The Carolina Hurricanes head into Nashville on Tuesday with no expected changes to their lineup and a chance to keep the momentum rolling. They’re looking for a fifth straight win as they open a two-game road trip away from Raleigh against the Predators.
Pyotr Kochetkov is once again the headline in goal. The 27-year-old has been on a remarkable tear, and on Sunday he made franchise history by becoming the first Hurricanes netminder to win 10 consecutive starts. That also put him in a very small club across NHL history: he’s just the third goalie ever to win his first 10 games of a season, joining Jack Campbell, who did it for Toronto in 2020-21, and Carey Price, who did it for Montreal in 2016-17.
Up front, Logan Stankoven is set to play in his 200th NHL game. He’s already leading the team with 10 goals this season, and the scoring pace has been there for a while now. Since March 31, including the postseason, he has 28 goals in his last 43 games.
Mark Jankowski also brings a hot hand back to Nashville. The former Predator has scored eight goals in his last nine games, adding another dangerous layer to Carolina’s attack as it tries to keep climbing.
The projected forward groups have Seth Carrier, Sebastian Aho, and Andrei Svechnikov together on the top line, with Nikolaj Ehlers, Stankoven, and Jackson Blake on the second. Jordan Martinook is listed with Jankowski and Seth Jarvis, while Eric Robinson, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Michael Deslauriers round out the fourth line.
On defense, the pairings are expected to be Jaccob Slavin with Sean Chatfield, K’Andre Miller with Jalen Walker, and Shayne Gostisbehere with Alexander Välimäki. Kochetkov is the projected starter.
Taylor Hall remains out with an upper-body injury, though he is skating and could return Thursday at the Islanders. Jordan Staal is still sidelined with a calf tear and is expected to be out “a month or two” from Oct.
- Alexander Nikishin and Mike Reilly are the healthy scratches.
Carolina’s power play units are set with Aho, Blake, Ehlers, Svechnikov, and Gostisbehere on PP1, while PP2 features Jankowski, Jarvis, Kotkaniemi, Stankoven, and Välimäki. The Hurricanes and Predators are scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. ET puck drop.
In Other News...
Canes Road Slip Just Ended A Streak Fans Were Watching
The Carolina Hurricanes trip to Nashville turned into a reminder that even a strong start can hit a rough patch on the road. In a 4-1 loss to the Predators, Pyotr Kochetkov still gave Carolina a chance with a solid performance in net, but Nashville grabbed the early lead and kept the Hurricanes chasing the game from there.
Nick Perbix, Roman Josi and Adam Edstrom did the damage for the Predators as Carolina never found a way to fully close the gap. For the Hurricanes, the loss was more than just a blemish in the standings, since it also interrupted a run that had been quietly building around Kochetkovs early-season form. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Blue Line Is Giving Fans A Real Reason To Believe
The blue line has become a big reason Carolina has opened the 2026-27 season sitting on top of the Metropolitan Division and the NHL. Sean Walker has fit in as more than just a steady defender, giving the Hurricanes a reliable presence at both ends of the ice, while Shayne Gostisbehere has brought the kind of puck-moving skill that can tilt a game and keep the attack flowing from the back end.
Rod BrindAmour has been quick to point out how much both defensemen have meant to the group, and it is easy to see why the early results have looked so strong. For Carolina, the encouraging part is not just that the points are coming from the blue line, but that the pair has helped set a tone that makes the Hurricanes look deep, balanced and hard to play against as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]