Preview: December 17 at Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Carolina Hurricanes will try to win a fifth game in a row on Wednesday when they take on the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

---

When: Wednesday, Dec. 17

Puck Drop: 8:00 p.m. ET

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

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

---

Canes Record: 21-9-2 (42 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 3-2 SO Win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, Dec. 14

---

Predators Record: 13-15-4 (30 Points, 8th - Central Division)

Predators Last Game: 5-2 Win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday, Dec. 15

Last Time Out...

• For the first time in franchise history, the Canes won a third consecutive game via shootout on Sunday, besting the Flyers by a score of 3-2.
• Taking a second win from Philadelphia in under 24 hours, Andrei Svechnikov scored the lone goal of the skills competition, securing the victory.
• Brandon Bussi continued his historic start to his NHL career, stopping 24 out of 26 shots faced over 65 minutes, plus all three in the shootout, to improve to 11-1 in his first 12 appearances in the league.

Previous Meetings vs. NSH This Season...

• December 6: Jackson Blake and Nikolaj Ehlers combined for six points in a 6-3 Canes win at Lenovo Center.

Streak Stats...

• Entering Wednesday with wins in four straight games, the Hurricanes can match their longest winning streak of the season (5, 10/9 - 10/18) with a victory in Nashville tonight.
• Carolina's recent run has been fueled by three consecutive shootout wins, marking the first time the franchise has ever strung together three or more victories that each came in that fashion.
• The success has come by committee. Five players - Nikolaj Ehlers, Shayne Gostisbehere, Taylor Hall, Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov - have tallied a team-best three points in that span, and 16 of the 19 total players who have suited up in the last four games have posted at least one point.

In Net...

• With three days since their last game, the Canes are expected to have their full complement of goaltenders available for tonight's contest.
• Brandon Bussi has been the hot hand, making NHL history en route to his 11-1 start. He has won nine consecutive starts, tying Cam Ward for the longest run in team history.
• Pyotr Kochetkov was solid on Saturday in Philadelphia, improving to 5-1 with a shootout victory over the Flyers.
• Veteran Frederik Andersen remains awaiting his next opportunity to try and get back in the win column after going 0-4-2 in his last six outings. His last start was Dec. 4, but he has remained optimistic that the record is not a reflection of his overall game.
• "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."

On The Other Side...

• Despite resting at the bottom of the Central Division for much of the season, Nashville enters tonight's tilt with a 5-2-0 mark in December - a record shared by the Hurricanes in the same span.
• A huge part of the Preds' success this month is the play of Filip Forsberg, who ranks T-3rd in goals (5) and T-7th in points (8) among NHLers over the span of his current five-game point streak (since Dec. 6).
• Meanwhile, Ryan O'Reilly continues to lead the team in scoring with 26 points in 32 games, bringing a four-game heater into the fray against the Canes. The 34-year-old has recorded four multi-point performances in his last 10 outings.
• In net, the tandem of Juuse Saaros and Justus Annunen has split starts since each saw time against Carolina on Dec. 6. Annunen is the better-rested of the two, with Saros stopping 22 shots in a win over St. Louis two nights ago, but the latter has won six of his last seven starts.

Injury Updates...

• 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.

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 to Florida post-game and are scheduled to practice on Thursday. They'll then start a Sunshine State back-to-back, battling the Panthers on Friday and the Lightning on Saturday.
• Next Game: Friday, Dec. 19 at Florida | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO
• Next Home Game: Tuesday, Dec. 23 vs. Florida | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking