Locked into playoff spot, Canes expect to be cautious vs. Habs

With their playoff seeding and first-round opponent locked in, the Carolina Hurricanes are going to be cautious when it comes to their lineup when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

The Hurricanes (47-28-5, 99 points) have clinched the second spot in the Metropolitan Division and will face the New Jersey Devils when the postseason begins this weekend. They've been dealing with injuries and could call up players from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to allow those who are banged up a chance to rest whenever they hit the ice for Game 1.

"Yeah, I think we'd like to," coach Rod Brind'Amour said of potential player recalls. "Like every team at this time of the year, we've got guys who are nursing stuff, and so is it the right move to keep pushing them through it when they can play or is it, ‘Hey, we've gotta be as healthy as can be.' That's the kind of decisions and I think we're leaning more on, ‘Let's get our guys healthy.'"

One of those players is winger Jordan Martinook, who did not practice Tuesday and was scratched for Carolina's most recent outing, a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. He had played in every game this season and all 82 in each of the past two campaigns. It was the first time since the 2021-22 season that he missed a game.

"He could go, for sure, but it's just that he has this little issue," Brind'Amour said. "Just time is on his side, and we have it. We're just being real cautious."

While Martinook is expected to sit out, the Hurricanes could get two others back from injury against Montreal. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and center Jesperi Kotkaniemi each returned to practice Tuesday. Gostisbehere has missed three games with a lower-back injury while Kotkaniemi has been sidelined the past four with an undisclosed ailment.

The Hurricanes enter Wednesday's tilt having dropped five of their past six games (1-4-1).

The Canadiens, meanwhile, will take their postseason destiny into their own hands once again. Montreal (39-31-11, 89 points) holds the second wild card from the Eastern Conference, just two points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Montreal had hoped to clinch Tuesday, but the Blue Jackets' regulation win over the Philadelphia Flyers kept Columbus mathematically alive.

The Canadiens have had several chances to punch their ticket lately but instead have dropped three straight (0-1-2) after a six-game winning streak. Most recently they're coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, a game in which they led 2-0 early.

"It's all perspective. Obviously we still love the situation we're in," winger Brendan Gallagher said. "Would we have liked to clinch? Of course. You play the cards you're dealt and we still have a pretty good hand."

Ivan Demidov, the No. 5 pick in the 2024 draft, made his NHL debut in the loss to Chicago, assisting on the opening tally before scoring his first goal later in the first period to double the lead.

"He had a great first period. I thought he played a good game," Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said of the 19-year-old Russian. "You can see how he uses his mind, his skill, his feet ... it's all connected. It was fun to watch."

--Field Level Media