Preview: March 17 at Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Carolina Hurricanes open a Metropolitan Division back-to-back on Tuesday, starting with a battle against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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When: Tuesday, March 17

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: 42-18-6 (90 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 4-2 Win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, March 14

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Blue Jackets Record: 33-21-11 (79 Points, 4th - Metropolitan Division)

Blue Jackets Last Game: 2-1 Win (SO) Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, March 14

Last Time Out...

• A third-period game-winner from Jordan Martinook pushed the Canes past the Lightning on Saturday night in Tampa.
• Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov took turns setting up each other for goals to start the game and Logan Stankoven closed out a Moms' Trip victory with an empty net goal.
• Frederik Andersen earned a third win in as many stops, turning away 17 shots.
• For Rod Brind'Amour, it was career win number 367 in his 600th game behind the bench.

Season Series vs. CBJ...

• Dec. 9: As a part of the team's 20th Anniversary Championship Celebration, the Canes took a 4-1 win over Columbus at Lenovo Center.

Aho Chasing History...

• Coming off his third multi-point outing in his last six games, Sebastian Aho now sits just one point shy of 700 in his Hurricanes/NHL career.
• The 28-year-old would be the third player to record 700 points in a Hurricanes/Whalers sweater, joining Ron Francis (1,175 pts, 1,186 gms) and Eric Staal (775 pts, 909 gms).
• Despite being the 35th player selected in the 2015 NHL Draft, Aho is also on track to become the fourth member of that class to reach the 700-point plateau. Of that group, only Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen have previously achieved the feat.

In Net...

• Brandon Bussi was in the "day before starter's crease" at Monday's practice, likely signaling that he will start tonight.
• Entering with back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, the 27-year-old took a bit of a tough luck loss on Thursday against St. Louis, as the team in front of him produced just one goal. Now, 25-5-1 on the season, he made 23 saves and picked up the win the last time these two teams met.
• Conversely, should the team stick with the hot hand, Frederik Andersen has won three in a row and four out of five since returning from the Winter Olympics.

On The Other Side...

• Still very much in the mix for a playoff spot, the Blue Jackets have been scalding hot under new bench boss Rick Bowness.
• 15-2-4 under the veteran coach, the group has steadied their defensive abilities and allowed just 2.62 goals per game during the 21-game run, third-fewest among all NHL teams during that time.
• In addition to Zach Werenski continuing to be one of the best defensemen in the game, longtime center Charlie Coyle has been a big spark for the group as of late, producing a team-leading 25 points since the Jan. 12 coaching change.

Injury Updates...

• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (lower-body injury) left during the team's Mar. 6 win in Edmonton and did not return. Rod Brind'Amour said on Mar. 10 that he would likely miss a couple of games. Yesterday, Brind'Amour confirmed that Gostisbehere will not play tonight.
• Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (hip surgery) was declared "probably out for the year" by Rod Brind'Amour on Dec. 29.

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 right back in action tomorrow night at Lenovo Center against the Penguins.
• Next Game: Wednesday, March 18 vs. Pittsburgh | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking