Carolina Hurricanes netminder Scott Darling will make his 2018-19 season debut on Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins, head coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.
Darling suffered a hamstring injury during Carolina's final preseason game, and he was recalled from his AHL conditioning stint last week. In his absence, the Hurricanes have been rolling with the tandem of Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek in net. The struggling duo has combined for a .882 save percentage in all situations, per Corisca, which ranks 26th in the NHL.
Despite the issues between the pipes, the Hurricanes are off to a 6-4-1 start on the strength of a dominant offense. The return of Darling could provide some consistency as the team looks to become a real threat in the Eastern Conference.
However, Darling still has a lot to prove while attempting to take over the reins and become Carolina's bonafide No. 1 goalie. In 2017-18, his first season of a four-year, $16 million contract, Darling won just 13 of 43 starts while managing a .888 save percentage.
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