South Raleigh News

The Carolina Hurricanes are set to face the New York Rangers in a divisional matchup on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. The game is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. ET puck drop and will be available for viewing on FanDuel Sports Network South and its app, while fans can listen via 99.9 The Fan or the Hurricanes App.

Currently, the Hurricanes hold a record of 20-11-1, placing them third in the Metropolitan Division with 41 points. They are coming off a recent 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, where Seth Jarvis scored their only goal after falling behind by three goals. Despite this setback, Carolina's penalty kill has been effective, maintaining a perfect streak since November 30.

In previous meetings against the Rangers this season, Jackson Blake scored the game-winning goal for Carolina during their Thanksgiving Eve match-up at Lenovo Center.

The Hurricanes' goaltending strategy remains uncertain as Rod Brind'Amour may opt between Pyotr Kochetkov and Dustin Tokarski for upcoming games. Kochetkov currently holds a record of 13-6-0 with a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.51 and save percentage (SV%) of .900, while Tokarski boasts a GAA of 1.00 and SV% of .961 from his single appearance.

On the opposing side, changes have occurred within the Rangers' lineup since their last encounter with Carolina. Former captain Jacob Trouba and forward Kappo Kakko have both moved on from the team. Meanwhile, goaltender Igor Shesterkin recently signed an eight-year contract extension and ranks tied for seventh among NHL netminders with a .912 SV%.

New York's recent performance includes four wins out of their last fourteen games but notably includes a victory over Dallas with Artemi Panarin returning from injury to contribute significantly.

Injury updates for Carolina reveal that forward Jack Drury will be sidelined for at least four weeks due to a hand injury sustained earlier this month. Goaltender Frederik Andersen is also out following knee surgery required after an October injury.

Following Sunday's game against New York, Carolina will travel to Nashville to face off against Brady Skjei and the Predators on Monday night.