Carolina Hurricanes vs. Anaheim Ducks: Lineups and Game Discussion

The Hurricanes close out a rare set of consecutive home games tonight when they welcome the Anaheim Ducks to PNC Arena for the only time this season. The Canes are looking for their first win of the season against the Ducks, although they did get a point when they played in Anaheim just after Thanksgiving as part of the lengthy point streak that lasted through December.

Ironically, the Hurricanes enter tonight’s game on another winning streak, this one totaling five games and highlighted by last night’s shutout of the Ottawa Senators. Rod Brind’Amour hasn’t changed his lineup since before last weekend’s outdoor game, and there is little chance he will make any changes tonight, other than swapping out the goaltenders.

Here’s how we think they will line up tonight:

Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Seth Jarvis
Teuvo Teravainen — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Martin Necas
Jordan Martinook — Jordan Staal — Jesper Fast
Stefan Noesen — Paul Stastny — Derek Stepan

Jaccob Slavin — Brent Burns
Brady Skjei — Brett Pesce
Calvin de Haan — Jalen Chatfield

Frederik Andersen
Antti Raanta

Injuries and Scratches: Dylan Coghlan (healthy), Max Pacioretty (LTIR Achilles), Ondrej Kase (LTIR concussion)

The coming week will likely see the most action surrounding the Anaheim Ducks all season, and when the year’s highlight is the trade deadline, you know it’s pretty much a season to forget.

Few predicted that the Ducks would make any noise in the playoff race this year, but even by those low standards, it’s been a serious disappointment for a team that started the year in the midst of a rebuild, but then later found themselves even further back than when the year started. Kevin Shattenkirk and possibly John Klingberg will likely be headed to new homes by the end of next week, but beyond that the Ducks are already playing out the string, which is not a place you want to be at the end of February.

They do enter tonight after beating the similarly reeling Capitals in Washington on Thursday, and here is how they will take the ice tonight:

Trevor Zegras — Ryan Strome — Troy Terry
Max Jones — Mason McTavish — Jakob Silfverberg
Frank Vatrano — Isac Lundestrom — Brett Leason
Max Comtois — Derek Grant — Sam Carrick

Cam Fowler — Dmitry Kulikov
Colton White — Nathan Beaulieu
Simon Benoit — Kevin Shattenkirk

John Gibson
Lukas Dostal

Injuries and Scratches: Jayson Megna (healthy), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Jamie Drysdale (IR shoulder), Justin Kirkland (undisclosed), Urho Vaakanainen (IR lower body), Adam Henrique (IR lower body), John Klingberg (lower body)

Tonight’s Officials
Referees: Pierre Lambert #37, Gord Dwyer #19
Linesmen: Travis Gawryletz #67, Mark Shewchyk #92