CALGARY, Alta. - The Carolina Hurricanes will be without Shayne Gostisbehere as they aim to close out their road trip with a third straight win in Calgary this evening.
The team's highest-scoring blueliner, who has missed 17 games over three stints this season due to a nagging lower-body injury, left last night's win over Edmonton with a similar issue. Rod Brind'Amour told reporters pre-game tonight that he assumes the power play quarterback won't be out of the lineup for too long.
Amid Gostisbehere's absence, Mike Reilly will return to the lineup for the first time in nearly two months. The 32-year old last appeared in a game on Jan. 16 and boasts seven points to go with a +9 rating in 29 games this year.
In net, Brandon Bussi will seek a franchise-record 10th consecutive victory. Matching the current record of nine straight wins on Wednesday, a mark he has reached twice this season, Bussi also became the fastest netminder in NHL history to post 25 career wins. The 27-year-old saw the Flames earlier this season in Raleigh, notching his first career shutout with 16 saves in an overtime win for the Canes.
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Tonight's Projected Lineup...
Forwards
Svechnikov - Aho - Jarvis
Hall - Stankoven - Blake
Ehlers - Staal - Martinook
Carrier - Jankowski - Robinson
Defense
Slavin - Chatfield
Miller - Walker
Reilly - Nikishin
Starting Goaltender
Bussi
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Injuries
Shayne Gostisbehere | Lower-Body | No Timetable For Return)
Pyotr Kochetkov (Hip Surgery | "Likely Out For The Year" as of Dec. 29)
Scratches
Nicolas Deslauriers
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
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PP1: Aho, Ehlers (Staal), Jarvis, and Svechnikov with Nikishin
PP2: Blake, Hall, Jankowski, and Stankoven with Walker
Jordan Staal has been taking the faceoffs with the first power play unit. If he wins it, he'll stay on the ice. When the puck comes out of the zone, he jumps off, and Nikolaj Ehlers jumps on.
