Gameday 1.23 16x9

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes will try for a fourth win in a row on Thursday when they battle the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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When: Thursday, January 23

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

Odds at Time of Publishing, via Fanatics Sportsbook: Canes -300

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Canes Record: 29-16-3 (61 Points, 2nd - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 2-1 Win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, Jan. 21

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Blue Jackets Record: 23-18-7 (53 Points, 4th - Metropolitan Division)

Blue Jackets Last Game: 5-1 Win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Jan. 22

Last Game...

  • Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored both goals for the Canes on Tuesday night in a 2-1 win over the Stars.
  • Pyotr Kochetkov turned away 22 out of 23 between the pipes, earning his 18th win of the season.

Previous Meetings vs. CBJ This Season...

  • November 23: The Canes' first shootout of the season did not go their way as they fell 5-4 to the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
  • December 15: Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal posted two points apiece and Dustin Tokarski made 27 saves in his Hurricanes debut en route to a 4-1 victory in Raleigh.
  • December 31: Reminiscent of their first trip to Columbus a month prior, the Hurricanes again fell in a shootout at Nationwide Arena, this time by a 4-3 final. Ty Smith grabbed his first goal as a Cane in the loss.

May The Force Be With You...

  • Star Wars fans, tonight's for you! If you purchased a ticket + t-shirt package, swing by section 109 or section 302 to pick up your exclusive Brent Burns x Chewbacca shirt.
  • All fans are welcome to stop by any of the following sections before the game or during intermissions for a free Star Wars photo op: 109, 113, 114, 115, 129, 306, 322.
  • Looking for a souvenir to mark the occasion? Hit the team store for tonight's Star Wars-themed item of the game, visit the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation stand outside Section 129 to pick up a limited edition mystery-signed Star Wars Night puck or click here to purchase Star Wars Night commemorative tickets, which are customizable and available with an optional display holder.

In Net...

  • With Pyotr Kochetkov (18-9-2 | 2.47 GAA | .904 SV%) earning the win on Tuesday, it feels like the Canes will turn back to Frederik Andersen (4-1-0 | 1.78 GAA | .929 SV%) this evening. Now able to get back into an every-other-game rotation, "Zilla" was solid on Monday night, picking up a win over the Blackhawks in his first game back from injury.
  • After becoming the 84th goaltender in NHL history to appear in 500 games on Monday, Andersen sits just one win shy of 300 in his career. His 299 wins are the second-most by a goalie in NHL history through 500 games, trailing only Andrei Vasilevskiy (306).

On The Other Side...

  • Adam Fantilli's first career hat trick helped Columbus pick up its first win in three games last night, knocking off the Maple Leafs 5-1 in Toronto. The Blue Jackets have won seven of their 10 games in January, and their .750 points percentage in that span ranks tied for third in the NHL as they have climbed into the Eastern Conference wild-card spots.
  • The Blue Jackets' power play ranks ninth in the NHL this season (23.1%) and has operated at a prolific 33.3% clip this month - good for third in the league. Conversely, their penalty kill has struggled throughout the season (74.8% - 26th).
  • Zach Werenski notched an assist last night and ranks second in scoring among NHL defensemen with 52 points on the year, trailing only Colorado's Cale Makar. In January alone, only Shea Theodore and Lane Hutson (13) have more points than Werenski's 12.
  • Kirill Marchenko is Columbus' highest-scoring forward with 51 points in 48 games and has posted five points in three games against the Hurricanes this season, including two multi-goal outings in the Blue Jackets' SO wins on Nov. 23 and Dec. 31.

Injury Updates

  • Forward William Carrier suffered a lower-body injury on Jan. 4. Rod Brind'Amour said on Jan. 16 that Carrier is gathering a second opinion and the team is expected to make a decision soon on how long he'll be out of the lineup.
  • Forward Tyson Jost suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 31 which was labeled as "long-term" by Rod Brind'Amour ahead of the Jan. 2 contest in Florida. He returned to practice with the team in a no-contact sweater on Jan. 19 but is still considered not close to returning.
  • Forward Jesper Fast was ruled out for the 2024-25 season in August after having neck surgery.

What Are We Wearing?

  • The team will be wearing their red uniforms. To view the team's full 2024-25 uniform schedule, click here.

What's Next After This Game?

  • The Canes are scheduled to practice on Friday before flying to Long Island for a Saturday night contest against the Isles.
  • Next Game: Saturday, Jan. 25 at NY Islanders | 7:30 p.m.
  • Next Game: Thursday, Jan. 30 vs. Chicago | 7:00 p.m. | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights