RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes' beleaguered blue line received a boost on Monday, as Shayne Gostisbehere returned to practice for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Oct. 18 in Los Angeles.
Working alongside Jalen Chatfield and taking his usual spot on the power play, Gostisbehere was not limited by a yellow sweater or any other restrictions, and could be on track to return to game action on Tuesday against Vegas.
“I hope so. I’m not really sure. We just practiced, so I haven’t talked to him, but every time you see him out in a regular color jersey, going full, that’s a good sign," said Rod Brind'Amour, when asked if Gostisbehere was back at full health. "So I think it'll just come down to whether he feels comfortable enough with really one practice to get back out there, but I’m hopeful.”
Monday's outing also saw the return of Pyotr Kochetkov, who had not skated with the team since sustaining a lower-body injury in practice just before opening night. All three rostered goaltenders took the ice for practice, and the update on No. 52 was a positive one.
“I think (Kochetkov) looked good today," said Brind'Amour. "So again, I would anticipate, if it’s not tomorrow, very, very soon that he’ll be able to get back in there.”
While Kochetkov and Gostisbehere were back in action, the defense corps remains without Jaccob Slavin (lower-body) and K'Andre Miller (lower-body). But while Slavin is still "a little ways away," Miller's return is "around the corner," according to Brind'Amour.
With all that in mind, here's how the back end looked for most of practice at Lenovo Center:
