pyotr Kochetkov’s two assists which led to a 3-1 win at Madison Square Garden.
Kochetkov (26-15-3) is likely to start in the net for the Hurricanes following Andersen’s participation in their last game in Washington. Kochetkov’s recent form has seen a downturn, losing four of his last five starts, yet holds a solid 3-2 track record against the Rangers.
In contrast, the Rangers have struggled this season and may miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy last year. Despite internal challenges, they head into the match following a dominant 9-2 victory over the New York Islanders. This season, Artemi Panarin has been a bright spot for the team, amassing 87 points in 77 games. Meanwhile, other players like Chris Kreider and Igor Shesterkin have not replicated their previous season’s performances.
Injury updates include defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who missed the game in Washington due to an upper-body injury. Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be out for at least a week after an injury in Boston. William Carrier is gradually returning to form after a long recovery from a lower-body injury, while Jesper Fast’s season ended prematurely.
Looking ahead, the Canes will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, April 13, continuing their back-to-back matches.
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