Carolina Hurricanes Gear Up for Opening Night Against Tampa Bay Lightning

The Carolina Hurricanes are set to kick off their 2024-2025 NHL season with a highly anticipated home opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, October 11. The game, part of the Opening Night presented by Lenovo, promises to be an exciting matchup between two strong teams in the league.

According to the projected lineup, the Hurricanes will field a strong roster. Jack Roslovic is expected to start the season alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, while Jesperi Kotkaniemi will take the center spot between Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov. The defensive pairs include Shayne Gostisbehere with newcomer Sean Walker, and Dmitry Orlov with Jalen Chatfield, continuing the chemistry they built last season.

One of the key decisions yet to be made is the starting goaltender. Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour has chosen not to reveal whether Frederik Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov will start in goal for the opener. Both goalies have impressive credentials; Andersen has a .918 save percentage over the last three seasons, ranking him fourth among NHL goalies, while Kochetkov was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie team last season and had a strong preseason against Tampa Bay.

The team is also dealing with some injuries, with Jesper Fast out for the entire season due to a neck injury, and Brendan Lemieux and Joakim Ryan not practicing due to undisclosed issues. Riley Stillman is practicing despite a lower-body injury.

The game is expected to draw significant attention, with fans eager to see the Hurricanes in action after a promising preseason. The betting odds favor the Hurricanes, with Fanatics Sportsbook listing them as -135 favorites.