Preview: December 13 at Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA - The Carolina Hurricanes open a back-to-back set against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at the newly renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena.

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When: Saturday, Dec. 13

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: 19-9-2 (40 Points, T-1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 3-2 SO Win over the Washington Capitals on Dec. 11

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Flyers Record: 16-9-4 (36 Points, 4th - Metropolitan Division)

Flyers Last Game: 3-2 OT Loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 11

Last Time Out...

• Brandon Bussi made 23 saves in what turned out to be a historic 3-2 shootout win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday, becoming the fastest goaltender to reach 10 wins in NHL history (11 games played).
• Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven scored in regulation for Carolina, while Seth Jarvis scored the only goal in the breakaway battle.

Previous Meetings vs. PHI This Season...

• October 11: The Canes pulled off a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory in their second game of the season at Lenovo Center.

Four More For Nyzo...

• Carolina locked up another young player and bright piece to their future long-term on Friday, signing defenseman Joel Nystrom to a four-year contract extension.
• A seventh-round draft pick in 2021, the Swede has had a great story himself this season. Beginning the year at Prospects Showcase and then in the AHL, injuries opened the door for his NHL debut on Oct. 23. Since then, he's played in 23 of the team's 24 games, making the most of his moment and staying in the lineup.

Metro Matchups...

• The Canes enter their third of four straight games against divisional foes with wins in each of the first two, most recently knocking off Washington on Thursday.
• That victory moved Carolina to 6-2-0 (.750) against Metro opponents in 2025-26. The only team in the division with a better point percentage? Tonight's opponent, the 5-1-1 (.786) Flyers.

In Net...

• With Brandon Bussi getting back-to-back starts, the team could either go with the hot hand again tonight, or turn to Pyotr Kochetkov or Frederik Andersen.
• Andersen's last start was Dec. 4, 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."
• It is also possible that the Canes skip Andersen in the rotation again and go back to either Bussi or Kochetkov. Bussi enters the night with eight straight wins, while Kochetkov is coming off just his first defeat of the season on Dec. 7

On The Other Side...

• The Flyers went toe-to-toe with the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights on Thursday, but came up short in overtime. Still, Philadelphia's six wins in its last ten games have it resting in the Eastern Conference's top wild-card spot.
• After stumbling in Anaheim over the last two years, Trevor Zegras has been rejuvenated by an offseason trade to the Flyers. Leading his club with 28 points in 29 games on the year, the 24-year-old has picked up points in six of his last seven outings (4G, 3A).
• Travis Konecny, meanwhile, had his five-game point streak snapped in the loss to Vegas, but continues to be a threat with 25 points on the year - eight of which came in the last six games - after notching a career-best 76 in 2024-25.
• Like Zegras, another player thriving in new threads is netminder Dan Vladar, who has won 11 of his 18 starts this season. Going 5-1-1 in his last seven, Vladar has gotten the nod in four of Philadelphia's last six games, and with an off day on Friday, could be tapped again this evening.

Injury Updates...

• Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been out since Dec. 9 with a lower-body injury. He participated in morning skate on Dec. 11, but did not play in that night's contest against the Capitals.
• 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 will fly home immediately post-game and get set to take on the Flyers again on Sunday, this time in Raleigh.
• Next Game: Sunday, Dec. 14 vs. Philadelphia | 5:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking