North Raleigh Today

The Carolina Hurricanes are set to begin a series of three games on the West Coast, starting with a match against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. The team aims to secure an eighth consecutive win, matching their season-high record.

The game will be held at 10:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed on FanDuel Sports Network South and its app, or listened to via 99.9 The Fan and the Hurricanes App. According to Fanatics Sportsbook, the odds favor the Hurricanes at -345.

Currently holding a record of 41-22-4 with 86 points, the Hurricanes stand second in the Metropolitan Division. They come off a dominant 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers from March 15. Pyotr Kochetkov recorded his tenth career shutout by saving all 26 shots faced during that game.

In contrast, the San Jose Sharks have a record of 18-41-9 and sit eighth in the Pacific Division. Their last game resulted in a 5-1 loss against the Washington Capitals.

Defenseman Brent Burns is expected to play his 911th consecutive game tonight, surpassing former teammate Patrick Marleau for fifth place on the league's all-time list. Forward Mark Jankowski has had an impressive start with four goals in as many games since joining Carolina and is about to play his 400th NHL game.

Frederik Andersen may start as goaltender following Kochetkov's recent performance against Philadelphia. Andersen seeks his third straight win after allowing five total goals in his last three starts.

For San Jose, rookie Macklin Celebrini leads first-year forwards with 50 points this season under coach Ryan Warsofsky’s guidance. Goalie Georgi Romanov is set for his NHL debut while defenseman Luca Cagnoni may also make his first appearance after being recalled earlier this week.

In terms of injuries, Andrei Svechnikov has been out since March 8 due to an upper-body injury but practiced recently in a no-contact jersey. Dmitry Orlov has missed five games but has resumed practice, awaiting clearance from Rod Brind'Amour when he's fully fit. William Carrier remains sidelined with a lower-body injury since January, while Jesper Fast was ruled out for this season back in August.

After facing San Jose, Carolina will head to Los Angeles for practice before playing against the Kings on Saturday.