2024-25 Regular Season, Game 39 Preview: Hurricanes vs. Minnesota Wild

The Carolina Hurricanes started 2025 with a thrilling, hard-fought victory against the defending champions on the road. The start was excellent for the visitors after Brent Burns' shot deflected off Aleksander Barkov's leg and past Sergei Bobrovsky 35 seconds into the game to get the Canes off to an early lead. They dominated the first period, but Bobrovsky wasn't giving the Canes anything. Pyotr Kochetkov was doing great on the other end. The Cats got their goal back early in the second period as Anton Lundell backhanded a chance over Kochetkov's shoulder to tie it. The go-ahead goal was chaotic. Matthew Tkachuk helped Jesperi Kotkaniemi collide with Bobrovsky. The Canes kept playing, forcing Bobrovsky to make a stop as Tkachuk kept Kotkaniemi pinned to the ice. Jaccob Slavin jumped on the loose puck, finding a sliver of daylight between the post and Bobrovsky to give the Canes the lead again. Kochetkov shut down the Panthers down the stretch as Martin Necas provided the dagger in the final minute to secure a 3-1 victory. Slavin finished with a goal and an assist while Kochetkov made 25 saves to beat Bobrovsky for the second time in as many matchups.

The Opponent: Minnesota Wild (24-11-4, 52 Points- 2nd in the Central Division)

If not for the scorching start of the Winnipeg Jets, the Minnesota Wild would be hogging a lot more of the spotlight. They've worked within whispering distance of Winnipeg for the top spot in the Central Division, thanks to the incredible work of two men in particular. First, there's perennial Hart Trophy candidate Kirill Kaprizov. While he has missed time since Christmas with an injury, Kaprizov is tied for second in goals (23) and in the Top 10 in points (50). Second, Filip Gustavsson can't lose and has been incredible between the pipes. He's near the top of the league in the Big 3 for goalies and has posted quality starts in 22 of his 26 times out. The secondary scoring hasn't been as present. Marco Rossi is having a breakout campaign, sitting second to Kaprizov in goals (15) and points (33), Matt Boldy has had his moments, and Mats Zuccarello has been solid after missing a month. However, the rest of the Wild aren't filling the net as much. Special teams have been a concern, too. The Wild own the third-worst penalty kill in the league and their power play is in the bottom half. The team hit a slight rough patch in early December but has since rebounded to win four of their last five games. 

Last Season's Meetings: The road team won each meeting last season, starting with Minnesota's win in Raleigh in January. That game was all about three people for the Wild. First, Kirill Kaprizov torched the Canes for three goals to collect his fourth career hat trick. Second, Joel Eriksson Ek recorded two helpers and the game-winning goal midway through the third period. Third, Filip Gustavsson stopped 38 shots to collect a 5-2 victory. Martin Necas and Michael Bunting scored the goals in the loss. The Canes returned the favor in late February when they traveled to Minnesota. Despite trailing twice in the game, Carolina stuck around. Andrei Svechnikov scored in the final minute of the second period to tie it and Stefan Noesen used his face to redirect a puck past Gustavsson to take the lead. Pyotr Kochetkov finished with 28 stops to secure a 3-2 win and earn the series split.

Stories of the Night

1. No Kaprizov, Spurgeon for Minnesota

While the Wild are firing on all cylinders, they'll visit Raleigh without their captain and their best scorer. It might make life easier for the Canes' defense, but it will be far from a fun time. Not having Kaprizov hasn't deterred Minnesota from winning games. They've only lost once since his injury, though it is much better to have him in the lineup than at home or in the press box. As for Spurgeon, he was taken out by a slew foot that got Nashville's Zachary L'Heureux suspended for three games. Kaprizov and Spurgeon are two important pieces to the team's identity but as long as Mats Zuccarello is on the ice, there will be a Canes killer on the ice.

2. Jack Drury is Back

To my surprise, the Hurricanes activated Jack Drury off IR on Friday afternoon, seemingly signaling that he'll be available for this weekend's back-to-back. Drury has missed the last few games after getting hand surgery. He was expected to miss several weeks, making his activation a welcomed surprise. It comes at a convenient time with Tyson Jost expected to be out for a long time with a lower-body injury. It brings the center depth back to its original strength, though I'm not hanging my hat on Drury doing anything extravagant for a few games as he continues to return to 100%. 

3. Back-to-Back in Raleighwood

It's going to be a busy weekend at the Lenovo Center. Along with Minnesota tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be on the ice tomorrow to complete the back-to-back. It begs the question about how the team will handle their goalies. I don't think there's a wrong way to go about it. With Pyotr Kochetkov playing well against Florida on Thursday, it might be worth going back to him tonight. This would allow Dustin Tokarski to get his fourth start by facing his former team on Sunday. If Rod Brind'Amour opts to go a different way, I wouldn't be disappointed.