Penguins Vs Hurricanes puts a road trip and a crease in focus

The first stop on Pittsburgh’s five-game road trip arrives with a familiar kind of pressure: Penguins vs hurricanes, a matchup tied to points, absences, and who can steady a night early. On Tuesday at Lenovo Center, Carolina expects goaltender Frederik Andersen to take his turn in net, while Pittsburgh brings a roster that recently earned points even without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Frederik Andersen’s turn in net at Lenovo Center

Carolina’s plan for Tuesday centers on the crease. Andersen is expected to start when the Hurricanes host the Penguins, a decision shaped by the results that have followed his recent outings. Carolina has earned a point in seven of Andersen’s last eight starts, and he is coming off a win over Edmonton on Friday.

In front of Andersen, Carolina’s lineup carries a notable absence on the blue line. It will be a second consecutive contest without Shayne Gostisbehere, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Mike Reilly will play for the 31st time in Gostisbehere’s place, keeping a patchwork steady for at least one more game as Gostisbehere remains without a timetable for return.

The Hurricanes also listed Pyotr Kochetkov as out following hip surgery, described as “likely out for the year” as of Dec. 29. Against that backdrop, Andersen’s expected start reads less like a routine rotation and more like a clear choice to lean on the goaltender available and in form.

Penguins vs. Hurricanes: March 10 game time, records, and where it fits

The meeting comes with both teams’ regular-season records on the board. The Carolina Hurricanes enter at 40-17-6 and the Pittsburgh Penguins at 32-17-14, with the game set for March 10, 2026 at 7: 00 p. m. ET at Lenovo Center. Carolina holds 86 points, first in the Eastern Conference, while Pittsburgh sits sixth with 78 points.

For Pittsburgh, the date marks more than a single matchup. Tuesday begins a difficult stretch: a five-game road trip against several likely playoff teams, including Carolina, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Utah Mammoth. With about 20 games left on the regular-season schedule for most teams, the points available in this window carry extra weight for clubs packed together in the Eastern Conference race.

The Penguins have already been forced to navigate the schedule without two of their biggest names. Pittsburgh recently earned some important points despite the absences of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The road, though, can turn those same margins thinner, and a game like Penguins vs hurricanes becomes a test of depth and structure as much as star power.

Shayne Gostisbehere out again, and Jack St. Ivany’s conditioning assignment

The lineup notes around this game point to bodies missing and others trying to get back. On Carolina’s side, Gostisbehere is again out day-to-day with a lower-body issue, and the club has already been operating without him long enough for Reilly to log a 31st appearance in that role.

Carolina’s Tuesday slate also includes a player still waiting for his first appearance. Newcomer Nic Deslauriers will wait a little longer to make his debut after working as an extra with Jesperi Kotkaniemi during the morning skate.

There is movement on the Hurricanes’ blue line beyond injuries as well. Defenseman Sean Walker arrives with a career-best five-game point streak. He scored for the sixth time this season on Saturday in Calgary, and he is the only member of Carolina’s blue line to play in all 63 of the team’s games this season.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, made its own roster adjustment on Monday. The Penguins loaned defenseman Jack St. Ivany to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for a conditioning assignment. St. Ivany has not played since Jan. 25 after suffering a left-hand injury that required surgery.

Those details do not decide a game on their own, but they set the parameters for Tuesday night: who is available, who is being asked to cover for someone else, and who is being brought back carefully. At 7: 00 p. m. ET, when the puck drops at Lenovo Center, Andersen is expected to be in the crease, Gostisbehere is expected to be out again, and Pittsburgh’s road trip will have officially started with one of its toughest tests.