The Carolina Hurricanes would like to reaffirm their home-ice advantage before they head back onto the road for a three-game trip.
The Hurricanes will bring a 6-1-0 record at Lenovo Center into their game with the St. Louis Blues on Sunday in Raleigh, N.C.
The Hurricanes have won 10 of their last 12 games overall. They are coming off a 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Goaltender Spencer Martin recorded his first career shutout. He will continue to see more action with Frederik Andersen facing a pronounced absence and possible surgery for a lower-body injury.
“It is the most important position, and that was a great game by (Martin),” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It enabled us to get the victory, for sure. He made some big saves. There was a lot of really close calls, and he saved us.”
Still, Carolina may start Pyotr Kochetkov in goal against the Blues.
Kochetkov exited the Hurricanes’ 4-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury but he recovered enough to participate in Carolina’s morning skate Saturday.
“We probably could’ve stuck him in there (Saturday),” Brind’Amour said.
Kochetkov allowed four goals on 19 shots when the Hurricanes lost to the Blues 4-3 on Oct. 19. Blues forwards Mathieu Joseph and Jake Neighbours each recorded a goal and an assist in that game.
Martin Necas earned an assist against the Senators, extending his point streak to 12 games. Sebastian Aho has a goal and five assists in his last six games.
Brayden Schenn scored 2:53 into overtime to lift the Blues to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
St. Louis, which snapped a four-game skid (0-3-1), outshot Boston 31-17 while playing one of its better games since losing No. 1 center Robert Thomas and key defenseman Nick Leddy, Philip Broberg and Pierre-Olivier Joseph to injuries.
“We definitely deserved to win that game, there was no question,” Blues coach Drew Bannister said. “If we get a little puck luck, you know, that game could have been out of hand at the end of the second period. I thought our guys were great in all three zones. We created a lot offensively.”
St. Louis opened its three-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. After getting two points against the Bruins, St. Louis will try to cool off the Hurricanes.
“Tough place to play, there’s no room in Carolina, they come at you hard there, they’re a great home team,” Schenn told the FanDuel Sports Network. “For us, this is a chance to make it a good road trip.
“We’re battling hard right now; we’re in a position to go into three tough buildings and grab some points. Got to re-focus for (Sunday), grab our energy and expect a skating game with no room out there.”
Jordan Binnington earned the victory in Boston, so the Blues likely will turn to Joel Hofer in goal Sunday. Hofer made 37 saves when the Blues beat the Hurricanes on Oct. 19.
–Field Level Media