Avalanche and Hurricanes Prepare for Tonight's Showdown

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Colorado Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes face off tonight at Lenovo Center, marking the end of their season series. Both teams will be sporting retro uniforms for the game, with the Hurricanes in their Hartford Whalers jerseys and the Avalanche in their new Quebec Nordiques look.

The Avalanche (30-2-7) are currently leading the league and enter the game on a hot streak, having won nine consecutive games and 17 of their last 20. The Hurricanes (24-13-3) are in first place in the Metropolitan Division but have lost three of their last five games.

Projected Lineups

Here's a look at the projected lineups for both teams:

Colorado Avalanche:

• Forwards:

  • Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
  • Artturi Lehkonen — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
  • Ross Colton — Jack Drury — Victor Olofsson
  • Zakhar Bardakov — Parker Kelly — Gavin Brindley

• Defense:

  • Devon Toews — Cale Makar
  • Josh Manson — Brent Burns
  • Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski

• Goaltenders:

  • Scott Wedgewood
  • Trent Miner

Carolina Hurricanes:

• Forwards:

  • Nikolaj Ehlers — Sebastian Aho — Andrei Svechnikov
  • Eric Robinson — Logan Stankoven — Jackson Blake
  • William Carrier — Jordan Staal — Jordan Martinook
  • Taylor Hall — Mark Jankowski — Jesperi Kotkaniemi

• Defense:

  • Alexander Nikishin — Sean Walker
  • K'Andre Miller — Jalen Chatfield
  • Mike Reilly — Joel Nystrom

• Goaltenders:

  • Frederik Andersen
  • Brandon Bussi

Team Updates

The Avalanche have recalled Trent Miner and Taylor Makar from the AHL's Colorado Eagles. Mackenzie Blackwood is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and Joel Kiviranta and Logan O'Connor are also injured.

For the Hurricanes, Shayne Gostisbehere may return to the lineup after missing three games. Seth Jarvis, Jaccob Slavin, Pyotr Kochetkov, and Shayne Gostisbehere are currently injured. Frederik Andersen is expected to start in goal.

Players to Watch

For the Avalanche, Nathan MacKinnon is tied for the league lead in scoring with 70 points. Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals in their previous meeting against the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes will see familiar faces in Brent Burns, Jack Drury, and Martin Necas, all former Hurricanes now playing for the Avalanche.

Andrei Svechnikov is a key player for the Hurricanes. Keep an eye on Hurricanes rookie Logan Stankoven, who is getting an opportunity to showcase his skills.

Goaltending Matchup

Frederik Andersen will likely start for the Hurricanes, hoping to regain his form after struggling since mid-November. He had a strong performance against the Avalanche earlier in the season, stopping 44 of 48 shots in a 5-4 shootout victory. Scott Wedgewood is expected to start for the Avalanche, bringing his impressive .919 save percentage into the game.

Additional Information

The game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be viewed on FDSNSO and ALT. Radio coverage is available on 99.9 The Fan and the Hurricanes App.