Preview: April 2 vs. Columbus

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes kick off their final month of the regular season on Thursday, hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets at Lenovo Center.

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When: Thursday, April 2

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 47-21-6 (100 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 5-2 Win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, March 31

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Blue Jackets Record: 38-25-12 (88 Points, 4th - Metropolitan Division)

Blue Jackets Last Game: 5-2 Loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, March 31

Last Time Out...

• Tuesday night in Columbus, the Canes scored three times on the power play en route to a 5-2 win.
• Nikolaj Ehlers led the charge with a goal and two assists. His third-period strike was the game-winner.
• Brandon Bussi picked up a third straight win with 23 saves.
• With the victory, Carolina hit the 100-point mark in the standings for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Season Series vs. CBJ...

• Dec. 9: As a part of the team's 20th Anniversary Championship Celebration, the Canes took a 4-1 win at Lenovo Center.
• Mar. 17: The Canes "never got going" in a 5-1 loss in Columbus.
• Mar. 31: Carolina pulled away late to take a 5-2 win at Nationwide Arena.

Jordo's 1,400th...

• Canes Captain Jordan Staal is set to skate in his 1,400th career game tonight.
• With 968 occurring with Staal in a Carolina sweater, the Thunder Bay, Ont. native ranks second all-time in games played with the Hurricanes/Whalers franchise, trailing only Ron Francis (1,186).
• Now in his seventh straight season donning the "C," Staal boasts the longest consecutive captaincy in franchise history.

Fly's First Go-Around...

• Producing his 13th multi-point game of the season on Tuesday, Nikolaj Ehlers upped his season total to 64 points.
• Matching a career-high, the man they call "Fly" has been as advertised for Carolina in his first season with the group after signing a six-year contract in July.
• Adding to the impressiveness of it all is that Ehlers overcame a slow start with the group, where he was held without a goal for his first 11 games with the team. Now just five goals shy of his career-best in that department as well (29), the 30-year-old Dane also has his first career 40-assist season under his belt.

In Net...

• Should the Canes continue with their rotation in net, Frederik Andersen would be in line to start.
• Going 6-3 since returning from the Winter Olympics, the veteran will look to snap a two-game skid in his next showing, after turning in a 5-0 run from Mar. 6-22.
• Conversely, should the staff go back to Brandon Bussi again, he enters a winner of his last three, including his latest being over these same Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

On The Other Side...

• Going through their first patch of turbulence since making a coaching change in mid-January, the Blue Jackets arrive in Raleigh having lost their last four.
• Third periods have been a big struggle for them as late, getting outscored 9-1 during the losing streak. To make matters worse, Columbus had either had a lead or were tied with their opponent in all four of those games.
• Kirill Marchenko scored one of the team's two goals on Tuesday night, his 26th of the season. A known problem for the Hurricanes, he has 13 points in 13 career games against Carolina.

Injury Updates...

• Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (hip surgery) was declared "probably out for the year" by Rod Brind'Amour on Dec. 29.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their BLACK uniforms for the contest. To view the team's full 2025-26 uniform schedule, click here.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes are scheduled to practice on Friday. They'll return to game action on Saturday, hosting the New York Islanders at Lenovo Center.
• Next Game: Thursday, April 4 vs. NY Islanders | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking