Preview: March 28 vs. New Jersey

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes are back in action after a rare three-day break between games, kicking off a weekend back-to-back set against the New Jersey Devils.

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When: Saturday, March 28

Puck Drop: 5:00 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: 45-20-6 (96 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 5-2 Loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, March 24

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Devils Record: 37-32-2 (76 Points, 7th - Metropolitan Division)

Devils Last Game: 4-2 Win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday, March 26

Last Time Out...

• The Canes scored twice in the opening 7:07 on Tuesday in Montreal, but five unanswered goals from the Canadiens snapped Carolina's three-game win streak.
• Nikolaj Ehlers' early power play marker made it six goals in the last four contests for the man advantage, and Jordan Staal scored his 18th of the season.
• Frederik Andersen's personal five-game win streak was put to an end, allowing four goals on 18 shots.

Previous Meetings This Season vs. NJD...

• Oct. 9: K'Andre Miller and Seth Jarvis each scored twice as the Canes opened the 2025-26 campaign with a 6-3 win over New Jersey.
• Jan. 4: A multi-point game from Taylor Hall led the Canes to a 3-1 victory at Prudential Center.
• Jan. 17: Andrei Svechnikov's hat trick led Carolina to a 4-1 victory in Newark.

Seeing Ghosts...

• After missing over three weeks due to a lower-body injury, defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere could be in line to return this evening.
• A full participant in yesterday's practice at Lenovo Center, he was once again paired with Alexander Nikishin at five-on-five and operating as the quarterback for the first power play unit.
• Although he has missed 26 games this year, Gostisbehere's 43 points lead the blue line, and his 0.96 points per game rank tied for seventh among all NHL defensemen (min. 10 games played).

In Net...

• Brandon Bussi was in the day before starter's crease at Friday's practice, likely signaling he's in line to get the nod tonight.
• The 27-year-old snapped a personal three-game skid in his last outing, a 23-save win over the Maple Leafs last Friday.
• Should the Canes elect to save Bussi for Sunday against Montreal, Frederik Andersen will be looking to bounce back after he had his five-game win streak snapped on Tuesday in Montreal. 6-2 since the Olympic break, the veteran has started the team's two most recent contests.

On The Other Side...

• Wrapping up a five-game road trip today, the Devils come to town 5-1 in their last six.
• Averaging 4.5 goals during the run, gold-medal game hero Jack Hughes has been stellar, producing 12 points in the team's six most recent outings. The team's recent improvement is a drastic change from their 2.72 goals per game that they average this season, which ranks 27th among all NHL clubs.
• Despite their seemingly season-long scoring troubles, the Devils are one of just four teams in the league that average 30 shots on goal per game. The Canes are one of the other three, joining the Avalanche and Ducks.

Injury Updates...

• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (lower-body injury) has been out of action since Mar. 6. He returned to practice with the team on Mar. 27. Rod Brind'Amour didn't fully commit to him returning tonight, but said he was "hopeful."
• 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 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 right back in action on home ice tomorrow, facing the Canadiens for the second time in six days.
• Next Game: Sunday, March 29 vs. Montreal | 5:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking