Newcomers Fitting in as Hurricanes Face Blackhawks

The Carolina Hurricanes return to Raleigh, N.C., for a Thursday night showdown against the Chicago Blackhawks, featuring some big lineup changes after a blockbuster trade.

Hurricanes Riding Momentum & Showing Off New Faces

Carolina is currently on a six-game point streak, most recently shutting out the New York Rangers 4-0 on Tuesday. But this won’t be the same Hurricanes team fans saw last week.

The Hurricanes landed Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche) and Taylor Hall (Chicago Blackhawks) in a massive three-way trade. Carolina sent Martin Necas and Jack Drury to Colorado, while Hall returns to Raleigh to face his former team just days after being traded.

Both Rantanen and Hall recorded assists in their second game with Carolina, and head coach Rod Brind’Amour was excited about their early impact:

“(Hall) was instrumental in the first goal. He was making good plays, hanging onto pucks—it was really encouraging.”

Blackhawks Looking for Back-to-Back Wins

The Blackhawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday and are now aiming for their first consecutive wins since mid-December.

Chicago will be looking to avenge last week’s 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina, a game they led 2-0 after the first period but couldn’t close out.

Goaltender Battle: Andersen or Kochetkov?

Carolina’s Frederik Andersen recorded a shutout against the Rangers, but the Hurricanes could stick to their goalie rotation and start Pyotr Kochetkov instead. Either way, Carolina has been elite on the penalty kill, boasting a league-best 34 games without allowing a power-play goal.

“We pride ourselves in a good penalty kill,” Andersen said.

Chicago’s Petr Mrazek, a former Hurricanes goaltender, was in net during their OT loss last week and could get the start again.

Familiar Faces Returning to Raleigh

Thursday marks Teuvo Teravainen’s return to Carolina, where he was a key player for eight seasons before being dealt to Chicago in the offseason. He has 11 goals and 23 assists this season, including an empty-netter against Tampa Bay.

Defenseman Riley Stillman also made his Carolina debut Tuesday, wearing the same No. 61 his father, Cory Stillman, wore when the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006.

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Canes Looking to Extend Home Success

The Hurricanes have picked up points in six straight home games, and with Rantanen and Hall settling in, Carolina could be poised for another strong performance.

Will Chicago build on their win, or will Carolina’s new-look lineup keep rolling? Puck drops at 7:00 PM ET in Raleigh.