"Jan. 6 Showdown: Hurricanes vs. Blues Preview, Lineups, and Key Players"
The Carolina Hurricanes may see the return of Stefan Noesen from illness as they face the St. Louis Blues, potentially reverting to a 12-forward, 6-defenseman lineup. Tony DeAngelo could be the healthy extra if Noesen plays. Vasily Ponomarev is set to play after a successful NHL debut, while Jesper Fast and Martin Necas remain out with upper-body injuries. Antti Raanta will start as goaltender, following a rotation after Pyotr Kochetkov's win against Washington. The projected lineup includes Svechnikov, Aho, and Teravainen leading the forwards, with Slavin and Burns on defense.