The Carolina Hurricanes will play in front of a home crowd for the first time of the 2015 preseason on Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals.
Information
Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals
September 30, 2015 – 7:00 pm (EST)
PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
TV/Radio – No TV/WRALSportsFan.com
Projected Lineups
Carolina Hurricanes
*Note: Lines above are from practice on 9/29. Only 19 skaters (12 forwards, 6 defensemen) will play.
Washington Capitals
TBA
Preview
Just a few days after yet another round of training camp roster cuts, the Carolina Hurricanes take the ice against the Washington Capitals.
Wednesday night’s game will be the first preseason game of 2015 to be played in front of the home crowd at the PNC Arena.
These two squads squared off just over a week ago in D.C. in both teams’ first exhibition game. The Caps won 2-0 on home ice, but the makeup of each team has changed dramatically since then.
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Eddie Lack has been confirmed as tonight’s starting goalie against Washington. He got the nod against this same club in the preseason opener. He stopped all 22 shots he faced in the two periods that he played in. MacIntyre came in to start the third period and gave up 2 goals in the loss.
The Canes forward lines are up in the air as of early Wednesday morning, but it looks like we may see our NHL-ready lineup up front so far this preseason.
James Wisniewski did not practice on Tuesday with the team, and his status for Wednesday’s game is unknown. The reason he missed practice is also unknown. Don’t be surprised to see the Canes heir on the side of caution with their new veteran blue liner, if their is any caution to be had.
Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin are among the list of defensemen still at camp. It’s likely that Pesce will play in one game this week and Slavin will play in the other. Slavin skated alongside John-Michael Liles on Tuesday, and Pesce jumped around and didn’t belong in a specific pairing due to their being an odd number of blue liners in practice.
Carolina Hurricanes
Head Coach Bill Peters has already said that he expected young offensive defenseman Ryan Murphy to play in both of these games this week. He has a lot to prove entering the final season of his entry-level contract.
Jeff Skinner has been hot this preseason. In 2 games played, he has found the back of the net 3 times, and he has really gelled with his line mates Kris Versteeg and Riley Nash.
On Tuesday, rumors emerged that Eric Staal was reportedly searching for a $9 million AAV on his upcoming contract extension. Since then, TSN’s Bob McKenzie has come out as dispelled the talk surrounding Staal, but nonetheless, he needs to come out and play well this season, and he needs to start building momentum here in the final games of the preseason. He will look to standout on Wednesday, assuming he is in the lineup.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been extremely fortunate to not suffer any injuries this preseason, and health will remain to be a big subject to follow not only on Wednesday, but throughout the season. Staying healthy and playing well will the be the main focuses here in Carolina’s first home preseason game.
Wednesday’s game is slated for a 7:00 pm (EST) puck drop in Raleigh. The game will not be available on TV in the home market.
Next: Hurricanes Week in Review: Canes End Week 1 of Preseason on Hight Note