Carolina Hurricanes vs. Philadelphia Flyers: Game Preview and Discussion

The Carolina Hurricanes return home tonight after a closer-than-it-should-have-been shootout win over Montreal to face the Philadelphia Flyers for the first of two matchups in the next nine days. Pyotr Kochetkov, back in Raleigh for the first time since mid-January, will get the start following his emergency recall yesterday.

Game Notes

• The Hurricanes have won five straight games against the Flyers dating back to November of 2021, including both games so far this year. The final matchup of the season will be next Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.
• Kochetkov will enter the lineup after Antti Raanta left Tuesday’s game with a lower body injury. Rod Brind’Amour said that it was nothing to be concerned about and the hook was precautionary, but it was apparently enough of a thing to prompt Kochetkov’s second call-up of the year.
• Since last we saw him, Kochetkov has gone 11-3-1 with a .918 save percentage for Chicago, scored a goal, and took two game misconducts for fighting, just like everyone expected.
• Shayne Gostisbehere, facing the team that drafted him tonight, could have served as the Ghost of Contracts Past for Tony DeAngelo tonight. DeAngelo’s first season in Philadelphia has been a predictable boon offensively but a horror show in his own end. Meanwhile, Gostisbehere has fit right into DeAngelo’s old role on the power play, scoring twice in his first three games with the Canes. He’s never scored in four career games against the Flyers while a Coyote.
• Alas, DeAngelo will serve the first of a two-game suspension for spearing Corey Perry on Tuesday in Tampa. (Yes, you could absolutely make the case that spearing Corey Perry should result in a gold star rather than a suspension, but here we are.)
• Jesse Puljujarvi, proud owner of a shiny new U.S. visa, will need to wait a couple more days to make his Hurricanes debut. His appearance at the morning skate today was his first time on the ice with his new teammates, so after he gets a practice in, he should be good to go Saturday against Vegas.
• Jalen Chatfield also left Tuesday’s game with an injury and will miss tonight’s contest. Calvin de Haan will take his place in the lineup, with Gostisbehere sliding over to the right side.

Projected Lines

Hurricanes

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 - Shayne Gostisbehere

Pyotr Kochetkov
Frederik Andersen

Injuries and Scratches: Antti Raanta (lower body), Jalen Chatfield (upper body), Ondrej Kase (LTIR concussion), Max Pacioretty (LTIR Achilles)

Flyers

Joel Farabee - Morgan Frost - Owen Tippett
Scott Laughton - Noah Cates - Tyson Foerster
James van Riemsdyk - Elliot Desnoyers - Kevin Hayes
Nicolas Deslauriers - Tanner Laczynski - Kieffer Bellows

Ivan Provorov - Cam York
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Nick Seeler - Justin Braun

Felix Sandstrom
Carter Hart

Injuries and Scratches: Brendan Lemieux (undisclosed), Wade Allison (undisclosed), Tony DeAngelo (suspension), Travis Konecny (IR upper body), Cam Atkinson (IR neck), Sean Couturier (IR back), Ryan Ellis (LTIR back)

Tonight’s Officials
Referees: Garrett Rank #7, Corey Syvret #23
Linesmen: Julien Fournier #56, Libor Suchanek #60