Preview: March 28 vs. Montreal

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes will look to get back in the win column on Friday as they take on the Montreal Canadiens.

-

When: Friday, March 28

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

-

Canes Record: 43-24-4 (90 Points, 2nd - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 3-1 Loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, March 25

-

Canadiens Record: 33-29-9 (75 Points, 5th - Atlantic Division)

Canadiens Last Game: 6-4 Loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, March 27

Last Game...

• Nashville netminder Juuse Saros was incredible on Tuesday night, turning away 34 out of 35 shots faced.
• Taylor Hall scored his fourth goal in two games for the Canes, but it was the lone one for the home team on the night.

Previous Meetings vs. MON...

• February 25: Sam Montembault shut out the Canes, stopping 20/20 in a 4-0 win for his team at Centre Bell.

Hallsy's Heating Up...

• Taylor Hall is expected to skate in his 900th career game this evening. Through the first 899, Hall has recorded 282 goals, 451 assists and 733 points - good for second among all skaters from his draft class.
• After notching the team's lone tally on Tuesday, Hall has now notched Carolina's last four total goals and its three most recent power-play goals.
• The 33-year-old is up to 10 points (6G, 4A) in his last nine games, finding the scoresheet in seven of those. His 12 points since his debut on Jan. 25 rank T-3rd among Canes skaters in that span, trailing only Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis (both with 16).

Svech Sighting...

• After missing the last seven games with an upper-body injury, Andrei Svechnikov said on Thursday that he "should be ready" to return to the lineup tonight against Montreal.
• Svechnikov skated alongside Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski at practice on Thursday, but Rod Brind'Amour said following the skate that the Russian winger is likely to move around the lineup as he gets back up to game speed.
• Ranking third in team scoring with 43 points in 63 games, No. 37 would be an important piece for the Canes to get back for the final 11 games of the regular season as he aims for his third straight 50-point campaign.

In Net...

• Frederik Andersen (11-5-0 | 2.07 GAA | .918 SV%) is expected to get the nod tonight after Pyotr Kochetkov (25-13-3 | 2.50 GAA | .902 SV%) appeared in Tuesday's game against Nashville.
• Andersen has won each of his last five starts, most recently stonewalling the Anaheim Ducks with a sterling 37-save effort on Sunday.
• Conversely, Kochetkov would be seeking a rebound result after suffering consecutive regulation defeats for just the second time this season on Tuesday.

On The Other Side...

• The young Canadiens are hanging tough in the Eastern Conference Wild Card picture, currently sitting in the WC2 spot. However, they're mired in a four-game winless skid (0-2-2) and are coming off a 6-4 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers last night.
• First-year blueliner Lane Hutson has been a major bright spot for the Habs, leading all NHL rookies with 56 points in 71 games. On Thursday, Hutson became the fifth rookie defenseman in NHL history to reach 50 assists with a pair of helpers against Philly.
• Up front, captain Nick Suzuki is on pace for a career year with 74 points thus far - three shy of last year's total of 77 - and enters tonight's tilt with points in five straight (2G, 3A).
• Sam Montembeault has seen the lion's share of work in net with 51 starts to date and is expected to get the nod in Raleigh after backup Jakub Dobes stopped 24 of 30 shots against the Flyers. Montembeault is 25-22-6 with a 2.93 GAA, .898 SV% and a career-high four shutouts, one of which came against Carolina in February.

Injury Updates

• Forward Andrei Svechnikov suffered an upper-body injury on March 8. He has missed seven games but has been practicing and said on Thursday that he "should be ready" for tonight's game.
• Forward William Carrier suffered a lower-body injury on Jan. 4. On Jan. 24, Rod Brind'Amour revealed that the forward is going to miss "a couple of months, at minimum." On Mar. 19, Carrier resumed skating by himself.
• Forward Jesper Fast was ruled out for the 2024-25 season in August after having neck surgery.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their black 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 Saturday and will return to game action on Sunday, hosting the New York Islanders.
• Next Game: Sunday, March 30 vs. NY Islanders | 5:00 p.m. | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights