In a surprising turn of events, the Carolina Hurricanes will be missing forward Teuvo Teravainen when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Teravainen was unexpectedly absent from the team's morning skate, and it was later revealed that he would be unable to play due to an upper-body injury.

Despite playing 16:01 minutes in the previous game against Florida, Teravainen's injury will keep him out of the lineup for at least a game or two. Fortunately, the injury is not considered serious, and it is expected that he will make a swift recovery. The Hurricanes have a busy schedule ahead, with back-to-back games in Ottawa and against the Islanders on Tuesday.

With Teravainen out, the Hurricanes' lineup will see Jesper Fast move up to the first line alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. This rearrangement aims to maintain the team's offensive prowess and bring balance to the forward lines. Additionally, Brendan Lemieux will join Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Stefan Noesen on the opening line.

In the goaltending department, the Hurricanes will task Pyotr Kochetkov with protecting their net. The 24-year-old goalie has been impressive since the All-Star break, posting a stellar .932 save percentage, which places him fourth among NHL goalies with at least 10 games played. This will be Kochetkov's fourth meeting with the Maple Leafs, having won two out of his previous three matchups against the team.

The Hurricanes remain optimistic despite the absence of Teravainen. With a strong lineup and a dependable goalie like Kochetkov, they aim to continue their successful season and secure important wins against the Maple Leafs and throughout their road trip.

Fans will be eagerly watching how the Hurricanes adapt to Teravainen's absence and how Kochetkov performs between the pipes. The game against the Maple Leafs promises to be an exciting showdown between two talented teams vying for a crucial victory.