標籤: Hurricanes

The Montreal Canadiens are set to face the surging Carolina Hurricanes in the 2026 NHL Eastern Conference Finals, giving us a great opportunity to evaluate their 5v5 numbers throughout the regular season.

Next we’ll look at how the Habs and Canes performed when they faced each other on three occasions.

Canadiens and Hurricanes regular-season statistics (5v5)

The first thing we should note is that the Hurricane is the epitome of an ‘analytics darling’ team. They take a lot of shots, and they outscore their opponents by significant margins.

They are also a top-5 team when it comes to creating high-danger scoring chances.

When it comes to shot-share battles, expect the Hurricane to reign supreme.

Shooting and goaltending

On the other side of the coin, the Canadians enjoyed better goaltending in both regular save percentage and high-danger save percentage. They also had more skilled shooters, including higher quality shooting opportunities.

While the Hurricanes put more rubber on net, the Habs are much better at stopping said rubber, not to mention when it comes to capitalizing on their own scoring opportunities.

It’s a battle of quantity versus quality, with the Hurricanes requiring an incredibly high volume of shots to generate most of their attack.

Target

When we boil things down to their ability to score and prevent goals their results are quite similar.

The Habs score more often at 5v5, but the Hurricanes are still among the top 10 teams, while the Canes are better at preventing the puck from entering their net, but not by much.

Canadiens Vs. storm head to head statistics

Carolina and Montreal faced off on three occasions in the regular season. All three games ended with victories for the Canadiens, although they were certainly high-event match-ups.

The Canadiens defeated the Hurricanes 7–5 on January 1, before winning two games in late March.

Overall, they outshot the Hurricanes 12-3, giving them an 80% lead in goals scored at 5v5.

That means it should be a walk in the park for hubs, right?

Absolutely not!

Statistically speaking, the Canadiens were incredibly lucky to emerge from their three games against the Hurricanes with a point, let alone three wins.

This doesn’t mean that Carolina will completely dominate the Habs at 5v5 in the upcoming series, but we shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking that Montreal will be the favorite team due to the regular season results.

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

Most analysts will pick the Hurricanes to win the Eastern Conference Finals, and there is enough data to suggest that this is a very logical decision.

However, we have yet to see what impact the nearly two weeks off between playoff series will have. The Hurricanes are cold as ice, while the Canadiens have been playing essentially every two days since the playoffs began.

It is also important to remember that the Canadiens faced a lot of quality competition in the playoffs, as the Sabers and Tampa Bay Lightning were among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers were not.

If I were a betting man, my money would be on the Hurricanes, but I’d be very eager to support the Canadiens, given their tendency to rise to the challenge when faced with adversity.

And as we all know, they will face a mountain of adversities in the upcoming series vs Hurricanes.

All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

After nine days of wondering who their next opponent would be, the Carolina Hurricanes finally have their opponent for the Eastern Conference Finals following the Montreal Canadiens’ overtime win in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres.

Between their sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers in round two of the ECF and Game 1, the Hurricanes would have 11 days of rest, setting a modern NHL record. Ironically, only 1919 Canadians had more than 12.

Game 7 between the Canadiens and Sabers was certainly interesting. The Canadiens took an early lead by scoring two goals in the first frame, before the Sabers evened it out in the next two frames. However, the Sabers found the back of the net for the third time after the puck bounced off the legs of Jacob Dobbs, while the remaining puck was pushed across the line by Beck Malensteen. But unfortunately for the Sabres, as Dobbs tried to cover the puck, the referee blew the whistle – despite having no control over it, and the goal was ultimately waved off.

With 8:38 left in the extra frame, Alex Newhook got the game-winning goal.

A Brief History of the Hurricanes vs. the Habs

Throughout the regular season, the Canadiens won all three games against the Hurricanes. However, in the only two instances when the two teams have faced each other in the postseason (2002, 2006), the Hurricanes have defeated them in six games or less. Ironically, the Hurricanes also appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals in both postseasons, and won the championship in 2006.

Carolina Hurricanes-Montreal Canadiens schedule and broadcast information

game 1

When: Thursday, May 21, 8:00 pm EDT
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 2

When: Saturday, May 23, 7:00 pm EDT
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 3

When: Monday, May 25, 8:00 pm EDT
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 4

When: Wednesday, May 27, 8:00 pm EDT
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

Game 5 (if necessary)

When: Friday, May 29, 8:00 pm EDT
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

Game 6 (if necessary)

When: Sunday, May 31, TBD
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, TVAS

Game 7 (if necessary)

When: Tuesday, June 2, 8:00 pm EDT
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

All games will feature local play-by-play by Mike Maniscalco and analysis by Trip Tracy on the Hurricanes’ radio partner, 99.9 The Fan.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Ahead of Game 5 between the Buffalo Sabers and Montreal Canadiens, who are tied 2–2 in the series at the time of writing, the NHL announced the tentative schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and whoever wins the Atlantic Series.

After winning the Eastern Conference in the regular season, the Hurricanes will have home ice advantage against any opponent.

The schedule has two different scenarios, and doesn’t list times, but at least we have dates!

Carolina Hurricanes-Buffalo Sabers schedule and broadcast information (if second-round series ends in Game 6)

game 1

When: Tuesday, May 19, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 2

When: Thursday, May 21, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 3

When: Saturday, May 23, TBD
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 4

When: Monday, May 25, TBD
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 5 (if necessary)

When: Wednesday, May 27, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 6 (if necessary)

When: Friday, May 29, TBD
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 7 (if necessary)

When: Sunday, May 31, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, TVAS

Carolina Hurricanes-Buffalo Sabres/Montreal Canadiens schedule and broadcast information (if second-round series extends to Game 7)

game 1

When: Thursday, May 21, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 2

When: Saturday, May 23, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 3

When: Monday, May 25, TBD
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 4

When: Wednesday, May 27, TBD
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 5 (if necessary)

When: Friday, May 29, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

game 6 (if necessary)

When: Sunday, May 31, TBD
Where: Rivals Arena
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, TVAS

game 7 (if necessary)

When: Tuesday, June 2, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS

All games will feature local play-by-play by Mike Maniscalco and analysis by Trip Tracy on the Hurricanes’ radio partner, 99.9 The Fan.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

With the Carolina Hurricanes’ historic sweep over the Philadelphia Flyers, they earned a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in four years. However, as they potentially look at 10 straight days off, it leaves time to wonder and contemplate whether they have what it takes to move past the rounds of 1-16 they have endured in the last 15 years.

So, what makes this Hurricanes team so special, and why does this postseason campaign feel different?

Hurricanes have a strong sense of identity, experience, and chemistry

This isn’t the Hurricanes’ first rodeo in the ECF; This is the third time in four years that they have reached here. However, in their last two shots, they were defeated by the Florida Panthers, with the first being all games one-goal against them, and the second being completely outclassed by their rivals from the Sunshine State.

The Panthers had little experience in that 2023 series and lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the Stanley Cup Finals. But in the 2025 series, the Panthers already had a Cup — they knew who they were.

However, the storms did not yet know themselves.

The summer and season were marked by significant changes with the departure of seven key players amid free agency and the Mikko Rantanen debacle. They managed to play their game in the first two rounds, but facing the Panthers once again, their style quickly disintegrated as they tried to emulate their opponent – ​​abandoning their bread and butter in puck management and instead focusing on physicality and finishing hits, something they were not particularly adept at at the time. Taylor Hall, who was only on the team for a short time, put it best as ‘not dancing with the girl they brought in’.

However, since then, they have honed their physicality while focusing heavily on conditioning without sidelining their unique playing style – the hallmark of their hard-working team. Some changes were made during the latest free agency and trade deadline, creating a stronger chemistry without the shakeup previously experienced.

As far as experience goes, all the key players except Brandon Bussey have been on teams that have been to the conference finals. Even Carolina’s two young players, 23-year-old Logan Stankoven and 22-year-old Jackson Blake, have notable experience at this stage of the postseason, with Stankoven having experienced the conference finals in the two latest postseasons (his only seasons in the NHL), and Blake having experienced it last season.

“The culture and the group that we have this year is a different level, I think, than even last year,” Blake said after the series-winning overtime goal against the Flyers. “I think last year we had a good group, and we were really united, but this year it feels a little different. I don’t know what it is, but I like the way we’re moving.”

Generally speaking, whether the Hurricanes face the Buffalo Sabers or Montreal Canadiens, they should have the upper hand in two aspects of experience and identity – having recently been in this position before, and recognizing how they want to play and have worked toward meeting those goals throughout the season.

contribution from top to bottom

The Hurricanes’ theme this season is a tattered old rope, given to the player who tried hardest after each win, which is selected by the player who got the win first – a metaphor alluding to each individual pulling their weight toward a unified goal. Really, this is a great example of how the team has performed in both the regular season and playoffs.

Currently, Carolina’s scoring leader is not Sebastian Aho’s first line, but Stankoven’s second line, with the latter having a fairly even distribution of goals and assists in the lineup. Depth players are rising to the challenge, making it difficult for opposing coaches to strategize on closing down scoring opportunities.

This is incredibly similar to the 2023 playoff Hurricanes, which also had a heavy reliance on secondary scoring, and was their best in two recent appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Comfort is a huge factor

Let’s be honest…no one saw that the storm would wreak havoc not only in the first round, but also in the second round. With this, they have played only eight games in total this post-season, whereas a team plays an average of 12 games in two rounds. Fewer games played, fewer opportunities early playoff injuries – the Hurricanes have suffered from this in recent postseasons.

Clearly, the comfort gained from consecutive sweeps is a luxury the Hurricanes have not had before, and moreover, their opponent will certainly lack.

Still, comfort versus rust will always remain a hotly debated topic – the main reason for any boon or curse after a gameless stretch. However, for goaltender Frederik Andersen – who has been one of the best goaltenders in the post-season – rest has proven time and again to benefit his performance in the past, and the Hurricanes will need him at the top of his game against whichever powerhouse comes out of the Sabres-Canadiens series.

Only time will tell which way the Eastern Conference Finals will go – whether the Hurricanes will finally make it through, or whether the curse of the semi-finals will continue. Nonetheless, this is their best chance in a long time.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes had a full plate as they prepared for a tough game against a Philadelphia Flyers team with their backs against the wall and a chance to stamp their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, one player had something else in mind and needed an incredibly important position.

Shawn Walker, the Hurricanes’ second-pairing defenseman, was far from Philadelphia on the morning of Game 4. Instead, he was in the air on his way back to Raleigh.

His wife, Taylor, was expecting. And it so happened that their first child was about to arrive soon.

“She called me at 1:00 at night – I was still awake and she said her water had broken,” Walker told the media after the game. “So, I immediately called ‘Brownie’, and thankfully there was a 6:00 a.m. flight.”

‘Brownie’, or rather, Michael Brown, is the Hurricanes Manager of Team Services: the man behind the team’s travel and logistics. Walker arrived in time for his daughter’s birth, with the undercarriage touching down back in Philadelphia at 2:00 p.m. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon chartered a private jet so he would not miss the game.

“It was like one of the easiest and hardest games I’ve ever played, if that makes any sense.” Walker said. “You know, you just live in the moment – ​​going without sleep, I ate my pregame meal in the hospital cafeteria.

“Yeah, it’s absolutely crazy. But, you just show up, and the people were amazing. Everyone, from Team Services, the owner, the whole organization really made it possible for me to be there and get back on time.”

In Game 4, Walker had the second-most minutes among Hurricane skaters, with 23:13 of ice time, and he was first for the Hurricanes in hits, with three. He also recorded two shots on net and one takeaway.

Of course, being able to wrap up the series sooner was a joy that he expressed his gratitude for as he looked forward to reuniting with his family.

“I didn’t want to go up to the boys and tell them we better win tonight,” he said, laughing. “I really appreciate everyone — and this is huge for everyone, but spending this time with my family is going to be really special.”

Congratulations to both Shawn and Taylor!

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

For the first time since 1987, a team has won its first eight postseason games. At the time, it was the Edmonton Oilers led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. But on Saturday night, it was the young and hungry Carolina Hurricanes as they swept the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round with a 3-2 overtime win.

The game started quietly for the Hurricanes. This was the first game of the series where they failed to score in the first period. However, for the Flyers, they took the lead in the first 20 minutes, as Tyson Foster scored his first career postseason goal, with assists from both Trevor Zegras and rookie Porter Martone.

However, at halftime of the second period, Jackson Blake tied the score with assists from K’Andre Miller and Taylor Hall, and the Hurricanes responded. Then, 28 seconds later, Mark Jankowski put a goal on the board…but it didn’t stay on the board.

After the coach’s challenge to Flyers bench boss Rick Tocchet for goaltender interference. William Carrier and Oliver Bonk were battling in the crease when Jankowski’s shot hit the twine and thus, the goal was ruled out due to Carrier’s presence.

Still, a goal went ahead for Carolina four minutes into the third frame – a goal that this time was as perfect as rain and as fine as wine. Logan Stankoven got past goaltender Dan Vlader with a clean short wrister on a great pass by Hall. The entire second line had their shots, with Blake passing the puck to Hall for his second point of the night.

And it certainly wasn’t the last point of the game for the Hurricanes’ creative young winger.

But first, the Flyers forced overtime with a goal by Alex Bump, after which Travis Konecny ​​and Christian Dvorak managed to harass Miller enough to break the puck and send it his way.

When the extra frame arrived, the Hurricanes maintained the lead over the Flyers, spending time in their own zone and doubling them up in shots. However, the game-winner did not come as predicted. As new legs hit the ice for both teams, Jakob Slavin interrupted a chance for the Flyers to advance into the Hurricanes’ own zone as Hall gained control of the puck. Stankoven led the attack as Hall and Blake raced the net, and Hall got tape of Blake, who shot it – the rubber flapped before hitting Vladar.

Soon after, the line to shake hands started. It was the first time Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour had experienced this in Philadelphia since May 2, 1999 – it was his last postseason experience playing with them.

storm notes

The Hurricanes are the first team in NHL history to win two best-of-seven series in the four-round playoff format.

Shawn Walker left Philadelphia at 6 a.m. Saturday to return home for the birth of his first child. He arrived back in town to join the team in the afternoon, just four hours before Game 4 started.

The second line has been involved in a goal in seven of eight games this postseason. Stankoven, Blake and Hall are the top three players individually in both goals and points, and total 31 points with 22 assists and 14 goals.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes are just one win away from closing out the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers as they aim to accomplish that Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The game is scheduled for 6:00 pm EDT.

In Game 3 on Thursday night, the Hurricanes took a commanding 3-0 lead in the series with a 4-1 victory in the first tilt over the Flyers in their own barn. Like most games in the series, it was filled with penalties, including a two-minute minor boarding penalty against Taylor Hall (which was reviewed for a major penalty), several roughing penalties across teams, and a 10-minute foul on the Flyers’ top line winger, Travis Konecny.

A rarity, the Hurricanes had the edge on power-play chances. His special teams were effective, with only one of his four field goals coming at five-on-five.

You can read all about Game 3 here!

in the crease

With Frederik Andersen and Dan Vladar both performing well so far in the postseason, there is no reason to expect a change in net at this point.

Projected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Projected Philadelphia Flyers Lines

Tyson Foster – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny

Alex Bump – Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone

Carl Grundstrom – Denver Barkey – Matvey Mitchkov

Luke Glendening – Shawn Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

protect

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seiler – Noah Julson

goaltender

Dan Vladar/Samuel Ersson

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes power play: 14.7% (10th, up two spots from last game)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 94.6% (3rd)

Philadelphia Flyers Power Play: 9.1% (14th, down one spot from last game)
Philadelphia Flyers Penalty Kill: 84.2% (9th, down one spot from last game)

storm game notes

Entering Game 4 against a beleaguered Flyers team, the general expectation is that the intensity will be at its highest in this series. As such, there is a possibility that Nicolas Deslauriers could be added to the lineup for additional patience. If so, it will mark the first time in his 13-season career that he has faced a former team in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

On Thursday, Jordan Staal’s two points moved him ahead of the Hurricanes’ franchise record list, putting him in sole ownership of the fifth-most playoff points in franchise history, surpassing his brother Eric Staal, who he was tied with.

The Hurricanes’ top line of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis currently holds a very unique and ironic all-time playoff goals record. Aho currently has 37 goals (which is Svechnikov’s sweater number), while Svechnikov has 24 (which is Jarvis’ sweater number), and Jarvis has 20 (which is Aho’s sweater number).

Frederik Andersen is the first goaltender since Hockey Hall of Famer Jacques Plante in 1969 to start his first seven games of the postseason, going 7-0, while posting a goals-against average of 1.02 and a .957 save percentage or better.

Although the remainder of the postseason will only be available to watch via national broadcasts, local play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco and analyst Trip Tracy will continue to call games on the Hurricanes’ radio partner. 99.9 fan.

how to see

TV: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes picked up a decisive victory in Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers, but it was not without its own level of disaster.

On Thursday night, the Hurricanes handed the Flyers a 4–1 defeat as they took a 3–0 series lead. This was the first game in front of a Philly crowd since April 29, when the Flyers won Round One in Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime.

Carolina was the first team on the board as Jordan Staal found the back of the net on the power play at the end of the first period. It was his first goal of the postseason, and it was a wonderful goal as he lofted it across the goal line on a backhand. Here both Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbeer assisted him.

The second period soon arrived, and early in the frame, Jackson Blake took a delayed penalty for high-sticking against Cam York. However, the Flyers never really got going on the power play, as Trevor Zegras scored immediately afterward.

Later in the same frame, Taylor Hall took a hard hit on a falling Travis Sanheim, sending him into the boards. The play initially called for a five-minute main skit, but after review this was reduced to a two-minute short skit for boarding.

Just 11 seconds later, Jordan Staal and Jalen Chatfield teamed up on the penalty kill as they raced down the ice – Staal sent a daring pass to Chatfield through Zegras’ legs as the Hurricanes defenseman ripped a one-timer top shelf, returning them to the top of the scoreboard once again. Jordan Martinook was credited with an assist in the process.

Penalty Madness at the Midway Point

As the penalty kill resumed, Seth Jarvis had a shorthanded chance, but it was blocked by Jamie Drysdale – a move that should have been the end of the Flyers’ power play…except it didn’t.

After the whistle, Travis Konecny ​​began pushing and shoving Jarvis, and also cross-checked him. In retaliation, JARVIS swung his twig and caught it in his face. He was swiftly sent to the penalty box along with Drysdale as if nothing had ever happened – with the remaining 5-on-4 play in the Flyers’ favor.

…but that wasn’t the end of it either.

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour was particularly unhappy with the lack of call against Konecny. The referee, Garrett Rank, had enough and he immediately whistled him for a bench minor due to unsportsmanlike conduct.

“Usually gets a warning,” Brind’Amour said after the game. “I didn’t get any warnings. But I was a little disappointed in that sequence with what happened. They had the original (penalty), and then I don’t know how we came up with just one (drawn penalty). That was a frustration.”

Luckily for the Hurricanes, they came away just fine in 5-on-3 hockey. This was something for which Brind’Amour expressed gratitude.

“People saved me from there – appreciate it.”

The third period saw another pair of goals for the Hurricanes as Andrei Svechnikov – who trails only Logan Stankoven in shots on goal on the team this postseason – scored his first goal of the playoffs. Sebastian Aho and Gostisbehere assisted on his power play goal, which was his second goal of the night.

Nikolaj Ehlers also scored soon after, hitting a dagger into the neutral zone. Jordan Martinook also had his second assist of the game, while K’Andre Miller had his fifth assist of the postseason, leading all Hurricane defensemen.

They don’t call them ‘Broad Street Bullies’ for nothing

As expected, the Flyers really started to show their teeth after that final goal. In the final few minutes, Konecny ​​received a two-minute minor penalty for pushing, a two-minute minor penalty for biting and a ten-minute penalty for the same tackle. Eric Robinson also got a few minutes in the box against Konecny.

Even more drama ensued after a whistle blew during the power play that the Hurricanes had earned from that ordeal. Rasmus Ristolainen started pushing on Stankoven, and soon, Nick Seiler came in to fight him. In response, Gostisbehere went after Ristolainen, and promptly worked on him.

The weight classes certainly did not match, with Gostisbehere and Stankoven both weighing under 185 pounds and less than six feet tall, while both of the Flyers’ defensemen were over six feet tall and weighed nearly 200 pounds. This was a topic that was noted during post-game pressers, as a reporter joked about Gostisbehere not being interested in weight classes.

“I guess they don’t either,” he said, laughing. “Just trying to help ‘Stanky’ out. I guess it does, but it is what it is.”

storm notes

The Hurricanes’ incredible 7–0 start to the postseason marks the fifth time on record that they have made it to the postseason, sharing the spot in history with the 1989 Montreal Canadiens (lost Stanley Cup Finals), the 1994 New York Rangers (won Stanley Cup Finals), the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins (lost Stanley Cup Finals), and the 2024 Rangers (lost Eastern Conference Finals).

After missing Games 1 and 2, Alexander Nikishin returned to the lineup on Tuesday after clearing concussion protocol. The rookie defenseman was injured after a strong hit in Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators.

Taylor Hall’s six-game postseason-opening point streak officially ended Thursday, after failing to register a point on the scoresheet.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

After a thrilling overtime win on Monday night, the Carolina Hurricanes head north to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday for Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The game is scheduled for 8:00 PM EDT.

Game 2 between the Hurricanes and Flyers was memorable for second-line forward Taylor Hall, who has scored at least one point in every game for the Hurricanes this postseason. For the first time in his NHL playoff career, he scored the game-winning overtime goal.

However, reaching the conclusion was not the easiest. The Hurricanes were already down by two goals before five minutes of play had even begun. However, Nikolaj Ehlers’ power play goal in the first period and Seth Jarvis’ goal with new linemates Jordan Staal and Ehlers in the third frame were just what they needed to push into the extra frame.

You can read about all the big and small details of Monday’s game here!

After practice on Wednesday, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet announced that Noah Cates would miss the remainder of the series against the Hurricanes due to a lower body injury. Additionally, Christian Dvorak is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, and Owen Tippett’s return timeline is unclear.

in the crease

Frederik Andersen and Dan Vladar have both been excellent in their respective postseasons. With an extra day’s rest for the trip, there is no reason to believe there will be any changes in the net this time around.

Projected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Projected Philadelphia Flyers Lines

Alex Bump – Trevor Zegras – Travis Konecny

Luke Glendening – Christian Dvorak – Matvei Mitchkov

Tyson Foster – Denver Barkey – Porter Martone

Garrett Wilson – Shawn Couturier – Carl Grundstrom

protect

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seiler – Emile Andre

goaltender

Dan Vladar/Samuel Ersson

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes Power Play: 12.0% (12th, down one spot from last game)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 93.8% (3rd, down two spots from last game)

Philadelphia Flyers power play: 10.7% (14th, down two spots from last game)
Philadelphia Flyers Penalty Kill: 86.2% (7th)

storm game notes

During Tuesday afternoon’s media availability, head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced that defenseman Alexander Nikishin has cleared concussion protocol. He suffered a concussion after a strong hit from Tyler Kleven in Game 4 of Round One with the Ottawa Senators.

In Game 2, Ehlers scored his first postseason goal as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. During his seven postseason appearances with the Winnipeg Jets, he scored nine goals.

After an incredible five-game goal streak to start the postseason, Logan Stankoven was held without a point in Game 2.

While the remainder of the postseason will only be available to watch via national broadcast, local play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco and analyst Trip Tracy will continue to call games on the Hurricanes’ local radio partner, 99.9 The Fan.

how to see

TV: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes chased the game all night, as the Philadelphia Flyers jumped ahead quickly early in the night – but once the dust settled, the skates stopped, and K’Andre Miller’s sticks were no longer breaking from sight, it was the Hurricanes who took a 2-0 lead in the series in round two.

Taylor Hall, who scored the game-winning goal, was analytically critical of the Hurricanes’ play during interviews in the first period, and tipped his hat to the Flyers in the process.

“They’re quick on the puck, they’re quick in the fight, and they made some good plays…not a good start for us.”

After the night’s events, Hall mentioned on stage that he doesn’t have his A-game, but mentioned that his time in the league had taught him how to dig in and find a good ‘B-minus game,’ as he called it.

Maybe a B-minus, but it earned Hall top marks with the first postseason overtime game-winner of his NHL career.

However, it was a difficult path for the Hurricanes to reach that conclusion…

The first period started very differently than the previous periods

Less than five minutes into the game, Jamie Drysdale found the back of the net on the power play to put the Flyers ahead and force the Hurricanes to trail for the first time this postseason. Adding insult to injury was Flyers captain Sean Couturier, who squeaked the puck through the five-hole after just 39 seconds.

Just after the halfway point of the first period, Nikolaj Ehlers launched a heck of a one-timer from the right face-off circle on the power play — served up by Jackson Blake with some help from Miller — to cut the Flyers’ lead in half.

It was Ehlers’ first postseason goal with the Hurricanes.

Rod Brind’Amour plugged into a blender and threw in a pair of forward lines

Neither team could do anything else for the remainder of the first period and the entirety of the second.

Thus, head coach Rod Brind’Amour did as he does when he tries to make things happen for his team and changed a few players, sending Jordan Martinook to play on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, while moving Seth Jarvis to play on the third line with Jordan Staal and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Lo and behold, that little spark lit things up for Jarvis, who, with the help of both of his new linemates, was able to tie the game midway through the third period. It was his first goal this season.

Bonus hockey, baby

Chances continued to be exchanged, but ultimately, things went into overtime – and it was a brutal extra frame for Frederik Andersen. Lasting 18:54, he faced his most shots in a single frame as the Hurricanes fell 15–8. Through defensive breakdowns, breakaways and at least three broken sticks for Miller, the Danish netminder turned it all around.

Then came the final goal – which Hall called ‘gritty’, he fell to his knees as the puck bounced around, Blake kept it alive before being pushed by the blade of Hall’s stick.

“Oh, it took a lot,” Hall said on the bench about what it took to win the game. “You know, maybe not our strongest effort. Freddy was unreal in overtime – but that’s hockey. They’re a good team, and they’re going to fight to the end.”

As for Ehlers, when he was on stage discussing his come-from-behind victory, he provided a solid analysis.

“You want adversity,” he told the media. “We had that in the Ottawa series as well. Because it’s going to happen again. And now, we know what we need to do the next time it happens.”

storm game notes

Drysdale’s game-opening goal ended an insane 618–51 streak of the Hurricanes not trailing in a game.

Logan Stankoven’s five-game postseason goal streak officially ended as he failed to get on the scoresheet.

Between the Hurricanes (6) and Flyers (7), there were a total of 13 power plays. This was the most confrontation between these two in a single game this season.

The second round between the Hurricanes and Flyers will continue on Thursday at 8:00 pm EDT, allowing an extra day for travel between games. Additionally, this would be the only game of the day.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes are no strangers to the heated competition of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, nor are they unfamiliar with the vice grip-like pressure of their opponents’ passionate fan bases. However, Saturday was a step into uncharted territory with an in-depth statement from an unexpected source.

On May 2, immediately after Game 1, a new episode of NBC Sports Philadelphia’s podcast, flyers talkBroadcast. In it, Flyers television play-by-play announcer Jim Jackson, Flyers reporter and host Ashlyn Sullivan, and reporter Jordan Hall reflect on the opening second-round series with the Hurricanes, and discuss what will be needed in the upcoming games.

However, to Jackson, a taboo topic was brought up that sounded like a call to injure Hurricanes goaltender Frederick Anderson.

Jackson said, “You have to get into Freddy Andersen’s grill; he’s not a goaltender who likes that stuff – he also gets injured by contact.” “I’m not saying ‘Go ahead, try to hurt him’, but if there is physical contact, there’s a possibility he could get hurt.”

However, despite an apparent effort to clear it up, he appeared to repeat the previous statement moments later.

“He’s one of those goaltenders that you want to take out of his game any way you can, and if he gets hurt, that’s OK – because he has a history of injuries, and he has a history of struggling a little bit in the playoffs when he gets off track a little bit.

“So, I think the Flyers are going to have to put in a little more effort to get him to that point.”

Physicality has always been a part of hockey, and especially so in the postseason, but it would seem that the suggestion of getting hurt by people with such a respected position is a bit unprecedented.

One Hurricanes fan analyzed, “It seems they don’t believe their team is good enough to beat the Canes and the only way they have is to intentionally make contact with Freddy and injure him.” “When someone makes a statement like that and then tries to soften it with a “but” you know what he’s expecting.”

“It’s crazy that he, a “professional”, thought that; but especially, he said it out loud,” said another.

“There is a former Flyer who will punish this behavior,” another fan said, referencing enforcer and grinder Nicolas Deslauriers, whom the Hurricanes acquired at the trade deadline.

Seriously, it’s a shame anyone would shed light on injury-related strategies, it’s something that has become all too common outside of the media and in the dark corners of sports fans, and as such, it’s no surprise that such ideas have made their way into the mainstream.

Perhaps this is less the result of passionate fans amid bitter postseason rivalries, and more a symptom of the times – a streak of darkness that society has allowed into its hearts and minds due to the toxic nature that has become common in the digital age.

Hopefully, there will be no wrongdoing in this dilemma – for either party.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

On Monday, the Carolina Hurricanes will face the Philadelphia Flyers for Game 2 of Round Two at Lenovo Center – fresh off a series-opening thriller on Saturday night.

The game is scheduled for 7:00 pm EDT.

In Game 1 of round two, the Hurricanes won with a decisive 3–0 shutout over the Owen Tippett-less Flyers, but it came with the help of play. Nearly 70 penalty minutes were assessed – many of which were due to brawls – and four players were ejected from the game early due to brawls in the third period.

In blanking the Flyers, Frederik Andersen became the first goaltender in franchise history to earn two consecutive series-opening shutouts after starting round one without allowing a single goal.

You can read all about Saturday’s game here!

in the crease

Both Frederik Andersen and Dan Vladar have played very well throughout the postseason – both earning two shutouts each. At this time, there is nothing to suggest there will be any changes in net in Game 2.

Projected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Mike Reilly

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Projected Philadelphia Flyers Lines

Alex Bump – Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone

Denver Barkey – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny

Tyson Foster – Noah Cates – Matvei Mitchkov

Luke Glendening – Shawn Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

protect

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seiler – Noah Julson

goaltender

Dan Vladar/Samuel Ersson

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes power play: 10.5% (11th, down one spot from last game)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 96.0% (1st, up one spot from last game)

Philadelphia Flyers Power Play: 9.5% (12th)
Philadelphia Flyers Penalty Kill: 87.0% (seventh, up two spots from last game)

storm game notes

During Sunday’s press conference, head coach Rod Brind’Amour discussed the absence of Alexander Nikishin from Game 1 despite earlier speculation that he would be available. He said that before the game, the 24-year-old rookie defenseman told him that he did not feel ready and was therefore ruled out. Since then, Nikishin has yet to clear concussion protocol, so his availability for Game 2 remains unclear.

Following his game-opening score in Game 1 against the Flyers, Logan Stankoven became the youngest player in NHL history to begin the postseason with a five-game goal streak.

Following the conclusion of Round One, all Hurricanes games for the remainder of the postseason will be televised nationally only – like any other team. However, the Hurricanes’ local radio partner, 99.9 The Fan, will still broadcast play-by-play by Mike Manisalco and analysis by Trip Tracy.

how to see

TV: ESPN
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNut. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Logan Stankoven is currently the living, breathing embodiment of the chaos and suffocation that the Carolina Hurricanes are known for.

Their second line was the first line on the board against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, as it has in every game this postseason. It was Stankoven who scored the first goal just 1:31 into the game – the third-fastest playoff goal in franchise history – as he extended his postseason-opening goal-streak to five, becoming the youngest player in NHL history to do so.

The next goal came off the stick of Jackson Blake at exactly 7:30 in the first period, helping Stankoven earn his second point of the game. Assists came from Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly, who interestingly scored his second point of the game, also assisting on Stankoven’s goal.

As for Reilly, who was filling in for Alexander Nikishin after he failed to clear the NHL’s concussion protocol, he had only 1:42 of ice time in three shifts when he played a crucial second game to help the Hurricanes advance. It was his first multi-point game since December 23, 2023, when he was with the New York Islanders – ironically, they were playing against the Hurricanes.

The third and final goal of the game was, once again, Stankoven’s – the goal came on a wonderful pass from Seth Jarvis, assisted by Andrei Svechnikov. Stankoven had just come off the bench, and fell down while doing so, but that little mishap put him in the right place at the right time to find the back of the net.

When play resumed after the goal, Stankoven wasted no time in trying to get a hat trick – firing the puck over Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar immediately after winning the following faceoff. He didn’t get that third goal, but the Snapperjacks certainly tried, tying Sean Couturier on goal for a game-leading five shots.

Frederik Andersen earns second shutout of postseason campaign

However, Stankoven certainly wasn’t the only standout in the match.

Throughout his 60 minutes on the ice, Frederik Andersen turned away every shot he faced en route to a 19-save shutout. During an empty-net situation, he also responsibly missed a potential goaltender’s chance with clear ice ahead. He may have taken a tripping penalty against Porter Marton, but he produced an incredibly disciplined performance in the Hurricanes’ 3–0 win.

Saturday night is fight night’

A melee broke out at the Lenovo Center, slowly moving from silly to downright chaotic. In the first period, Nick Seiler playfully grabbed Jordan Martinook’s stick and appeared to hit himself in the face on the Flyers power play…somehow.

Later, the aforementioned Marton trip from Andersen came when Jakob Slavin slid straight into the net.

But then, things turned dangerous.

In the final minute of the second period, Andrei Svechnikov took a hit on rookie Martone in a board battle for the puck, and Tyson Foster took a hard hit to the back of Andrei Svechnikov’s right knee – the same knee that required surgery to repair a torn ACL in the 2022–23 season.

Svechnikov remained down due to Hurricanes head athletic trainer Doug Bennett running onto the ice, and the game was called for a five-minute major before review reduced it to a two-minute minor. Thankfully, Svechnikov did not go down the tunnel and was able to finish the game.

However, this was not the end of things. Rough penalties were given throughout the final frame, and an altercation between Jackson Blake and Trevor Zegras resulted in both of them receiving 10-minute misconducts with 8:14 left. It was the first misconduct of Jackson Blake’s NHL career, and the second misconduct of Zegras’ postseason following a Game 4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round One.

Less than two minutes later, Shayne Gostisbehere and Seiler were both given 10-minute misconducts for their moment of scuffling after an offside whistle.

By the end of the game, both teams had a combined 34 penalty minutes, equaling 68.

TJ Luxmore followed up that whole mess with a simple announcement:

“Multiple penalties, it will be a power play”

Storm with the man advantage, Zegras and Blake have left the game, clips are coming #SoundTheSiren #LetsGoFlyers #nhl #stanleycup

– Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) 3 May 2026

storm game notes

The Carolina Hurricanes are the fifth team in NHL history not to trail in their first five playoff games. The Washington Capitals were the last to do so in the 1986 postseason campaign, extending their series to six games.

With his sixth goal of the postseason, Logan Stankoven tied Matt Boldy and Brandon Hagel for the leaguewide lead. Both Boldy and Hagel have played one more game than Stankoven.

Of the 14 goals scored by the Hurricanes this postseason, 10 had at least one second-row player (Stankoven, Blake, Hall) on the scoresheet.

Notching his 24th postseason win with the Hurricanes, Anderson passed Cam Ward for most playoff wins in franchise history. Additionally, with his fourth postseason shutout with the Hurricanes, Anderson tied Ward for the most in franchise history. Rock on, Freddy.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

On Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes begin the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs as they welcome the Philadelphia Flyers to Lenovo Center. Interestingly, the matchup comes before Round One even reaches its conclusion, as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens will need a Game 7 on Sunday to decide their series.

Game 1 between the Hurricanes and Flyers is scheduled for 8:00 pm EDT.

In the Hurricanes’ first-round series, they defeated the Ottawa Senators in four games with key play from their second line, which consisted of Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake, and Taylor Hall. At least one of those three players contributed to seven of the Hurricanes’ eleven goals in the series.

I recently outlined three big positives and three big negatives from the Hurricanes’ first-round performance. You can read all about it here!

Meanwhile, the Flyers did not fail to impress in their return to the postseason after a five-year absence. In their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they took a three-nil lead against their neighbors to the west before defeating them in overtime during Game 6.

in the crease

While Frederik Andersen was absent from practice Friday morning, head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed that it was only a rest day and that he would start Game 1 against the Flyers.

Meanwhile, Dan Vladar is also expected to start for the Flyers after playing all six games of the last round.

Projected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Projected Philadelphia Flyers Lines

Owen Tippett – Trevor Zegras – Porter Marton

Denver Barkey – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny

Tyson Foster – Noah Cates – Matvei Mitchkov

Luke Glendening – Shawn Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

protect

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seiler – Noah Julson

goaltender

Dan Vladar/Samuel Ersson

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes Power Play: 13.3% (10th)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 95.2% (2nd)

Philadelphia Flyers Power Play: 11.8% (12th)
Philadelphia Flyers Penalty Kill: 84.2% (9th)

storm game notes

During Friday morning’s practice, both Frederick Anderson and William Carrier were absent – ​​but Rod Brind’Amour later said it was just a rest day for both of them. Additionally, both Alexander Nikishin and Nikolaj Ehlers completed full rehearsals.

All four games between the Hurricanes and Flyers in the regular season went to overtime, three of which went to shootouts. Interestingly, the Flyers won the first game of the season against the Hurricanes on April 13, clinching their spot in the playoffs.

Following the conclusion of the Hurricanes’ first-round series, the broadcast became national-only, as every team does. However, Hurricanes play-by-play Mike Maniscalco and analyst Trip Tracy will still call games on the team’s radio partner, 99.9 The Fan.

how to see

TV: ABC
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

With a decisive win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes punched their ticket to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – becoming the first team to do so this postseason, although they were followed by the Colorado Avalanche the very next day.

There was a lot to like in their first-round series, but of course, there were also some things they will have to contend with in the second round against the Pittsburgh Penguins or Philadelphia Flyers – two teams with whom the Hurricanes certainly spent time in their respective season series.

A round of three storms is a positive one

Goaltending has become specialized

Throughout the regular season, the goaltending performance in the playoffs was the biggest question due to Pyotr Kochetkov’s injury, Frederik Andersen’s cold streak, and newcomer Brandon Bussey playing in only his first NHL season. However, those concerns have been allayed – at least in the first round. Over the course of four games, Andersson allowed only five goals on 110 shots, giving him a 1.10 goals-against average. Additionally, he also recorded a satisfactory save percentage of .955.

In round one, Anderson was everything the Hurricanes needed, and more.

“This can’t be underestimated,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said at the end of the series. “Especially when you consider how well the other guy (Linus Ullmark) was playing out there. Like, it was a goalie matchup. They were going to make saves for saves. And we needed that, right? Otherwise, this thing could have looked a lot different.

“This is probably the best hockey he’s played for us since he was a Hurricane.”

Logan Stankoven’s line has been incredible

Anyone who watched even a single game of the Hurricanes’ first-round series will tell you that the Hurricanes’ second line has been spectacular – after all, they scored the first goal in every single game, and then some. However, it was more than the goals scored in the net that made the line great.

During the entire first period, the assembled second line was not on the ice for a single goal. They were defensively strong and responsible in their play, taking only three penalties combined.

Taylor Hall said of Logan Stankoven, who leads the team in postseason goals after four seasons, “We weren’t for a goal against all series, and he’s our centerman.” “He’s a low-level guy that’s putting in the work. So, it’s not just the goals. You know, it’s a 200-foot game that he and our line have done very well.”

The defense has been phenomenal

Storm protection cannot be underestimated. Throughout the series, Carolina led the league in time on the penalty kill with 35:53. In Game 3, he allowed no shots during a five-on-three loss, and in Game 4, he held the Senators scoreless during a three-and-five loss. Despite giving up so many power play opportunities, the Hurricanes only allowed one power play goal, leading to a penalty kill percentage of 95.2 – second best leaguewide behind only the Boston Bruins, who remain immaculately shorthanded.

This was particularly impressive due to the Senators’ effectiveness on the power play throughout the season, where they ranked eighth in power play percentage with a 24.0% success rate.

Overall, the Hurricanes’ six defensemen combined for a total plus/minus of +11, as the offense outscored the Senators 11–5.

three storms round one negative

an unholy amount of gifts

While the Hurricanes’ overall defense was very good, the team struggled mightily to retain the puck – though this was less noticeable due to the Senators’ sloppiness in terms of possession. After this season, both teams are tied for the most gifts in the entire league with 75.

For context, the Bruins are second with only 68, and the Avalanche are third with only 61.

too much punishment

During their first-round series, the Hurricanes took 26 penalties, 10 of which were due to lack of discipline with their forwards; Always annoying stick violations (including tripping).

Additionally, 16 of their penalties were in their last two games, while four of those opportunities gave the Senators the aforementioned five-on-three advantage.

If not for the efficiency of the Hurricanes’ penalty killers, their time in the box could have been costly.

There’s a lot left in the power play

To be fair, when it comes to the playoffs, the importance of the power play takes a back seat in favor of the penalty kill. However, this does not make it unimportant.

In their four matches against the Senators, the Hurricanes only managed to score two goals with the man advantage. What was particularly worrisome about this was that the Senators’ regular-season record ranked 29th leaguewide on the penalty kill, with an atrocious penalty kill percentage of 75.7.

While it can’t be denied that the Senators’ defense played very well, the power play remains a concern in the second period.

In conclusion, the next series will definitely bring more elements. Whether or not the Hurricanes can overcome that mountain probably lies most in their ability to adapt while still playing their brand of hockey.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

There were punches thrown and blood flowing, but at the end of the day, the line of handshakes unfolded like it was the most gentlemanly match of the afternoon – as it always is, as it always should be.

As for the Carolina Hurricanes, they greeted the handshake line with smiles as they were about to come out on top with a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. It was only the second time in franchise history that the Hurricanes swept a team in a four-game series, and the first time that they did not hold a lead in any of the games played.

As the game began, the Hurricanes were without one of their best playmakers in Nikolaj Ehlers, who was ruled out with a lower body injury shortly before the game began. With an open spot in the lineup, the Hurricanes chose to employ their grinder and bruiser, Nicolas Deslauriers. Due to his fourth-line placement and frequent use of special teams, he logged only six shifts in 3:09 – but the time he played was very noticeable. He was second in most hits throughout the game with a total of four hits, and managed to block one shot and have one shot on goal in his short time on the ice.

Tyler Kleven’s hit on Alexander Nikishin led to a heated argument throughout the game.

As the game remained scoreless early in the second period, Tyler Kleven laid down a big hit on Alexander Nikishin – a hit that served as the first domino of a long line of heated exchanges throughout the game, but sadly ended Nikishin’s own match.

The Hurricanes on the ice immediately stood up for their teammate, and by the time the puck was dropped again, the Hurricanes were shorthanded. Cleven’s hit was reviewed, but he was not awarded a penalty.

Carolina accumulated a total of 22 penalty minutes throughout the game, giving the Senators nine power plays, including three five-on-three opportunities.

Hurricanes’ secondary scorers, defense come up big again

A little over 15 minutes into the second period, the first goal of the game came from Public Enemy Number One in Ottawa, Ontario, when Taylor Hall found the back of the net. Throughout the game, he was booed from the crowd whenever he touched the puck due to his controversial hit on Jake Sanderson in Game 3, which put the Senators’ top-pairing defenseman in concussion protocol, essentially ending his postseason.

Hall has accounted for each of the Hurricanes’ game-opening goals so far in the postseason.

A few minutes later, Drake Batherson evened the score on the power play.

At 9:10 of the third period, the Hurricanes once again got help from Logan Stankoven, who put the puck in the back of the net on the power play to give Carolina the lead. In doing so, he became the first player in franchise history to start the postseason with a four-game goal streak.

The lead held for the rest of the game, with Sebastian Aho scoring his first empty-netter goal of the game (yes, his first), followed soon after by Dylan Cozens scoring a claw-back goal to bring the game within a goal again, Aho then scored his second empty-netter goal and a 4–2 win.

The defense and penalty killer were excellent throughout the series, and really shined in the Hurricanes’ two games north of the border. In this aspect Saturday was an even bigger story than Thursday, and Jacob Slavin was representing it with great effort. Of the full 13:21 time on the penalty kill, Slavin played an astonishing 10:14. Overall, he played 26:22 and led all Hurricanes skaters in ice time.

storm game notes

The Hurricanes are the first team in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs to punch their ticket to the second round.

In all four games, the Hurricanes never trailed the Senators. They were the first team to do so in a first-round series since the Detroit Red Wings in 2009.

Despite ranking first for most penalties taken (26) so far in the postseason, the Hurricanes allowed only one power play goal in their entire series against the Senators. With a penalty kill percentage of 95.2, only the Boston Bruins have a better penalty kill (100%) due to penalty volume (also 26).

With the conclusion of Carolina’s first-round series, FanDuel Sports Network will no longer be the broadcast home of the Hurricanes, as they will officially cease operations after all first-round games are completed.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

On Thursday, in a penalty-filled game, the Carolina Hurricanes took a 3-0 lead in the round one series against the Ottawa Senators with a 2-1 win in Game 3.

Since the puck dropped in Canada’s capital for the first time this postseason, the Hurricanes haven’t let off the gas despite two good games on their home floor. They started things off quickly, as Logan Stankoven found the back of the net just five minutes into the game, while Linus Ullmark had only three shots on net.

The other two goals came in the second period. The first came after an accidental nullification of offsides off the stick of Drake Batherson, as Jordan Martinook moved the puck back into the defensive zone, effectively tying the game. The second – the game-winning goal – came off the stick of Jackson Blake, after Taylor Hall’s effort for the secondary assist, and an incredibly deceptive pass from defenseman K’Andre Miller for the primary assist, while Stankoven created chaos in front of Ullmark’s net – screening him with his own teammates.

However, the story of the night did not lie only in crime. The Hurricanes defense was excellent throughout the game.

In the second period, the Hurricanes took five penalties, and they killed every one of them. Midway through the frame, they trailed five-on-three and, surprisingly, did not allow a single shot.

Jacob Slavin led all players on the ice with four blocks throughout the game, while Sean Walker had three blocks.

Both teams finished the game with accurate penalty kills.

storm notes

In the second period, Taylor Hall drew a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal check to the head of Jake Sanderson. The Senators’ top-pairing defenseman pitched two more innings and later left the game.

In the third period, Brady Tkachuk took a dirty hit on Jordan Martinuk, causing him to bounce his elbow while skating at the blue line. The play resulted in a major penalty review, but it was ultimately reduced to a minor two-minute penalty for interference.

All three games of the first-round series between the Hurricanes and Senators started with a goal by Logan Stankoven and an assist by Hall.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

On Thursday, the Carolina Hurricanes will play their first away game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as they drop the puck north of the border against the Ottawa Senators.

The game is scheduled for 7:30 pm EDT.

In the previous game, the Hurricanes won over the Senators, but not without a heavy helping of drama. They got the lead in the first period, and then got another goal in the second period as an extension of the penalty kill, but soon after, the Senators tied the game before a scoreless third period of overtime.

Then, the game-winning goal came for Mark Jankowski as there was a delayed penalty in the Hurricanes’ favor.

…Except it didn’t count.

The entry was reviewed for offsides, and they declared that Jordan Staal did not have control of the puck.

Still, the storm’ ‘Rockstar’ Jordan Martinook played the hero in the second overtime as he got the game-winner… and the Hurricanes even changed their victory song for him.

You can read all about it here!

in the crease

For the Hurricanes, it’s a bit of a big question as to who they’ll put in net for Thursday’s game. Frederik Andersen has been great in the series, but after spending nearly five entire frames on the ice in the Hurricanes’ last game, there’s a chance they’ll opt to play Brandon Bussy.

That being said, Anderson had the starter’s crease during practice on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Senators will likely run it back with Linus Ullmark for the first game in their home barn. Like Anderson, Ullmark has also had an amazing series. Additionally, he has received strong support from his glove hand, which was inconsistent at first – getting into rhythm with it at the right time.

Expected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Expected Ottawa Senators Lines

Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stutzle – Drake Batherson

Ridley Gregg – Dylan Cozens – Claude Giroux

Warren Foegele – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio

Nick Cousins ​​- Lars Eller – Fabian Zetterlund

protect

Jake Sanderson – Nicholas Matinpalo

Thomas Chabot – Jordan Spence

Dennis Gilbert – Lassie Thomson

goaltender

Linus Ullmark / James Reimer

storm game notes

Jordan Martinook scored the first overtime game-winning goal of his NHL playoff career in Monday night’s double overtime win.

Martinook’s goals were assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller – both of whom were his first points of the postseason in a Hurricanes sweater.

The Hurricanes’ second line has been dominant throughout the series, with Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake leading the team with three points each. Interestingly, Sebastian Aho’s goal in Game 2 was the first goal that did not involve the second line in the series.

The Hurricanes are the first team in NHL history to advance 2–0 in their first playoff series after six consecutive seasons.

how to see

TV: TBS, HBO Max, FDSNO, SN, CBC, TVAS
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

It’s not every night you watch double overtime… and see the game-winning goal put away… and fill with joy when you hear Nickelback play, but for the Carolina Hurricanes and their fans, Monday night was the night they defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in a heated contest.

In the first period, the second line – which had been the dominant line in Game 1 – struck first as Logan Stankoven, with assists from both his linemates, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake, beat Linus Ullmark through the five-hole.

It wasn’t until the second period that more scoring occurred, starting with Sebastian Aho’s spectacular tip-in goal about eight minutes in, with the only assist from Jordan Staal, just seconds after concluding a successful penalty kill.

However, it didn’t take long for the Senators to pull back, as Drake Batherson gave Ottawa its first goal of the series when he provided a rebound off his own intercepted pass to Claude Giroux.

Soon, Dylan Cozens tied the game with a five-hole goal on Frederick Anderson with assists from Ridley Gregg and Jake Sanderson – the latter of whom intercepted a pass from Logan Stankoven.

There was a flurry of crickets on the scoresheet in the third period, although there was notable pushback from the Senators, who outscored the Hurricanes 8–5 in the frame.

After overtime, chances were there on both ends of the ice, but the Hurricanes got lucky late in the frame… or so they thought.

Controversial offside call wipes out Hurricanes overtime game-winner

With just over three minutes remaining, Staal crossed the blue line and passed to Jordan Martinook, who drew a hooking penalty on Warren Foegele as he prepared to launch the puck on net. Anderson made a strong run to the bench after the extra attacker hit the ice for a delayed penalty, and with 2:42 left in the period, Mark Jankowski put it past Ullmark, which was immediately followed by a celebration by the team and fans.

However, this was followed by an official league review. The referees eventually declared after some discussion that the play was offside, ruling that Staal did not have control of the puck when crossing the blueline, and ruled out a goal that Jankowski had scored.

In addition, the referee also announced that Martinook would take a penalty shot instead of a power play.

Intelligently and humorously, Hurricane’s DJ starts blasting rockstar by Nickelback, whom Martinook has often cited as his favorite band, to try and energize him for the shot. However, the twine was never found in the shot.

The game soon went into a second overtime, and with 13:53 remaining, Martinook sealed the deal with a 3–2 victory – the first overtime game-winning goal of his 12-season career. As they celebrated the victory and walked off the ice, their signature victory song, all I do Is Win Not played by DJ Khaled, and instead, he started yelling rockstar For goalscorers.

storm notes

Throughout the game, the Hurricanes managed their minutes remarkably well, with no skater exceeding 35 minutes of ice-time. The Senators were not so lucky, with three defensemen exceeding that number, one of whom, Sanderson, played over 43 minutes.

The gift was a big issue for Storm. Despite having only two more than the Senators, both goals against them came from them. Additionally, sloppy puck management in the offensive zone led to a few more chances than desirable.

The Nickelback connection to Martinook goes a little deeper than just being a favorite band. During their ‘Get Rollin’ tour, they stopped at Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Walnut Creek, Raleigh, on September 14, 2023, where Martinook performed rockstar On stage with him.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

On Monday, the Carolina Hurricanes will face the Ottawa Senators in Raleigh for Game 2 of a Round One duel.

The game is scheduled for 7:30 pm EDT.

In Game 1, the Hurricanes made a statement with a shutout win – outworking, outhitting, and outshooting the Senators on aggregate. The highlight of the game was not only the excellent work of Frederik Andersen, but also the scoring of the second line secondary, who scored both of the Hurricanes’ goals.

However, for the Senators, they spent half of the game without top-pairing defenseman Artem Zab. Early in the second period, he took a big hit on Seth Jarvis and did not play for the rest of the frame, then was absent from the bench for the third frame. His status for Game 2 remains unclear.

You can read all about the game here!

in the crease

More likely is that both Frederik Andersen and Linus Ullmark will start for their respective teams.

Anderson made a case for the Game 2 start, not only getting the shutout, but also making several big saves throughout the match. He was fast.

Additionally, Ullmark also performed remarkably well. He made 27 saves on 29 shots (16 of those shots were high-danger scoring chances), giving him a satisfactory .931 save percentage.

Expected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Expected Ottawa Senators Lines

Drake Batherson – Tim Stutzle – Claude Giroux

Brady Tkachuk – Dylan Cozens – Ridley Gregg

Nick Cousins ​​- Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio

Warren Foegele – Lars Eller – Fabian Zetterlund

protect

Jake Sanderson – Artem Zab

Thomas Chabot – Jordan Spence

Dennis Gilbert – Nicholas Matinpalo

goaltender

Linus Ullmark / James Reimer

storm game notes

With Andersen’s Game 1 shutout – the sixth of his NHL playoff career – he is tied for third in terms of most postseason shutouts among active goaltenders, behind only Jonathan Quick and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Additionally, he took sole possession of the second-most postseason shutouts in franchise history with his third on the team, trailing only Cam Ward with four.

After Monday, the Hurricanes will not play again until Thursday.

how to see

TV: ESPN2, FDSNSO, SNE, SNO, SNP, CBC, TVAS
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

We’re just hours away from the start of the Senators’ first round series against the Hurricanes! So, how can the Sens upset the best team in the Eastern Conference? Let’s take a closer look at the five keys to victory for the Ottawa Senators.

Read More: Senators-Hurricanes Playoff Preview

1. Use last year’s experience to your advantage

It is often thought that before you can learn to win, you have to learn to lose. Well, that’s what the senators did last year. They fell 3–0 in the series against the Maple Leafs. It was not lack of effort that cost him. Instead, it felt like they were trying to do too much and failing even in the game’s biggest moments.

The first game was a bad one, with the Leafs scoring three times on six power play opportunities. The second game didn’t start any better, as the Leafs led 2–0 after the first period. Ultimately, the Senators began exploring playoff hockey. Unfortunately, they lost both games two and three in overtime, falling into a hole that was too deep to climb out of. A year later, it would be surprising to see the Senators look so bad to start the series. Not only do they have playoff experience from last year, but many of their best players are coming in with Olympic experience as well.

2. Linus Ullmark From the end of the season, not the beginning

There were two different versions of Linus Ullmark in this season. have a look:

• first 28 starts: 2.95 GAA, .881 SV%, 43% of his starts allowing two or fewer goals
• final 21 start: 2.41 GAA, .904 SV%, allowed two goals or less in 62% of his starts

Since Ullmark’s return from leave of absence, he was second in the league with 14 wins. On paper, he is the best goalkeeper option for any team. The Hurricanes have their own goaltending issues, with Brandon Bussey continuing to struggle. The ulmark does not need to be at the level of your vagina (although it would be nice). He can’t be the goalie that was hindering the Senators’ wins in the first half of the season.

3. Penalty kill from the end of the season, not the beginning

The Senators had two different versions of their penalty kill this season. have a look:

• first 50 games: 71.7%, 43 power play goals against, 3 shorthanded goals
• last 32 games: 83.1%, 14 power play goals against, 5 shorthanded goals

On January 24, the Senators placed Mike Yeo in charge of their penalty kill. That’s when the turnaround happened, where the Senators went from having the second-worst penalty kill in the league to the fifth-best. It’s obvious what changed – the Senators’ goaltending improved, but what was even more serious was how much more aggressive play the Senators played while shorthanded. This not only improved the kill percentage, but on the other hand, offensive chances also became higher.

This will be a big battle in this series which both teams feel they should win. The Hurricanes are fourth in the league at 24.9%. The Senators penalty kill cost them last year’s playoffs, allowing six goals on 17 power plays.

4. Sanderson, Stützle and Tkachuk as the best players in the series

When it comes to any playoff series, it is quite clear that to win, a team needs its star players to play like star players. The Hurricanes have incredible depth and some great players. However, they do not have any true superstars. In last year’s conference finals, Bennett, Barkov and Tkachuk combined to score 21 points for the Panthers, while Jarvis, Aho and Svechnikov only scored 14 points.

Last year against the Maple Leafs, Sanderson, Stützle and Tkachuk all played very well. However, on the other hand, Nylander, Matthews and Marner combined to score 24 points. If the Sens can walk away from this series feeling that there is no doubt that their stars were the best players in the series, they will likely be victorious.

5. Pinto as the best defensive forward in the series

No team can suppress shots like the Hurricanes. Jakob Slavin is considered the best defensive player in hockey. In the Selke’s last two years of voting for top defensive forward, Jordan Staal, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho have received votes. That includes Jordan Staal’s second-place finish two years ago.

It’s clear the Hurricanes will try to slow down Tim Stuetzle at first. The Senators, on the other hand, will have to slow down a team that has scored 291 goals this season, second-most in the NHL. If this series ends with people praising Jordan Staal’s great defensive play, it doesn’t bode well for the Senators.

However, if it is Shane Pinto who emerges as the best defensive forward in the series, it will be a huge advantage for the Sens. In last year’s playoffs, he was tasked with playing shift after shift against the Matthews-Marner-Nese line. He spent the entire season battling the opposition’s best players. A certain writer believes Pinto deserves Selke votes for his work this season. Now he will have to continue the same game in the playoffs also.

final thoughts

Senators fans should be prepared for a grind-it-out type of series. It’s difficult to get a shot against the Hurricanes, as well as difficult to win, especially in the first round of the playoffs. The Hurricanes are deep, well-trained and experienced. For the Senators to complete the upset, they will need to win most of the key points discussed above. Here’s one last thing worth mentioning before the first game starts this afternoon: The Senators have never won a series after losing two games, losing all ten times this has happened. Translation? The Sens need to steal a game in Carolina.

Danny was born and raised in Ottawa and still lives in that city. He has followed… more about Danny McCloskey

We’re finally there: the postseason. The Carolina Hurricanes will face the Ottawa Senators at home in Raleigh, officially kicking off the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first game on the NHL’s schedule.

The game is scheduled for 3:00 PM EDT.

During the regular season, the Hurricanes had one of their best seasons ever, reaching second place in franchise history in both wins and points, scoring the most goals in team history, and topping the Eastern Conference for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Senators struggled through the extremely brutal Atlantic Division, and just managed to clinch their spot in the postseason last Saturday, doing so with a win over the New York Islanders, as the Detroit Red Wings lost to the New Jersey Devils.

I recently did an in-depth analysis with several comparisons and statistics between these two teams in a playoff primer. You can read all about it here!

in the crease

During the Hurricanes’ two latest practices, Frederik Andersen had the starter’s crease in both. However, after practice on Friday, head coach Rod Brind’Amour was tight-lipped on who would get the Game 1 start, citing that he had not yet spoken to goaltending coach Paul Schoenfelder.

This season, Frederik Andersen has a 16-14-5 record with a .874 save percentage with a goals-against average of 3.05. Additionally, Brandon Bussey has a .894 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average en route to a 31-6-2 record.

Meanwhile, Linus Ullmark has been the number one man in Ottawa since being acquired in the 2024 offseason. It is almost certain he will start against the Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon. This season, he has a 28-12-8 record with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage. Additionally, James Reimer will likely serve as their backup goaltender after posting an .885 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average en route to a 7-4-2 record.

Expected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj – Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Expected Ottawa Senators Lines

Drake Batherson – Tim Stutzle – Claude Giroux

Brady Tkachuk – Dylan Cozens – Ridley Gregg

Nick Cousins ​​- Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio

Warren Foegele – Lars Eller – Fabian Zetterlund

protect

Jake Sanderson – Artem Zab

Thomas Chabot – Jordan Spence

Dennis Gilbert – Nicholas Matinpalo

goaltender

Linus Ullmark / James Reimer

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes power play: 24.9% (4th)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 80.5% (11th)

Ottawa Senators Power Play: 24.0% (8th)
Ottawa Senators Penalty Kill: 75.7% (29th)

storm game notes

The Hurricanes may get help for the postseason from another goaltender in Pyotr Kochetkov, who missed most of the season with an injury that required surgery. After a conditioning stint with the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, he was recalled and initially selected in his 82nd game, but was ultimately held due to a roster issue.

The Wolves are also headed to the playoffs soon after finishing second in the AHL’s Central Division.

This will be the first time since 2006 that the Hurricanes will face a Canadian team in the postseason. Then, it was the Edmonton Oilers, whom they defeated in the Stanley Cup Finals.

how to see

TV: ESPN, FDSNO, SN, Omni, TVAS
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

As the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators face each other on Saturday to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they will do so after battling similar adversity in the regular season.

Both teams took a long shot chance to play the part and both teams were successful in their goal of finishing the season strong to claim a postseason berth.

The Hurricanes suffered a major loss of goaltender before the season even started.

In Carolina, the season almost broke before it even started.

As the Hurricanes prepared their roster for the season, they faced a problem in net as their third goaltender, Kayden Primeau, had played very well during the preseason. As soon as they placed him on waivers to reassign him to their AHL-affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, they had a feeling he would be claimed. And so, they started looking for another goalkeeper to serve as a safety measure should that happen. (Yes, that happened. The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed him, though the Hurricanes later reunited with Primo when they placed him on waivers.)

Enter Brandon Bussey, the Florida Panthers’ latest depth goaltender, signing after several strong seasons with the Providence Bruins. Having never pitched above the AHL-level in his career, he was placed on waivers and was on the drive to Charlotte, NC to join their affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, when he got the call that the Hurricanes had claimed them.

Making a change in more ways than one, he found himself on the opening night roster due to an injury preventing Pyotr Kochetkov from playing. He took the crease again and again and scored a run that made NHL history as he broke records one after another. Of 39 games played, he won 31 – tied for fourth in the entire league for most wins by a goalkeeper this season.

His consistency in net in the first half of the season, despite Kochetkov’s prolonged absence requiring surgery and Frederik Andersen’s cold streak, was key in giving the Hurricanes a huge boost in the standings.

Senators lose top goaltender, throw dice on aging veteran netminder

Meanwhile, the Senators faced the same dilemma as Carolina, albeit later in the season, during an equally crucial time.

In late December, Linus Ullmark – who has been a vocal advocate for mental health in hockey – took leave due to mental issues he was struggling with. The Senators then hit a skid as the position was given to 23-year-old goaltender Levi Merilainen, with 25-year-old Mads Sogaard supporting him.

Amid a blowout 8–2 loss at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, the Senators announced that then-37-year-old James Reimer, the former Hurricanes goaltender, had been signed to a professional tryout contract.

Possibly, his signing saved their season.

Reimer brought a calm, seasoned veteran presence to a young goalie team that was shaken up, stopped the bleeding and earned the team a valuable Atlantic Division point in its first game back – and further points in three of the five games played while Ullmark was out. He had a goals against average of 2.42 in his 14 games, achieved a shutout and helped the Senators score 16 points while at the crease.

Since both teams face each other in the first round of the playoffs, only one team advances to the next round, so it cannot be underestimated what the Hurricanes and Senators managed to accomplish despite the obstacles they faced. Only 16 of the league’s 32 teams were able to clinch a spot in the postseason. To be able to come this far while dealing with key absences in something as crucial as goaltending is something to be commended, no matter what team you’re on.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Jesperi Kotkaniemi is not happy with the Carolina Hurricanes.

This isn’t a bit of a surprise, as for the first time in his tenure with Carolina, he has been the most frequently scratched player for the team. In a recent interview, he discussed the Hurricanes’ issues with coaching, management and their season overall.

Kotkaniemi talks about lack of communication, trust with organization leaders

On Wednesday, Ilta-Sanomat, Finland’s largest newspaper, released his interview with Kotkaniemi – an interview in which the 25-year-old centerman lifted the lid on the rift between himself and the Hurricanes organization.

“It hasn’t really been explained to me why I’m not allowed to play,” he told the outlet. “It’s a little difficult.”

He expressed his frustration in the narrative that he is not equal to a second-line centerman when he has rarely performed as one throughout his time in Carolina, citing an oft-forgotten discrepancy between his position on nightly lineup sheets versus ice time and the matchups he was actually given.

However, it seems like the thing that has frustrated him the most is, as you would expect, a lack of meaningful ice time and an absence of trust from the coaching staff.

“Playing time was limited from the beginning of the season. Then came bench assignments. And after a long injury, the coaching staff was in no hurry to get me back into the lineup.

“It’s a shame, because I worked hard over the summer.”

Between the failed trade and lack of ice time, Kotkaniemi’s future with the Hurricanes remains uncertain.

He subsequently faced frequent trade rumors and was repeatedly said to be moved, but this never seemed to happen.

With only eight points this season, and averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time whenever he has been given the chance, this is a stark contrast to last season, in which he had three times the points and average ice time per night was almost three minutes more.

As for Kotkaniemi’s career, and his potential return to the Hurricanes if he is ultimately traded, this season has undoubtedly taken its toll on both sides. Before the trade deadline, the team began making calls about a possible move, but those lined up were reportedly unwilling to pay the price set by general manager Eric Tulsky. Since then, except for the occasional game, he has simply been left on the shelf, gathering dust and losing the opportunity to improve his numbers, and in turn, his trade value.

“The future here doesn’t look very good, at least not right now.”

Translation via Google Translate, Microsoft Translator

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes are in the playoffs after having one of their best seasons on record, scoring 113 points this season, finishing atop the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history, and scoring their most goals in team history. But at the same time, one biggest question remains every year…

Is goal setting good enough?

Hurricanes goaltending follows a different formula

The Hurricanes’ overall goals-save percentage is .880, slightly lower than the league average of .889, and well below the typical standard of .900. Currently, they are the league’s seventh-worst in this metric throughout the regular season.

Normally, those numbers would seem bad. However, that statistic works very differently in Carolina’s case.

Throughout the entire regular season, the Hurricanes took the fewest shots against leaguewide. When fewer shots are faced, a goal taken takes a larger share of the percentage, resulting in a lower number.

Notably, the Hurricanes had the sixth-best goals against average in the regular season.

Ultimately, at the end of the day, statistics are just numbers, and not performance history. Always write the Future. The playoffs are a completely different beast from the regular season.

For example, in the 2005–06 season, Cam Ward posted the sixth-worst save percentage and third-worst goals-against average in the entire league. However, by the end of the playoffs, the rookie netminder not only had the fourth-best save percentage of the postseason and the second-best goals-against average, but he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy, cementing him as MVP of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Versatility is an asset

An often overlooked aspect about the Hurricanes’ tandem is the difference in playing styles between Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussy.

Anderson’s style is situational, he uses his size to create space for oncoming shooters. He is accurate with the glove and remains composed and composed throughout the game.

Meanwhile, Bussi is adept at the standard butterfly style with a hint of athletic style. Although he is roughly the same size as Anderson, he focuses on speed and instincts rather than technique.

Having a pair of similar goaltenders with disparate styles gives the Hurricanes an advantage when facing teams. If one style does not work against an opponent, there is another style to use.

Carolina has a potential ace in the hole

The Hurricanes may have another option in net — one that uses both comfort and excitement as a weapon.

Carolina’s most dynamic and unpredictable goalkeeper, Pyotr Kochetkov, missed almost the entire season due to injury and subsequent surgery to repair it. However, after a brief conditioning stint with the Chicago Wolves, he was recalled and initially elected to concentrate on the crease in the final game of the season, before a roster issue made it impossible.

Kochetkov also has a distinct style that sets him apart from others – ranging from calm and steady to frantic, acrobatic and even physically being able to flip a switch to stop however possible. He brings an element of controlled (well, mostly controlled) chaos that often catches shooters off guard.

At this time, it is still uncertain whether he will join the postseason, but if he does, the Hurricanes will have three NHL-level goaltenders ready – a rarity on any team, and especially in the playoffs.

While the Hurricanes have often been cited in the past for not having what it takes in net for playoff hockey, their current, unusual setup could challenge that narrative in the upcoming postseason.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The game between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders had some ups and downs… but most of them happened before the puck even dropped at UBS Arena.

On Monday, the Hurricanes recalled two players from the Chicago Wolves, Felix Unger Sorum – who was Chicago’s leading scorer, and Pyotr Kochetkov – the goaltender projected to miss the remainder of the season.

Then, on the morning of the game, defensemen Joel Nystrom and Ronan Seely were recalled.

Roster dilemma leads to emergency backup goaltender assignment

Two hours before the game, head coach Rod Brind’Amour spoke to the media and confirmed that all three skaters – and Kochetkov – would play against the Islanders. However, a monkey wrench was thrown into that plan less than an hour before puck drop.

Kochetkov was pulled from the ice shortly after warmups began, as it was then announced that he would not be able to start due to roster technicalities. Furthermore, the problem came with an additional issue, as Frederik Andersen was unavailable to play.

Thus, Long Island native Brandon Bussey took the crease for the second consecutive night. The emergency backup goaltender was 28-year-old Thomas Sullivan, who played seven games for nearby Stony Brook University between the ACHA’s 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons, and previously warmed the bench as an emergency goaltender for the Washington Capitals in a game against the Islanders during the 2022–23 season.

game highlights

Early in the first period, Nikolaj Ehlers scored the Hurricanes’ first goal of the game, with the primary assist coming from Unger Sörum, making his second-inning of his NHL career. It was a good frame for the 20-year-old forward, who also hit the post on a shot from the right face-off circle. You could see he was enjoying the occasion too.

“It’s been really fun,” he said during the first intermission. “I’ve just been smiling all day, and just waiting for this moment, so it’s been really fun.”

To make the moment even more special for the young winger, he was joined in the stands by his family, who had traveled from Norway and Sweden.

“This is very special,” he said. “They’ve helped me a lot on my journey so far, and I have a lot to thank them for. So, it’s been really fun to have them visit here.”

In the second period, the Islanders went to work during a delayed penalty, with Bo Horvat finding the back of the net to hold the Hurricanes to 54 seconds, tying the game and scoring the 300th NHL goal of his career in the process. Additionally, the second assist came from Victor Eklund, younger brother of San Jose Sharks top-six forward William Eklund, in his NHL debut.

In the third period, Mark Jankowski scored the go-ahead goal with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. This proved to be the game-winner, as neither team was able to score after the Islanders pulled their goaltender.

A rare occurrence, the Hurricanes fell behind 29–21, but ultimately won 2–1.

storm notes

No clear explanation was ever given regarding the roster issue other than a ‘roster technicality’. After the trade deadline, teams do not have a roster limit and are limited only by salary cap rules. Thus, the impression is created that this was merely a matter of paperwork.

With the Boston Bruins clinching the top Eastern Conference wild card with a 4–0 win over the New Jersey Devils, the Hurricanes are scheduled to face the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs.

Scoring their 113th point with the win over the Islanders, the Hurricanes finished second in the entire league, guaranteeing home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs over the top-place Colorado Avalanche.

During the third period, William Carrier took a blow to the face while on the bench. He left the game after some time.

Not only was Felix Unger Sorum’s family present during the game, but Ronan Seely’s father as well as Brandon Bussey’s family were also confirmed to be in attendance.

On Tuesday, it was the first time since April 13, 2023 that the Hurricanes finished the regular season with a win, when they defeated the Florida Panthers 6–4.

Nikolaj Ehlers was the only player to skate in all 82 games for the Hurricanes this season.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

For the first time in 20 years, the Carolina Hurricanes established themselves as the best Eastern Conference team throughout the regular season. It didn’t come with any dramatic impact, nor did it come with any spectacular victory – but it came nonetheless.

Starting the night with some of their six best players out of the starting lineup, they faced a hungry Philadelphia Flyers team that was fighting for a postseason opportunity.

The first period was all Carolina, taking a two-goal lead by the end of the frame. The first goal came off the stick of Bradley Nadeau, with an assist from Nikolaj Ehlers, who sent a no-look pass to the rookie who had positioned himself in the slot.

A few minutes later, the Hurricanes got the man advantage due to a holding penalty, which Ehlers managed to capitalize on. In doing so, he achieved the first 70-point season of his 11-season career.

However, the second period belonged to the Flyers – scoring two to tie the game. The first goal came from Matvei Michkov, thanks to a Hurricanes concession as the game began. His second goal, meanwhile, was during the power play – a snapshot of penalty-drawer Trevor Zegras who was left completely alone by Brandon Bussey’s net.

During halftime, Ehlers talked about the two goals he allowed, recognizing that they were the result of puck mismanagement and that it was something he would need to tighten up in the following frames.

In fact, they worked together defensively in the final period, giving up only four possessions compared to nine in the second period. But ultimately, Philadelphia wasn’t giving up that much. The game remained deadlocked through regulation, and then as has happened every time they faced each other this season, they went into overtime.

As the extra frames opened, the Hurricanes had scored the points needed to win the Eastern Conference. Additionally, the Flyers’ overtime points eliminated the Columbus Blue Jackets from the playoffs.

However, nothing was achieved in five minutes of three-on-three and they were locked in a shootout for the third time in four matches played together.

The decider came in the fourth round of the shootout, as Tyson Foster managed to defeat Brandon Bussey, becoming the third skater to do so in the 14 rounds played by the goaltender this season.

With their win, the Flyers clinched third place in the Metropolitan Division – the only remaining playoff spot in the Eastern Conference – and clinched a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2020. Interestingly, the only Eastern playoff matchup confirmed for the postseason is now the Flyers against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are in second place in the Metro Division.

(PSST, Philly Hockey Now’s William James wrote a great article on the Flyers’ playoff clinch – be sure to check it out if you want to see the Flyers’ perspective!)

storm notes

Nicolas Deslauriers’ return to Philadelphia, where he will be playing through the 2022-23 season, has been more difficult than usual. Literally. He had 11 hits on his former teammates (notably Rasmus Ristolainen and Emil Andre, who had three hits each). This tied his career high for most hits in a single game, which he set in a game against the Dallas Stars on March 13, 2018, when he was a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

During the second period, Jalen Chatfield took a heavy hit from Owen Tippett. He was slow to get up and proceeded to walk down the tunnel, but returned to the game shortly afterwards. It was his first game since suffering a lower-body injury against the Boston Bruins last Tuesday.

The loss was the Hurricanes’ first in Philadelphia since March 5, 2020.

The last time the Hurricanes finished first in the Eastern Conference was in the 2005–06 season.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

In a sudden turn of events, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has been assigned to the Chicago Wolves for a conditioning stint following season-ending hip surgery following the NHL’s Christmas break.

With the Grand Rapids returning to play Friday against the Griffins, it puts a new potential element into the Hurricanes’ goaltending for the postseason.

Under the current CBA, LTIR conditioning loans to the AHL can last a maximum of three games and/or six days, although an additional two games can be requested if needed.

On Sunday, Kochetkov returned to the ice with the Hurricanes, participating in partial drills and taking shots from his teammates. It wasn’t a perfect practice, but it was ‘a step in the right direction’, as head coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

The Hurricanes netminder expressed his feelings about returning to the ice, saying that he had a difficult time during the recovery process, but he was very happy to be able to be with the team and participate in practices.

After it was announced that he would not participate in the remainder of the season, it was speculated that he would not be seen on the ice until the following September. However, in January, his agent first predicted a quick return, mentioning that he could be available for the playoffs if his recovery went well.

Pyotr Kochetkov could be a game-changer for the Hurricanes in the playoffs

This season, Kochetkov has played only eight games in the NHL. However, six of those games were wins, including one shutout. Meanwhile, Frederik Anderson has played 34 matches and Brandon Bussy has played 37 matches.

If the Hurricanes can reacquire Kochetkov for the postseason, they will have three NHL-level goaltenders, one of whom has been notably rested due to a lack of ice time this season. It will be an advantage for the Hurricanes that no other Stanley Cup contending team is going to the playoffs.

Additionally, playing style versatility is another boon for the Hurricanes.

Kochetkov utilizes a highly athletic, acrobatic style with the ability to switch between a calm, careful approach and a frantic, completely reactionary response with the speed of a back-and-forth. The unpredictable (and even physical) nature of his style catches skaters off guard.

Anderson, meanwhile, plays a quiet position-up style that uses size and technique to take up space from oncoming shooters. He also has a particularly strong glove hand to help when the normally slow positioning method might fail.

As for Bussey, his approach focuses more on the traditional butterfly style with a focus on strong proficiency in fundamentals with occasional athletic play. His play is a happy medium between Kochetkov and Andersen.

If the Hurricanes can reacquire a strong and confident Kochetkov, it could make a huge difference through the playoffs.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes looked a little different in their play on Thursday, but they didn’t put a halt to their offensive surge and beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2. In doing so, more than a half-dozen Carolina players achieved milestones.

first period

When the game started, it was already a milestone for Josiah Slavin, who is the younger brother of their star defenseman Jacob Slavin. For the first time, he appeared in a regular season game for the Hurricanes. Ironically, this was the only NHL arena he called home to face his former team, with whom he played 15 games as a member.

Things started quickly, as Sean Walker put the Hurricanes on the board in just 19 seconds. Midway through the first period, Anton Frondel tied the game, after which Skyler Brind’Amour – son of Rod Brind’Amour – would have scored a tip-in goal – had it not been for interference by Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight.

Head coach Brind’Amour decided not to challenge it and soon after, it was avenged as Logan Stankoven gave the Hurricanes the lead once again. As he did so, he recorded the first 20-goal season in his NHL career, giving the Hurricanes a total of six 20+ goal scorers this season.

second period

In the second period, Stankoven followed up with another accomplishment, adding a few milestones as Jackson Blake achieved his first 30-assist season, and Taylor Hall achieved his first 30-assist season with the Hurricanes. Later in the frame, Mark Jankowski extended the lead on assists from Alexander Nikishin and William Carrier.

third period

In the final frame, K’Andre Miller scored directly out of the penalty box with a brilliant pass from Carrier, before Frondel scored once again, making the score 5–2.

However, Hall added another boost to the Hurricanes’ tally with a stylish spin-o-rama goal, scoring on his former team in his first game in his barn.

The final goal of the game came from Jankowski, who notably recorded his first 10-goal season with the Hurricanes. The receivers were Seabs Carrier and Nicolas Deslauriers, the former scoring his first three-point game in his NHL career, and the latter scoring his first points with the Hurricanes.

By the end of the night, 11 players found themselves on the scoresheet, with seven of them achieving milestones. what a night!

who was outside and who was inside

Going into the matchup, the Hurricanes were missing seven of their usual players, as Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, Jacob Slavin, and Jalen Chatfield were all ruled out for undisclosed reasons. Staal and Martinook were both absent from Sunday’s game against the Ottawa Senators for the same undisclosed reason, while Chatfield left their previous game against the Boston Bruins with a lower body injury.

Filling those open spots on the roster were Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Bradley Nadeau, Nicolas Deslauriers, Josiah Slavin, Skylar Brind’Amour, Mike Reilly and Charles-Alexis Legault.

Logan Stankoven’s line remained untouched and served as the first line, while Kotkaniemi centered Nadeau and Nikolaj Ehlers on the second line, Mark Jankowski centered William Carrier and Deslauriers on the third line, and Brind’Amour centered Slavin and Eric Robinson on the fourth line.

Meanwhile, the defense saw a pairing of Shayne Gostisbehere and K’Andre Miller on the top line, while the second line featured a combination of Sean Walker and Alexander Nikishin, and the third line saw Reilly and Legault together.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Nothing comes easy, and this season, the Eastern Conference has proven that. With 102 points in the standings, the Carolina Hurricanes became the first team in the East to clinch a playoff berth this season with a thrilling 5–1 win over their Metropolitan Division rival, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

They wasted no time in securing their spot in the postseason, as Logan Stankoven found himself on the hat trick clock before 10 minutes had passed. His first goal, just 2:27 minutes in, was a tip-in on K’Andre Miller’s shot, while with his second goal, he completed a loose transition left by Taylor Hall.

Moments later on the penalty kill, Alexander Nikishin – with help from the usual suspects, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho – got his first career NHL shorthanded goal. The scoreless score tied the Hurricanes with the Calgary Flames for most shorthanded goals this season with 11.

Down three-nil in the second frame, the Blue Jackets got on the board as Denton Matechuk put the puck through Frederik Andersen’s five-hole, but the Hurricanes reclaimed their breathing space just 13 seconds later thanks to a shot from the point by Jordan Martinook.

In the third period, the Blue Jackets power play was cut short. As the four-on-four hockey ended and the Hurricanes’ power play began, Shayne Gostisbier immediately contributed another goal by coming out of the penalty box, one-touching a pass from Aho and sending it to Andrei Svechnikov, who fired past Elvis Merzlikins from the right face-off circle – the final goal of the game.

‘The work will not stop now’

Throughout the match, the Hurricanes maintained the pace they boasted, and they allowed their offense to crush the Blue Jackets – dominating zone time and forcing Columbus to expend energy in their own zone. Carolina allowed only 10 shots on goal from the Blue Jackets, the fewest in franchise history for the Hurricanes.

“I think we had a huge start,” Stankoven said after the game. “We know a lot of these teams that are out here playing consistently are hungry for points and trying to get into the playoffs, so I think, mentally, we came prepared, and that’s been good for us.”

“I think our group is there, we don’t take the playoffs lightly – it’s very hard to fight and get to the playoffs. So, we’re really grateful, but the work doesn’t stop now.”

storm notes

Thursday’s game was the 1,400th game that Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal has played in his 20-season career. Of those, 968 have been played with Carolina, while 431 have been played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he won a Stanley Cup. During the first period, he received a standing ovation from fans in the stands.

Nikishin’s shorthanded goal was his 30th point of the season, tying him with Jamie McBain for most points by a rookie defenseman in Hurricanes history, and placing him second in the franchise tally, just five points behind Brad Shaw.

In each of the eight seasons that Rod Brind’Amour has served as head coach, the Hurricanes have made one playoff appearance. Only the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs have longer active streaks (although the Leafs are out of the hunt at the moment).

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

A broken hockey stick caused by pure frustration in the visitors’ tunnel was an obvious indicator of the Carolina Hurricanes’ game on Tuesday night, but strong goaltending and a heavy helping of luck saved what was almost a game that hurt more than just flesh.

In the first half of the game, the Hurricanes were dominant against their Metropolitan Division rivals – the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the first period, the Hurricanes got two power play opportunities, and Shayne Gostisbehere and Logan Stankoven both used them, putting Carolina ahead two-to-zilch at the first intermission.

The game was good, the offense was flowing and the defense made life more difficult for the Blue Jackets. However, as the second frame progressed, what was working had holes in it. Puck management fell apart, their transition game suffered and they ultimately gave up an inch to the Blue Jackets.

Kirill Marchenko turned that inch into a mile.

Taking advantage of the Hurricanes’ sudden lack of focus, Marchenko pulled his team back into the fight with his first goal in eight games. The puck slipped under Brandon Bussey’s padding, and officials had to review it to make sure it even crossed the goal line before being put on the boards.

When the Hurricanes started to get the game going, it was Busey who stopped the bleeding by making repeated saves throughout the frame. At one point, he was alone against Sean Monahan as all the other players on the ice converged on the corner boards of the defensive zone – leaving Columbus alone in the slot with the puck. Thankfully for Carolina, their netminder was on top and finished off the chance.

‘Make or Break’ Third Period

The Hurricanes gave themselves another wound in the third period. Stankoven entered the zone with pressure from the Blue Jackets and dangerously dropped the puck to Jackson Blake, who ultimately missed. Adam Fantilli caught it, and after some tic-tac-toeing back into the Hurricanes zone, he hit a shot that tied the game.

Columbus had the momentum, and Carolina had the offense.

Still, Nikolaj Ehlers did the best job he could and got the Hurricanes the clutch goal they needed.

After a failed challenge for goal interference by the Blue Jackets, the Hurricanes initiated another power play, with Andrei Svechnikov taking the lead – after eating a puck earlier in the game, bruised mug and all.

…Honestly, this was not a night for faces. Miles Wood, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Andrei Svechnikov all took tackles in their individual careers, while three high-sticking penalties were assessed throughout the game.

Interestingly, Ehlers had an assist on Svechnikov’s goal, which was his 3rd point of the night and 40th assist of the season (a new career high), and his 64th point (tied his career high).

Eventually, the clock ran out and Columbus’ net was empty as the Blue Jackets took the power play in the final minute. But it was all for naught, as Jordan Martinook scored an empty-netter. It was the tenth short-handed goal for the Hurricanes this season, moving them into second place in the league-wide tally.

The final score came out to be 5-2 in favor of the Hurricanes, but if not for Bussey’s focus and incredible success on special teams, things could have ended very differently.

“Honestly it’s all mental… just telling myself ‘be ready for the next shot, you never know when you’ll have a moment’.”
Brandon Bussey joins @buckygross And @AJMleczko Discussing the game and post-game meal following the Hurricanes’ 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets… pic.twitter.com/1U1n3ZndNC

– Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) April 1, 2026

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

For 20 minutes, the New Jersey Devils looked like a red-hot team capable of competing with any opponent in the NHL.

Nevertheless, in a result that seemed very familiar to Devils fans, the Carolina Hurricanes came back strongly with five consecutive goals in their 5–2 victory, which snapped the Devils’ two-game winning streak.

Evgeni Dadonov and Timo Meier each scored, the second of which came from Dawson Mercer in his 400th consecutive game. Jacob Markstrom made 29 saves in the loss.

Carolina scored three times in the second period, led by former Devils forward Taylor Hall, who had two assists. Nikolaj Ehlers also had a goal and an assist.

The Hurricanes won their 12th consecutive home game against the Devils, adding six Stanley Cup playoff wins over the past four seasons.

“I think this group needs to heal some wounds along the way,” Devils forward Connor Brown said after the game. “As soon as you let one in and get one on their heels, that’s where their system takes over. That’s the type of game they hunt.”

Devils had a strong performance in the first round in Carolina.

The Devils couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game.

They kept the shot count close throughout the frame and played the proverbial solid road game. Markstrom made eight saves, and they were mostly from outside, as the Devils gave up just 0.62 expected goals and two high-danger chances.

Despite two failed power plays in the first period, New Jersey also finished first on the board. Captain Nico Hischier hit Mercer with a 100-foot stretch pass and Mercer beat Carolina defenseman Sean Walker and found Meyer for a tap-in goal.

It was Meyer’s 22nd goal of the season. He has scored in three consecutive games and has five in New Jersey’s last seven games. Meyer now has eight goals in 15 games since the Olympic break ended.

Satan came unmasked in the second period

Failing to handle the Hurricanes’ surge has been a hallmark of the Devils’ struggles in Carolina, and Saturday was no different.

Carolina outscored the Devils 15–5 in the second period, and had a 32–13 shot-attempt advantage in the middle frame. Yet, according to Devils coach Sheldon Keefe, the whole thing backfired when Lenny Haminaho took the team’s only penalty of the game, a minor tripping at 8:27 of the second.

“We were definitely right there in the game,” Keefe said. “Up until the penalty take, I liked our second period. We didn’t get a lot of shots on net, but we were in our half of the ice. We just didn’t have the stamina or energy to keep up with it.”

Ehlers tied the score by beating Markstrom from the right circle on the power play, capping a typical passing play. Then Carolina’s rush got busy, energizing the Hurricanes’ offensive anticipation and forcing the Devils into mistakes.

“There’s no doubt that our bench sagged a little bit after we scored the first goal,” Keefe said. “It’s more than just the opponent. You know how hard it is to score. You’ve got the lead, you’ve given them life. The crowd just comes alive. It’s everything.”

Shane Gostisbier’s aggressive puck at the offensive blue line forced a turnover, creating a two-on-one situation for Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven, and Blake got past Jonas Seigenthaler and beat Markstrom, giving Carolina the lead at 13:48.

“Punting against this team is exactly what they want,” Keefe said. “They drop it in the neutral zone, they come straight at you and it’s wave after wave. We’ve got to make a play. We’ve got to get it off the boards against these guys.

Jordan Staal scored just 95 seconds later, redirecting Ehlers’ shot after Simon Nemec’s soft back-handed clearing attempt, giving Carolina a 3–1 lead and effectively putting the game on ice.

“We had time to make a play and we panicked and threw it against the wall and that gave them an opportunity,” Keefe said. “Those are two big plays that end up on net.”

Pat Pickens is an award-winning sports writer and author who has covered the NHL since 2013. He reveals more about Pat Pickens.

According to Swedish news outlet Expressen, news broke on Monday that Carolina Hurricanes prospect Noel Gunler will not re-sign with the Hurricanes and will instead return to play for the Swedish Hockey League.

According to reports, Gunler has agreed to play for Djurgården IF, where he will play a key role. The Stockholm-based club is second in terms of most championship titles in the league with six.

Prior to the rumored decision, Expressen reported that Luleå, for whom he had previously played, had expressed interest in a reunion.

Noel Gunler hopes to end journey with Storm after four years

Gunler was drafted by the Hurricanes during the second round, 41st overall, in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. In 2022, his first year in the state, he won the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves alongside players like Pyotr Kochetkov and Jalen Chatfield.

Throughout his time with the Wolves so far, he has scored 42 goals and 48 assists for a total of 88 points.

However, despite a strong playing ability and improving scoring every year, he suffered setbacks from injuries and ultimately failed to make an appearance in the NHL.

Currently, the Wolves are in second place in the AHL’s Central Division, and are expected to reach the playoffs.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

We’re two weeks past the 2026 trade deadline, and still, we have new information coming our way. However, unlike the whispers of things that the Carolina Hurricanes missed in their drive to the postseason, it seems like this time we are hearing rumors about something that could shape their summer.

In the March 18 edition of dfo rundownInsider David Pagnotta joined host Irfan Ghafar to discuss a number of topics, including the Storm’s reported focus on improving goaltending.

“My guess is that Freddy Anderson will not be back with the club,” Pagnotta said. “There are some indications that they’re going to explore the goaltending market in the offseason.”

Then, Pagnotta mentioned that the Hurricanes had already begun pursuing another goaltender during the trade deadline.

“They explored [the goalie market] Before the trade deadline. They were one of the teams that focused on Sergei Bobrovsky, and there were some that believed this was potentially a good route to take.

“Obviously, that didn’t happen. Montreal and Vegas were the other two teams that were in that mix. There was a little bit of internal belief that they would be going in that direction. So, they’re definitely going to be exploring their options by all accounts in the summer. We’ll see where it goes.”

Sergei Bobrovsky may be available this summer, but would he be a good fit for Carolina?

It’s definitely too early to consider free agency when we haven’t even finished the regular season – it doesn’t make sense to me. However, we cannot ignore the rumor and what it could mean for the Hurricanes.

During the deadline, it was said that there was not much action around him and the Florida Panthers decided to work towards signing him to a new contract instead. Since then, there has been little news from Sunrise regarding whether contract negotiations have progressed.

He will be 38 years old next season. That being said, at the age of 40, teams are desperately trying to lure Marc-Andre Fleury out of retirement. Although an older goaltender may not be ideal, someone of his talent caliber – especially in the playoffs – will certainly attract attention if the Panthers can’t secure an extension.

There are still games left for the Hurricanes and Anderson has started to regain some steam since the Olympics. He can still go to the heater and leave Carolina to destroy the prints on the old inkjet in order to get another contract.

However, should Andersen not get an extension, the Hurricanes will still have a good tandem in Bussey and Pyotr Kochetkov, who have both been good for Carolina.

But both of them are still quite young in their careers.

Kochetkov has the most NHL experience of the two, having played 125 games, which is still a low number. Bussey, meanwhile, will be in only his second NHL season.

Also, considering the frequency of goaltender injuries, it may be beneficial for Carolina to call upon a veteran player when things go wrong.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Never trust a game with matching numbers from the Brainrot meme…

In the Carolina Hurricanes’ 67th game of the season, they suffered a blowout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, defeating them 5–1 in the first half of the Hurricanes’ back-to-back Metropolitan Division sets. Nicolas Deslauriers dropped the gloves with Mathieu Ollivier, Seth Jarvis was a blood-thirsty threat who couldn’t stay out of the box, Jakob Slavin ate a puck, and I’m still confused over the decision to allow a goal that was clear goaltender interference… just wait until you hear what the refs told Rod Brind’Amour about it.

The Hurricanes came out of the gate strong on Tuesday evening, but when Jarvis took a double minor to high-sticking Zach Werenski before five minutes were played, the momentum quickly shifted in the Blue Jackets’ direction. The wildest part, this wasn’t even the only double minor for a stick violation by Jarvis, as he did the same to Connor Garland later in the third period, albeit…a little worse. Garland went down the tunnel, leaving behind the red color of the snow.

He has already accumulated 13 penalty minutes since ending his ‘good guy streak’ in the last game.

By the time the second period started, the Blue Jackets were already ahead by two goals, and the Hurricanes were having nothing for them. And so, in classic Enforcer fashion, DesLauriers got down to business at the start of his storm as he dropped the gloves with the Blue Jacket’s famous bruiser. As usual, after the fight, he would definitely give Olivier a helmet tap – his signature show of respect.

He did his job well, giving Carolina enough spark to score Andrei Svechnikov and cut Columbus’ lead in half. However, the Hurricanes could only do so much in the scoring department.

Just refs talking refs stuff

With just over two and a half minutes remaining in the second frame, one of the most confusing events in recent sports occurred. Brandon Bussey was behind the net intent on clearing the puck when Danton Heinen came speeding up, and without thinking pushed his right skate into the back of the goaltender’s left skate, causing him to slip. Alexander Nikishin managed to block Charlie Coyle’s shot on the empty net, but Heinen came up and dumped the loose puck in, while Bussey attempted to jump in front and intercept it from next to the crease.

This was one of the clearest examples of goaltender interference – a penalty in the worst case, and a goal disallowed in the best case.

Rod Brind’Amour was unhappy when the call was not made and told the referee everything. Later, he spoke to FanDuel Sports Network’s rinkside reporter Hannah Yates about the incident, explaining that the referee had told him Bussey had dived.

Given Henen’s speed and movement and Bussey’s reaction, I’m honestly not sure how they came to this conclusion. Additionally, it is very easy for goalies to fall after making contact with the skate due to the boot being much shorter than a standard skater’s boot (which comes well above the ankle), thus providing significantly less support.

Alas, the goal stood and play continued.

In the third frame, Slavin was caught defending a two-on-one situation, going down to the ice to block a shot. Sadly, that obstacle was due to her face. Bleeding, he walked to the bench to get help and was able to stay in the game.

The Hurricanes travel to Lenovo Center on Wednesday night to face the Pittsburgh Penguins, who will have Evgeni Malkin back in the lineup.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

What is the reason why the St. Louis Blues goaltenders recently had some of their best games of the season against the Carolina Hurricanes?

The Hurricanes lost 3-1 against the Blues, a game that got off to a hot start…but ended quickly. Carolina led in almost every nightly statistic. They outshot them 32-17, defended them with 12 blocked shots versus nine, and even had a better hold on the puck with 11 giveaways versus 16.

However, the second and third periods lacked the same urgency and effectiveness as the first frame. Mark Jankowski was the only scorer for the Hurricanes, scoring his seventh goal of the season (in highlight reel-worthy fashion) just before half of the first period was played.

The Hurricanes looked great in the first twenty minutes, but struggled to keep the fire burning defensively and offensively for the next forty minutes.

Jimmy Snuggerud scored with a shot between the legs of Jakob Slavin, who also served as a screen for Brandon Bussey, and tied the game.

In the third period, with just under five minutes left to play, Snuggerud scored his second goal of the game after the puck bounced off Jalen Chatfield’s stick.

Moments later, with the net empty, Seth Jarvis’ pass was intercepted by Alexey Toropchenko, who passed it to Jack Finley, who sent it past goal scorer Pavel Buchnevich to seal the game 3–1.

difference maker

Storm’s downfall was not a complete loss of generation. In fact, they created 29 scoring chances and 15 high-danger scoring chances, compared to the Blues’ 16 and three. Instead, the collapse was caused by the efficient play of Jordan Binnington, who sparked his team with big saves and kept those flames burning with consistent stops. This appeared to be the 32-year-old veteran’s best performance of the season, as he posted a save percentage of .969 (his best non-shutout save percentage of the season) and made 31 saves.

silver linings

Brandon Bussey played brilliantly. Both goals scored on him were particularly difficult shots, one of which came from behind his own man’s screen – and through his skates – and the other managed to slip between pad and arm, stopping almost as soon as it was sealed.

However, one important difference was their persistence. In his last game, he struggled with this, which ultimately cost him a goal. In Thursday’s game, he made stretch passes down the ice, found teammates’ tape amid high-pressure situations and cleared the puck brilliantly. Sometimes goalkeepers may have off-days for certain aspects of the game, but this did not linger in their minds for their next start.

As for another look at the game, Logan Stankoven’s line operated as a true second line against the Blues, with Stankoven himself logging 16:30 of ice time. Typically, Jordan Staal’s line is given those heavy minutes, but the Tech third line was buzzing and definitely earned its minutes.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

When Shayne Gostisbeer got injured against the Edmonton Oilers, a different issue arose besides the fact of losing their most aggressive defenceman.

Once again, they had lost a key contributor to their power play in a top unit quarterback.

However, it appeared that this time, the Carolina Hurricanes coaching staff tried something new, as they added Gostisbehere’s linemate, Alexander Nikishin, to the top power play unit as a quarterback.

The change comes as Nikishin’s defensive play has stepped up significantly in recent games, and it was nice to see the 24-year-old rookie given an extra level of responsibility – even if experimental.

Nikishin achieved a lot in the top unit

In Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he handled things decently. Of course, there were some issues here and there that he wants to improve on, but this was a welcome contribution overall, if only to give him additional experience on the defensive, play-making side of power play forechecking.

And it worked in the Hurricanes’ favor on the scoresheet. With the top unit on the two-man advantage, Nikishin blasted a spectacular snap shot on a brilliant play – a goal that gave the Hurricanes a chance to breathe, and ultimately the all-important goal to pull them through sixty minutes as the Penguins pushed back and sent them to overtime.

Additionally, the goal also put him in the Hurricanes history books, as with his ninth goal of the season, he passed Justin Faulk for most goals by a rookie defenseman. The franchise record had remained untouched since it was set in the 2011–12 season.

In their words (with some help)

After the game, Nikishin talked about his experience on the top power play unit with the help of fellow-Russian Andrei Svechnikov, who served as a translator.

“He said we put all the power play mistakes on him,” Svechnikov said after the game, helping his Russian teammate.

“So, he’s a little bit crazy.”

They discussed things a bit more, as Nikishin provided a detailed answer to the question.

“He said, obviously, it’s a joke,” he clarified through Svechnikov. “But it feels good, you know, playing on the power play first, and you have to expect everything, because all the passes can come from anywhere and you just have to anticipate and focus there.”

Nikishin also talked about the record broken with a power play goal.

“Apparently, it pleases him,” Svechnikov said. “Just making history, it’s special, and he’ll never forget it.”

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes won…somehow…and Alexander Nikishin almost completed Gordie Howe’s hat trick.

Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first of three meetings in March, the Hurricanes were nearly overpowered by a lack of discipline and some honestly questionable calls in the game, which certainly created some playoff-style energy.

Logan Stankoven opened the match with a goal eight minutes into the match, but Nikolaj Ehlers was injured shortly after in a tangle with Erik Karlsson in the corner boards. Thankfully, he returned at the beginning of the second frame and played the rest of the game.

Less than 20 seconds after Ehlers’ injury, Anthony Mantha tied the game with less than a minute remaining in the first period.

As the second period began, so did the onslaught of penalties.

The Hurricanes spent eight minutes in the box, six of which were in favor of the Penguins. The third penalty – drawn when William Carrier closed his hands on the puck – resulted in a power play goal by Bryan Rust, giving Pittsburgh the lead.

However, the fourth penalty was taken by Alexander Nikishin, who also drew a penalty on Noel Acciari after he pulled the Penguins winger into a duel while his teams dunked it in the melee. However, this resulted in equally harsh punishments as they more or less stuck to each other.

Eric Robinson tried to stuff the puck and it led to a nice scrum
Alexander Nikishin tried to go at it with Noel Acciari, but it didn’t lead to a full fight, just a little skirmish
Divisional rivalry, playoff style hockey is already heating up and I’m here for it… pic.twitter.com/RsqZwFjOFN

– Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) 11 March 2026

Things got wild in the third period

In the third period, the Hurricanes finally got control of their game and kept a clean frame, with Mark Jankowski tying the game and Seth Jarvis giving them the go-ahead goal.

This time, the Penguins kept the penalty box bench hot, and even gave the Hurricanes a pair of two-man advantages.

Nikishin was able to convert a very well executed back-and-forth play to tie the special teams goals and give the Hurricanes a two-goal lead. If the feud with Accieri had been more than any foul, Nikishin would have got a Gordie Howe hat-trick. This wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten close to someone this season, and I’d be surprised if it’s the last.

However, with more than two minutes left in the game, the arena DJ saw fit to play the Hurricanes’ celebration song, ‘Sweet Caroline’, which is usually played in the final seconds of a sure-win game.

And can you guess what happened? Acciari and Rust tied the game while Stuart Skinner hit the bench.

And then came overtime

Overtime began, which saw Jakob Slavin enter the penalty box after barely a slash on the stick of Anthony Mantha. However, that apparently wasn’t an issue as Mantha then beat goaltender Frederik Andersen.

Despite some back-and-forth attempts, no goal could be scored after which a shootout took place.

Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov and Jackson Blake went for the Hurricanes, while Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov and Anthony Mantha did so for the Penguins. Svechnikov and Blake were both able to find the twine, but Kindel was the only penguin to have such luck.

The Hurricanes won the game 5–4, but would see them again the following Wednesday.

Frederik Andersen had a little help distracting him straight from the Mushroom Kingdom in the shootout 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Bs6860KPVy

– Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) 11 March 2026

Special teams performed well

Going into the game, the Hurricanes were at a notable disadvantage, as they ranked 11th on the power play (22.5%) and 14th on the penalty kill (79.4%), while the Penguins ranked sixth on the power play (25.3%) and second on the penalty kill (84.4%). Additionally, they were without their usual power play quarterback Shayne Gostisbeer, who missed his second consecutive game due to a lower body injury.

Still, he had four notable runs shorthanded, and killed four of five penalties while scoring on one of five power plays.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Carolina Hurricanes took a conservative route at the NHL trade deadline, opting to forego a major trade and instead upped the toughness factor with the acquisition of big bruiser, Nick Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers.

After the deadline, Tulsky spoke to the media on a variety of topics related to the day’s events, from what he saw in Deslauriers to the always-controversial second center role plan and everything in between.

What does Nick Deslauriers bring to the table

Tulsky began the press conference by discussing the latest addition to the storm.

“Nick is a veteran. He’s a physical presence. He’s a guy who has great character, does things the right way, makes the team tough to play against, and just generally adds the kind of character and toughness that we wanted to bring to the group.”

He later spoke about the doggedness Deslauriers brought to the team as well as the tenacity he already possessed.

“Ultimately, a lot of the toughness is personal and internal, right? ‘Am I going to take it, or not? That’s what toughness is for me – it’s not really ‘Do I have someone else to take care of it’. And I think we have a group of people who have that internal toughness, that’s the fight.

“Stankoven is the smallest guy in the world, and when he felt like that needed to happen, he grabbed guys and started fighting, right? So, it looks like we have that fire, but of course, it’s easier to maintain that toughness when you have a guy like Deslauriers. When it feels like games are getting more intense, and that can be useful for people, that’s something we wanted to explore.”

Comfortable with current center staff

A lingering dilemma for the Hurricanes has been their second centerman role, an issue that came to the fore following Trocheck’s departure in 2022. Addressing questions about the rumored attempt to reunite with the former Hurricane, Tulsky confirmed his feelings about Logan Stankoven’s performance at the position.

“I think Logan has been great in that role,” he said before giving a list of reasons why. “I know there’s a lot of people out there that look at the point total and worry about it. Seriously, at five-on-five, he produced at a high rate.

“We have three of the top 40 centers in the league in five-on-five production. And the fact that he’s not on our first power play unit has nothing to do with how good he is as a center. I think people forget how many nights in October and November that line was our best line. That line has generated a lot of offense this year, and he’s been part of that.

“He’s not the tallest guy, and people worry about that, but he works really hard. He’s extremely competitive. He’s the kind of guy who pulls teammates into battles. Other guys look at it and say, ‘Well, if he can do it, obviously I can. I’m twice the size of him.’ You know, I have no worries about it moving forward.”

Players received calls due to the storm

Although this was expected, Tulski confirmed that he had received calls from players. However, the storm wisely avoided taking out anyone.

“At the end of the day, you know, we’re trying to win a cup here, and it’s going to be hard to take players out…no matter what role they play.

“We anticipate that at some point everyone on this team will be needed. And so, we had some calls, we explored some things, but at the end of the day, you know, we’re trying to win a Cup, and we didn’t want to weaken our team going into the playoffs.”

Deals don’t matter to Hurricanes

Tulsky also talked about his desire to add more high-quality players to help push the team toward the Stanley Cup, but the difficulties the market presented, and his confidence in the team remain the same.

“Obviously, we have a lot of confidence in this roster. We’ve battled through a lot of injuries and are on pace for, I don’t know, 112 points or something – and as we get healthier, we’re getting better. We’re very happy with what we have right now.

“I would say we’re always trying to get better. We’d like to be on pace for 130 points or 150. So it’s not like I’m ever going to say, ‘This team is good enough, we don’t need to add.’

“I know the players are excited to see reinforcements, and I want to do it for them as much as they want to see it. We all want it. Like, nobody is more competitive than us. And, you know, we’re up and down the organization. We’re extremely aggressive in trying to add.

“Ultimately, you know, it’s not about my confidence in him. It’s about the opportunities that were really on the market to make something addition that will make us better. Yeah. I would love to bring somebody in that is, you know, one of those top 20 players and make everybody say we’re one guy closer to being in those top 20 on a team. It wasn’t meant to be that way this year.”

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

In what has become a familiar result, the Vancouver Canucks lost again. This time, it was a 6–4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at Rogers Arena.

The Canucks held the first-period lead for a while. Nevertheless, Nikolaj Ehlers scored a hat trick for Carolina, including an empty-netter with 14 seconds remaining, concluding the victory.

The Hurricanes came out flying and put the pressure on Vancouver almost immediately, with Carolina outscoring the Canucks 12-1 in the first nine minutes. Still, the Canucks answered, at least early on, and for any fans looking for a glimmer of hope, that part matters.

Andrei Svechnikov opened the scoring on a Carolina power play 1:17 into the game, but Marco Rossi tied it on the man advantage at 16:31, and Filip Hronek later scored to put the Canucks up 2–1 before intermission.

Hronek finished with a goal and two assists, while Elias Pettersson added two assists in one of Vancouver’s better offensive nights in weeks.

when things went wrong

It broke in the second period. again.

Sean Walker made it 2-2 at 2:30, Ehlers made it 3-2 at 4:19, and Sebastian Aho pushed it to 4-2 on another quick chance at 11:53.

NHL.com noted that Kevin Lankinen was pulled after allowing four goals on 22 shots, and the switch did not settle things as Ehlers scored on the first shot faced by Nikita Tolopilo for a 5–2 lead less than a minute later.

That explosive sequence was fatal. The Canucks pushed back, but the hole was already deep.

Brock Boeser scored on a 5-on-3 late in the second, then Nils Hoglander made it 5-4 on Pettersson’s one-timer at 6:45 of the third.

For a moment, it looked like the Canucks might steal some of the chaos back. Brandon Bussey made a late save for Carolina, and Ehlers completed a hat trick with an empty-net goal.

A slim bright spot for Canucks fans

The one real positive was the power play. The Canucks scored twice with the man advantage, the first time the Canucks have done so since January 2 against Seattle.

Foote said the group is working on it, and with so many bad nights, an increase in confidence is at least something to point to.

It’s also the second 10-goal Canucks game this season, following a wild 8-5 loss at Florida in November. It’s not exactly the kind of category Canucks fans want to revisit, but it does underline how loose the game has become.

nhl draft lottery update

The Canucks sit at 43 points, and the NHL Draft Lottery conversation is no longer a background topic. It’s front and center now.

The standings changed Wednesday night and St. Louis beat Seattle 3-2, moving the Rangers to 31st with 54 points, while the Canucks remained buried in the high-pick mix.

With the March 7 trade deadline approaching, this matters. Advancing in the playoffs no longer seems realistic, and the conversation has clearly shifted toward what can be built from here.

Did the Carolina Hurricane leave a lucky horseshoe in Raleigh?

The 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks came after a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken, and it certainly wasn’t an easy deal, no matter how much distance in the standings one would try to indicate.

Andrei Svechnikov spent half the game with a plug in the nose after taking a puck in the face, while two goals came off the stick of the Hurricanes’ own defenseman, another due to a rare five-on-three penalty kill, and another after Jakob Slavin was caught without his stick.

However, the Hurricanes still had some luck left.

Although they trailed 2–1 at the end of the first period, they took the lead for the rest of the game as the second frame opened.

Sebastian Aho scored the fourth goal of the game for Carolina and, with it, logged his eighth 60-point season, becoming the fourth Finnish player in NHL history to accomplish this feat.

Nikolaj Ehlers, meanwhile, was up for grabs as he not only scored the game-winning goal, but also notched the seventh NHL hat trick of his career.

Nonetheless, despite some issues in their play, the Hurricanes kept the pressure on the Canucks throughout the game, creating 12 high-danger scoring chances while only allowing three.

A reunion a year in the making

This time last year, Logan Stankoven was a member of the Dallas Stars, preparing for a game in his home province of British Columbia as they had to battle the Canucks on an upcoming road trip. Meanwhile, around 500 family members and friends had tickets to support him from the stands.

Of course, that reunion did not come to fruition, as Stankoven was traded to the Hurricanes at the NHL trade deadline. Instead, his battalion watched him face the Winnipeg Jets from a sports bar across the street from Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

However, it was a different story on Wednesday. The Canucks’ own arena erupted into loud chants of ‘Let’s Go Hurricanes’ as an estimated 150 people came to cheer on Stankoven.

It may have taken them a while to gel, but they’ve certainly got a great show.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

On Saturday morning, the Carolina Hurricanes were on the ice at Invisalign Arena. Since Tuesday – when the league allowed skating to resume after a twelve-day break – the Hurricanes have already held four practices.

Notably, Eric Robinson returned to the yellow non-contact sweater during those practices. However, on Saturday, the Hurricanes’ speedy fourth-line winger ditched the yellow jersey for a San Jose Sharks-esque teal sweater with a ‘Property of Carolina’ crest.

It’s unknown what the teal sweater represents – but it’s not yellow, which is a good sign. After practice, head coach Rod Brind’Amour discussed Robinson’s possible availability for Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“I think he would be a good choice,” he told the media. “I mean, we’re not rushing it. …At this point, it looks like he’s trending toward being ready to go.”

Robinson suffered an upper-body injury on January 19 during a matinee game against the Buffalo Sabres. Early in the game, Rasmus Dahlin threw a high-speed hip-check at him while he was stationary near the Sabers net. As he came back from the ice, he was seen holding his left shoulder and immediately left the game.

His first day back on the ice was Tuesday and he has remained as an extra forward during practice since.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay