Dustin Tokarski Faces Former Team as Hurricanes Take on Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Goaltender Dustin Tokarski will face his former team, the Buffalo Sabres, on Wednesday night as the Carolina Hurricanes visit KeyBank Center. The 35-year-old netminder, who played 42 of his 85 career NHL games with the Sabres from 2020-2022, is coming off a strong performance, stopping all 14 shots in his last outing against the Vancouver Canucks.

“He’s added some stability when he’s gone in and he’s given us a chance to win when he’s played,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said after morning skate. “That’s what you’re asking for from any goalie, especially a backup goalie. He’s got to give you a chance. That’s what he’s done.”

The Hurricanes, currently third in the Metropolitan Division with a 26-15-3 record, are looking to bounce back from a surprising overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Carolina’s offense is led by Martin Necas, who has 50 points in 44 games, while Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov continue to contribute consistently.

Buffalo, meanwhile, is struggling with a 16-22-5 record and has lost three of its last four games. The Sabres are dealing with injuries and inconsistent performances, particularly from their top line of Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and Jason Zucker, who combined for a -4 rating in their last game.

“We’ve seen it too many times this year where we give up one and it’s just a disaster,” Cozens said. “And then they get another and then another. I don’t know why it keeps happening, but we’ve got to figure it out and find a way to not let that happen.”

The Sabres will face a tough challenge against Carolina’s league-leading penalty kill, which operates at an 85% success rate. Buffalo’s power play, ranked 26th at 17.7%, will need to find a way to break through.

Projected lineups for the game include Tokarski in net for the Hurricanes, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen expected to start for the Sabres. The puck drops at 6 p.m. EST, with the game broadcast on TNT, truTV, and MAX.