North Raleigh Today

The Carolina Hurricanes are set to face the Minnesota Wild at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The game is scheduled for Saturday, January 4, with puck drop at 7:00 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network South or listen via 99.9 The Fan and the Hurricanes App.

The Hurricanes enter the match with a record of 23-13-2, placing them third in the Metropolitan Division. Their last game resulted in a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday, January 2. Brent Burns scored early in that match, and Pyotr Kochetkov was instrumental with 26 saves from 27 shots faced.

The team recently made some roster changes by assigning Juha Jaaska back to Chicago and activating forward Jack Drury from injured reserve. Drury had been sidelined due to a hand injury sustained on December 10 but is now ready to return.

On defense, Carolina has been productive this season with goals from players like Burns and Jaccob Slavin. The team ranks tied for fourth in the NHL for goals scored by defensemen this season.

In goalkeeping decisions, Kochetkov's performance against Florida raises questions about whether he will start again or if Dustin Tokarski will take his place as they prepare for two games over two days.

Minnesota Wild comes into this matchup with a record of 24-11-4, holding second place in the Central Division. They have won four of their last five games despite missing key players Kirill Kaprizov and Captain Jared Spurgeon due to injuries. Marco Rossi has stepped up during their absence.

Filip Gustavsson has been a standout goaltender for Minnesota this season, ranking second in save percentage among NHL goaltenders who have played at least 25 games.

Carolina faces several injury challenges with Tyson Jost out long-term due to a lower-body injury and Shayne Gostisbehere also sidelined with an upper-body injury since December 27.

Following this game against Minnesota, the Hurricanes will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at Lenovo Center.