Preview: November 23 at Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Carolina Hurricanes close out a four-game road trip on Sunday, facing the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.

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When: Sunday, Nov. 23

Puck Drop: 1:00 p.m. ET

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App, NHL Network | Learn More

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 14-5-2 (30 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 4-3 Win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, Nov. 21

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Sabres Record: 8-9-4 (20 Points, 8th - Atlantic Division)

Sabres Last Game: 9-3 Win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, Nov. 21

Last Time Out...

• Jordan Staal scored twice, Seth Jarvis struck shorthanded, and an Andrei Svechnikov third-period power play goal led the Canes to a 4-3 win in Winnipeg on Friday night.
• Nikolaj Ehlers had an assist in his first game against the Jets since signing with Carolina, and Jalen Chatfield returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a concussion.
• Brandon Bussi made 24 saves, improving to 5-1 through his first six NHL starts.

500 For Svech...

• Forward Andrei Svechnikov is set to skate in his 500th NHL game this afternoon. Picked second overall in the 2018 draft, his selection was the first in the era of Tom Dundon as Hurricanes owner and serves as a moment some point to when things began to change for the organization. The team went into the draft lottery with the 11th-best odds to pick first overall, and had just a 9.8% chance to move into the top three, but the ping pong balls were in their favor, allowing them to take the Russian forward after the Sabres had picked Rasmus Dahlin.
• Svechnikov will become just the third player from the draft class to reach the milestone, joining the aforementioned Dahlin (527) and Brady Tkachuk (515). His 159 goals rank second in the group, trailing only Tkachuk, and his 377 points sit fourth, behind Quinn Hughes (429) and Tkachuk (407).
• He also owns the fourth-highest point total in franchise history prior to his 500th career game, behind Ron Francis (568), Sebastian Aho (456), and Eric Staal (451).

In Net...

• Pyotr Kochetkov was scheduled to start on Friday in Winnipeg, but after "not feeling right" at morning skate, the Canes turned to Brandon Bussi for the eventual win over the Jets. With Bussi moving to 5-1 through his first NHL starts, that means that this afternoon will likely feature either Frederik Andersen or Kochetkov between the pipes.
• Andersen's last appearance was on Wednesday in Minnesota, a shootout loss. Kochetkov was spectacular on Monday in Boston, coming within 10 seconds of his second shutout in four starts.

On The Other Side...

• Winners of three of their last four, the Sabres made a statement on Friday night, scoring nine against the Blackhawks. A welcome performance for a team that has struggled to start the season, forward Alex Tuch led the way with four assists.
• Some of Buffalo's biggest struggles thus far have come in the faceoff dot, checking in at a league-low 43.3% win rate. They also allow an average of 31.5 shots per game, tied for the most in the NHL.
• But at the end of the day, the Sabres still have high-end talent at the top of their lineup, led by Tage Thompson. His 82 shots this season rank sixth among all NHL skaters, and he paces the roster with 20 points in 21 games.

Injury Updates...

• Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi left the game on Nov. 14 with a lower-body concern. Rod Brind'Amour said on Nov. 15 that the injury is not considered long-term.
• Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault suffered a cut to his hand via a skate blade on Nov. 9 and underwent surgery to repair lacerated tendons on Nov. 10. He is expected to miss three to four months.
• Defenseman Jaccob Slavin (lower-body injury) will be "out for a while," as of Oct. 14. He was placed on IR on Oct. 21 and, as of Oct. 27, was "still a ways away" from returning.

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 post-game and be off on Monday. They'll return to practice on Tuesday before a Thanksgiving Eve showdown against the New York Rangers, the start of a season-long seven-game home stretch.
• Next Game: Wednesday, Nov. 26 vs. NY Rangers | 7:00 p.m. ET | Tickets | Parking