Carolina Hurricanes vs. Vegas Golden Knights: Lineups and Game Discussion

Could it be that the Carolina Hurricanes are actually...(gasp)...fully healthy?

No players in the Covid protocol. No players on injured reserve. Everyone present and accounted for at the morning skate this morning. What is this sorcery?!

Of course, Teuvo Teravainen is still a question mark, notwithstanding his participation this morning. Just like on Saturday in New Jersey, Teravainen participated in the morning skate and will take the warmup tonight, but whether he plays or not is still up in the air. If he can’t go, the Hurricanes will likely use Josh Leivo in his roster spot again.

Also a possibility, albeit a minor one: Jordan Martinook, the Canes’ last remaining player in the Covid protocol, exited the protocol this morning and is available for tonight’s game. It seems unlikely that he will play, given that he was skating with the scratches this morning, but it’s not totally ruled out.

Despite giving up seven goals to the Devils on Saturday, the Canes won’t make any changes on the blue line. Ethan Bear will sit again and Brendan Smith will remain in the lineup.

Here’s how the Canes will take the ice:

Teuvo Teravainen - Sebastian Aho - Seth Jarvis
Andrei Svechnikov - Vincent Trocheck - Martin Necas
Nino Niederreiter - Jordan Staal - Jesper Fast
Steven Lorentz - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Derek Stepan

Jaccob Slavin - Tony DeAngelo
Brady Skjei - Brett Pesce
Ian Cole - Brendan Smith

Frederik Andersen
Antti Raanta

Injuries and Scratches: Jordan Martinook (healthy), Josh Leivo (healthy), Ethan Bear (healthy)

The Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights are in the midst of a four-game Eastern swing while T-Mobile Arena prepares to host next week’s All-Star Game. And it’s not just any run of jobbers that the Knights are facing: Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa. Ooof.

So what do they do to start the road trip? Of course: they post a 1-0 shutout over the Capitals with someone named Michael Amadio, who I’m told is of no relation to the Italian restaurant on Western Boulevard, scoring the only goal.

Needless to say, if the Devils can drop seven on the Hurricanes, the Golden Knights are more than capable of doing so as well. A back-to-back against two tough opponents is no easy feat, but the Hurricanes would do well to not make their net quite so inviting tonight.

Here’s how the Knights will skate:

William Carrier - Chandler Stephenson - Evgenii Dadonov
Mattias Janmark - William Karlsson - Jonathan Marchessault
Jonas Rondbjerg - Nicolas Roy - Keegan Kolesar
Brett Howden - Nolan Patrick - Michael Amadio

Nic Hague - Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore
Ben Hutton - Dylan Coghlan

Laurent Brossoit
Robin Lehner

Injuries and Scratches: Mark Stone (Covid protocol), Zach Whitecloud (back), Reilly Smith (Covid protocol), Max Pacioretty (IR wrist), Alec Martinez (IR face), Jack Eichel (IR neck)
Taxi squad: Logan Thompson, Jake Leschyshyn, Ben Hutton, Daniil Miromanov

Tonight’s Officials
Referees: Kyle Rehman #10, T.J. Luxmore #21
Linesmen: Kory Nagy #97, Dan Kelly #98