Preview: December 4 vs. Toronto

RALEIGH, N.C - The Carolina Hurricanes will seek a third consecutive win as they continue their season-long seven-game home stand against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

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When: Thursday, Dec. 4

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 16-7-2 (34 Points, 2nd - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 1-0 Win (OT) over the Calgary Flames on Sunday, Nov. 30

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Maple Leafs Record: 12-11-3 (27 Points, 6th - Atlantic Division)

Maple Leafs Last Game: 4-1 Win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, Dec. 2

Last Time Out...

• Nikolaj Ehlers scored the only goal of the game, and Brandon Bussi recorded his first NHL shutout as the Canes ousted the Calgary Flames 1-0 in overtime.

Previous Meetings vs. TOR This Season...

• November 9: Trailing by two with just under half the game remaining, the Canes bagged three unanswered goals to knock off the Leafs 5-4 at Scotiabank Arena.

Fly-ing To 700...

• Forward Nikolaj Ehlers is slated to play his 700th career game this evening, becoming the eighth player selected in the 2014 NHL Draft to do so.
• Taken with the ninth overall pick by Winnipeg in 2014, Ehlers ranks seventh among his draft class in all three major scoring categories, with 230 goals, 306 assists and 536 points.
• The highest-scoring Danish player in NHL history enters tonight's contest with points in four of his last six games. Since posting his first point with the Canes on Oct. 20, Ehlers has recorded 16 points, second only to Sebastian Aho (17) in that span.

In Net...

• With Pyotr Kochetkov (lower-body injury) returning to practice this week, Carolina may have its full battery of goaltenders available for tonight's tilt, leaving a potential choice between Kochetkov, Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi.
• Bussi has started the team's last two games, stopping 28 of 29 shots in that span and picking up his first NHL shutout last Sunday. Andersen, meanwhile, has struggled recently, posting a 0-3-2 record in his last five starts. His latest outing saw him turn aside 14 of 17 shots in a loss to the Rangers on Nov. 26.
• When available, Kochetkov has been stellar, going 4-0, with one shutout and coming within 10 seconds of another in Boston on Nov. 17.

On The Other Side...

• Riddled with injuries to this point in the season, the Leafs have had some trouble navigating through them. William Nylander (32 points in 22 games) and John Tavares (29 points in 26 games) have been exceptional, but the depth of the team, or lack thereof, has plagued them.
• Allowing 3.46 goals per game, Anthony Stolarz, who has played 13 of their 26 games in net, has not had the same form as his stellar 2024-25 season, currently touting an .884 save percentage.
• Arriving in Raleigh having won three out of their last four, the team is 4-7-0 away from Scotiabank Arena this fall.

Injury Updates...

• Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov was scheduled to start on Nov. 21 in Winnipeg, but "didn't feel right" at morning skate. He has not dressed for a game since then, but returned to practice on Dec. 2.
• Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi left the game on Nov. 14 with a lower-body concern. Rod Brind'Amour said on Nov. 15 that the injury is not considered long-term, though Kotkaniemi was placed on IR on Nov. 25. He resumed skating with the team on Nov. 26 and has worked in each practice since.
• Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault suffered a cut to his hand via a skate blade on Nov. 9 and underwent surgery to repair lacerated tendons on Nov. 10. He is expected to miss three to four months.
• Defenseman Jaccob Slavin (lower-body injury) will be "out for a while," as of Oct. 14. He was placed on IR on Oct. 21. On Dec. 2, he returned to practice with the team in a no-contact sweater, but was called "not close to returning."

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their BLACK uniforms for the contest. To view the team's full 2025-26 uniform schedule, click here.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes are scheduled to practice on Friday before kicking off a back-to-back at Lenovo Center with a matchup against the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
• Next Game: Saturday, Dec. 6 vs. Nashville | 7:00 p.m. ET | Tickets | Parking