The Carolina Hurricanes made their long-awaited return to PNC Arena, playing their fourth home game in their first 13 games. Their last trip home yielded back-to-back wins over Seattle and San Jose before the team hit the road again to take two of three games against division rivals. Opposing them was the Buffalo Sabres, a team with the longest postseason drought but high aspirations for this season.
The lineup got a few tweaks after Saturday’s win on Long Island. Michael Bunting, who missed the game to attend his grandfather’s funeral, re-entered the lineup for Brendan Lemieux.