OCTOBER 12ā¢HOCKEYBUZZ.COM
Lightning vs
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Lightning defeat Hurricanes, powered by Kucherov's 3 goals and an assist
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Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
HockeyBuzz.com - Ben Shelley - Hurricanes open season with 4-1 loss to LightningNHL Hockey Trade Rumors
William Carrier - Generates assist in lossCarrier logged an assist in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Lightning.
ImpactCarrier set up a Jordan Staal tally in the first period. The 29-year-old Carrier has a bigger opportunity in Carolina than he had for a majority of his time in Vegas, as he looks like a lock for the third line. The physical winger was limited to eight points in 39 regular-season outings in 2023-24, but he was injured for much of the year. He reached the 20-point mark in the previous two years, which is a better estimate of what he can do if he doesn't have extended absences.
OCTOBER 12ā¢ROTOWIRE
Erik Cernak - Helps out on empty-netterCernak recorded an assist, two shots on goal, two hits and two blocked shots in Friday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
ImpactCernak had a secondary assist on Nikita Kucherov's first empty-netter. Offense has never been a large component of Cernak's play -- he's a physical shutdown defenseman who can handle top-four minutes. He's also reached the 70-game mark just once in his first six campaigns, so any fantasy managers counting on him for hits and blocked shots should have a backup plan in place. Last season, he produced two goals, 11 helpers, 198 hits, 109 blocks and 63 PIM over 69 regular-season appearances.
OCTOBER 12ā¢ROTOWIRE
Nicholas Paul - Nabs power-play assistPaul recorded a power-play assist and two hits in Friday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
ImpactPaul was on the second line in the season opener, earning 17:34 of ice time. It's similar usage to what he's seen in previous campaigns. The 29-year-old put up 24 goals and 22 assists in 82 regular-season outings in 2023-24, which was a career year. He can also chip in 100-plus hits while seeing time on the second power-play unit, which makes him a viable depth option in fantasy.
OCTOBER 12ā¢ROTOWIRE
Frederik Andersen - Gives up two goals in lossAndersen gave up two goals and made 19 saves in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Lightning.
ImpactThere's no question this wasn't the start Andersen would've wanted, but on the other hand, he was facing one of the top offensive units in the NHL, so a defeat was well within the realm of possibilities. The scoreline looks worse than his personal stat line, however, as two of the four Lightning goals came on empty-netters in the final stages of the game. Andersen went 13-2-0 with three shutouts, a 1.84 GAA and a .932 save percentage in 16 regular-season games last season, and he'll look to bounce back against the Devils on Tuesday.
OCTOBER 12ā¢ROTOWIRE
Jordan Staal - Scores in loss to Tampa BayStaal scored a goal in Friday's 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
ImpactStaal opened the scoring for the Hurricanes in the latter stages of the first period with a snap shot that went straight past Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Carolina gave up four unanswered goals in the final two periods the rest of the way. Staal's production has been trending in the wrong direction over the last four years, and while he should remain a productive threat based on his middle-six role, don't expect him to deliver goals on a regular basis. He found the back of the net just 10 times in 2023-24.
OCTOBER 12ā¢ROTOWIRE
Victor Hedman - Credited with three assistsHedman notched three assists, including two on the power play, and two shots on goal in Friday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
ImpactHedman is one of the elite defensemen in the NHL and delivered an impressive outing in this season opener, as he was involved directly in three of the team's goals, including two in the power play. Hedman has notched at least 60 assists in two of the last three seasons, and he should remain one of the most productive blue-liners in the NHL as long as he remains healthy while consistently featuring in one of the top scoring units in the league.
OCTOBER 12ā¢ROTOWIRE
