Preview: December 11 at Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With a seven-game home stand in the rearview, the Carolina Hurricanes hit the road for a pair of divisional duels, starting Thursday night against the Washington Capitals.

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When: Thursday, Dec. 11

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: 18-9-2 (38 Points, 2nd - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 4-1 Win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Dec. 9

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Capitals Record: 18-9-3 (39 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Capitals Last Game: 2-0 Win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, Dec. 7

Last Time Out...

• "Everyone contributed" as the Hurricanes downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 at Lenovo Center on Tuesday.
• Andrei Svechnikov picked up a pair of assists, while Seth Jarvis, Eric Robinson, Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook lit the lamp.
• Brandon Bussi made 23 saves and joined some elite company with the win, becoming just the fifth goaltender in NHL history with nine victories in his first 10 career starts.

Previous Meetings vs. WSH This Season...

• November 11: The Canes fell behind early and couldn't complete a comeback in a 4-1 loss at Lenovo Center.

Sizzlin' Seth...

• Seth Jarvis got the Canes on the board on Tuesday with his team-leading 17th goal of the season, joining Eric Staal (21 in 2005-06) as the only players in team history (since relocation) with at least 17 goals through the first 29 games of a season.
• Now with six tallies in his last seven games, the 23-year-old is currently on pace for 48 goals this season, which would set a team record and give him the first 40-goal campaign by a Hurricane since Staal in 2008-09.
• In 15 regular-season games against the Capitals since his debut in 2021-22, Jarvis leads the Hurricanes in goals (7) and ranks fourth in total points (10).

In Net...

• With Brandon Bussi starting Tuesday's tilt against Columbus, tonight's goaltender will likely be Frederik Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov.
• Andersen's last start was one week ago, and he comes into tonight's contest with defeats in each of his last six outings. The 36-year-old was skipped on Tuesday in what had been a three-man rotation, but despite recent struggles, he has expressed confidence in his ability to bounce back.
• "The way I look at it, I've played better hockey, and I've had worse numbers," he said following his most recent outing. "It doesn't look good, obviously. We're not getting the wins with me in the net lately, but I still feel like I've got my game. Maybe not perfectly where I want it, but like I've said, I've had worse stretches where things have looked better and I've gotten more wins. That's how I look at it. I try to be positive and move on."
• Kochetkov, meanwhile, suffered his first loss in five starts on Sunday against San Jose. The Russian backstop has battled injuries for much of the year but has largely excelled when healthy, posting a .915 SV% and 1.96 GAA this season.

On The Other Side...

• Following a 2-3-2 start to November, Washington has surged to the top of the Metro Division with a league-leading 10-1-1 mark since Nov. 17, including points in eight straight outings.
• Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin have been the catalysts for the Caps, logging 15 points apiece during that 12-game run and leading the team with 32 and 29 points, respectively, through 30 games.
• After putting up a career-best 47 points during his first season in D.C. last season, defenseman Jakob Chychrun is on track to set another benchmark this year. The 27-year-old leads NHL defensemen in goals (11) and ranks T-6th in points (25).
• Another player following up an impressive debut campaign for the Caps is goaltender Logan Thompson, who ranks second among league netminders in both wins (13) and GAA (1.96), and third in save percentage (.925). Thompson has started six of Washington's last eight outings, going 5-0-1 in that span.

Injury Updates...

• Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi missed Tuesday's win over Columbus with a lower-body injury. His status for tonight's game is unknown at this point.
• Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault suffered a cut to his hand via a skate blade on Nov. 9 and underwent surgery to repair lacerated tendons on Nov. 10. He is expected to miss three to four months.
• Defenseman Jaccob Slavin (lower-body injury) will be "out for a while," as of Oct. 14. He was placed on IR on Oct. 21. On Dec. 2, he returned to practice with the team in a no-contact sweater and moved to a regular practice jersey on Dec. 5. When asked when he'd be returning to the lineup, he answered, "Hopefully soon."

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their WHITE 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 travel to Philadelphia post-game and practice there on Friday ahead of a home-and-home set against the Flyers this weekend.
• Next Game: Saturday, Dec. 13 at Philadelphia | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO
• Next Home Game: Sunday, Dec. 14 vs. Philadelphia | 5:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking