Preview: March 20 at Toronto

TORONTO - The Carolina Hurricanes kick off a three-game road trip north of the border on Friday, going head-to-head with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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When: Friday, March 20

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: 43-19-6 (92 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 6-5 Win (OT) over Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, March 18

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Maple Leafs Record: 29-28-12 (70 Points, 7th - Atlantic Division)

Maple Leafs Last Game: 3-1 Loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, March 17

Last Time Out...

• Sean Walker scored the first overtime winner of his career on Wednesday, giving the Canes a 6-5 victory over the Penguins at Lenovo Center.
• Jackson Blake (1G, 2A) and Nikolaj Ehlers (3A) both had three-point nights, and Frederik Andersen (30 saves) earned a fourth consecutive victory.

Season Series vs. TOR...

• Nov. 9: Three unanswered goals in the final 24 minutes led the Canes to a 5-4 win in Toronto.
• Dec. 4: Carolina "lacked a spark" in a 5-1 loss at Lenovo Center.

20/20 Vision...

• With Jackson Blake notching his 20th goal of the season on Wednesday, the Canes now boast five players above the 20-goal plateau — more than any other club in the NHL.
• Seth Jarvis (28), Andrei Svechnikov (25), Sebastian Aho (24), and Nikolaj Ehlers (20) round out the group. Next on the radar? Jordan Staal with 16, Taylor Hall with 15, and Logan Stankoven with 14.

In Net...

• The Canes have rolled a consistent rotation between Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi since returning to play from the Olympic break.  Should that pattern hold tonight, Bussi would be in line to start.
• Bussi has had a tough go as of late, dropping three in a row for the first time in his career. Despite the recent rough patch, he still boasts a record of 25-6-1 in his first year in the league.
• Should the Canes elect to go back to Andersen, he's riding the high of four wins in his last four starts.

On The Other Side...

• Already not where they want to be in the standings, and now without Auston Matthews for the remainder of the regular season due to injury, things have gone from bad to worse for Toronto of late.
• 2-5-3 in their last 10, the Leafs have allowed an average of 3.43 goals per game this season, the most among all Eastern Conference teams. Part of that problem stems from giving up an average of 32.2 shots per night. No team in the NHL allows more.
• On the positive side of things, 23-year-old Matthew Knies continues to blossom as a bright star in the league. He arrives at tonight's contest with nine points in his last nine games.

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.
• 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 to Pittsburgh post-game and are scheduled to practice on Saturday.  They'll get back in game action on Sunday afternoon against the Penguins.
• Next Game: Sunday, March 22 at Pittsburgh | 3:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO
• Next Home Game: Saturday, March 28 vs. New Jersey | 5:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking