Andersen starts; Jankowski the odd man out up front
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes will turn to Frederik Andersen between the pipes on Sunday when they host the New Jersey Devils for Game 1.
Andersen (13-8-1 | 2.50 GAA | .899 SV%) had a bit of a roller coaster regular season. The Danish backstop started on fire, winning four of his first five starts while allowing two or fewer goals in each outing. Then, a knee injury sidelined him until January. When he returned, he was stellar, going 10-4 with a .914 save percentage from Jan. 20 – Apr. 2. However, in his final four appearances in the regular season, the veteran went 0-3-1 and allowed 20 goals in those four games.
In front of him, the team will be back at full force for the first time since early April. The Canes used the final stretch of the regular season to give some key players an extra rest.
But with a full roster of available players comes tough personnel decisions, with everyday players sometimes left out of the lineup. Rod Brind’Amour revealed pregame that Mark Jankowski, who has played in every game since being acquired at the trade deadline, Tyson Jost and Riley Stillman would serve as the healthy extras for Game 1.
In addition to Jankowski and Jost, highly-touted prospect Alexander Nikishin will not debut today. The 6-foot-4 blueliner arrived in the United States on Friday and has practiced with the team just once. Brind’Amour said on Saturday that the team doesn’t have a plan for him and his usage yet, but they want him to feel comfortable with the systems before putting him in a high-leverage position.
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Odds at Time of Publishing, provided by Fanatics Sportsbook: Canes -225
To view more Fanatics Sportsbook betting lines, click here.
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Forwards
Jarvis – Aho – Blake
Hall – Kotkaniemi – Svechnikov
Martinook – Staal – Stankoven
Robinson – Roslovic – Carrier
Defense
Slavin – Burns
Orlov – Chatfield
Gostisbehere – Walker
Goaltenders
Andersen
[Backup: Kochetkov]
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Injuries
Jesper Fast (Neck | Out For 2024-25 Season)
Scratches
Mark Jankowski
Tyson Jost
Alexander Nikishin
Riley Stillman
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PP1: Aho, Blake, Jarvis, and Svechnikov with Gostisbehere
PP2: Hall, Kotkaniemi, Roslovic, and Stankoven with Burns
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