Preview: January 19 vs. Buffalo

RALEIGH, N.C. - After sweeping a back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes will seek a third straight win when they host the Buffalo Sabres for Kids Day presented by UNC Health.

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When: Monday, January 19

Puck Drop: 1:30 p.m. ET

Watch: TNT, truTV, HBO Max | Learn More

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 30-15-4 (64 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 4-1 Win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, Jan. 17

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Sabres Record: 26-16-5 (57 Points, 5th - Atlantic Division)

Sabres Last Game: 5-4 OT Loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, Jan. 17

Last Time Out...

• The Canes notched their second win in as many nights on Saturday, knocking off the New Jersey Devils 4-1 at Prudential Center.
• Andrei Svechnikov led the way with a hat trick, with Sebastian Aho logging assists on all three goals.
• Jackson Blake also scored, and Frederik Andersen put together a sterling 29-save performance in net.

Season Series vs. BUF...

• November 8: Four Canes posted multiple points in a 6-3 win over the Sabres at Lenovo Center.
• November 23: A 'flat' effort cost Carolina in Buffalo, falling 4-1 to the Sabres.

Powered Up...

• It took until Dec. 6 (26 games) for the Hurricanes to score multiple power-play goals in one game, but in the 23 contests since then, they've done so seven times and logged the second-most PPGs in the NHL with 22, trailing only Edmonton (23).
• Highlighted by Friday's four-goal outburst on the man advantage, the Canes have clicked at a 30.1% rate in that span — good for fourth in the league.
• On the season, the Hurricanes currently rank 13th with a 21.5% success rate. To put that into context, before embarking on its current hot streak on Dec. 6, Carolina's power play sat in 31st, having scored on just 13.2% of its chances to start the season.

In Net...

• Brandon Bussi is expected to start tonight after Frederik Andersen got the nod in New Jersey on Saturday night.
• Bussi faced just 16 shots in his last outing against Florida on Friday, turning aside 15 of those to notch his 17th win in 21 career starts.
• On the flip side, the Canes could elect to keep Andersen rolling after the veteran backstop played a key role in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Devils. After a tough run to end 2025, Andersen is 2-0-1 in his last three outings.

On The Other Side...

• One of the hottest teams in hockey, Buffalo's 16 wins and 33 points since Dec. 1 are second only to Detroit in that span. 10 of those victories came in consecutive fashion, which is tied for the second-longest winning streak by an NHL team this season.
• Tage Thompson has been key to the Sabres' success during that run and throughout the season. Leading his club with 50 points on the year, Thompson's 25 goals are tied for seventh among all NHLers, and he enters tonight's tilt on a seven-game point streak with 13 points (5G, 8A) in that span.
• With Alex Lyon sidelined since Dec. 29, it's been Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and rookie Colten Ellis holding things down between the pipes in January. The duo has alternated starts over Buffalo's last seven games, and with Luukkonen logging the OT loss to Minnesota, the Canes could be in line to face Ellis this afternoon.

Injury Updates...

• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (lower-body injury) last participated in game action on Jan. 13 and is considered day-to-day.
• Forward William Carrier (lower-body injury) last participated in game action on Jan. 10. but returned to practice on Jan. 15.
• Forward Noah Philp entered concussion protocol on Jan. 6 and has not played a game since then.
• Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is set to undergo hip surgery and was declared "probably out for the year" by Rod Brind'Amour on Dec. 29.
• 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 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 be off on Tuesday. They'll return to practice on Wednesday before hosting Chicago on Thursday.
• Next Game: Thursday, January 22 vs. Chicago | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+, Hulu | Tickets | Parking