News Hurricanes Team Notes

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Alexander Nikishin officially signs Carolina Hurricanes Deal

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

There had been some worries thanks to an agent quote on Friday—but now it’s officially official

Before Game Three on Friday Night in, Canes Nation had been rattled thanks to some tough words by the Russian Agent for Alexander Nikishin. It stirred up a bunch of fears that fans have had with players that have slipped through the team’s fingers.

Re: #RaiseUp Alexander Nikishin's Russian agent speaks about CAR not signing him yet and what may happen if they don't. pic.twitter.com/retNbFc02d

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) April 25, 2025​

The timing of the post was like tossing a hand grenade into a fan base clustered around the hope that a new franchise defenseman was just a few games away from appearing on the ice. What was going on?

A little later in the day, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman appear to tamp down the furor by getting word from Nikishin’s representation in North America.

From Ryan Barnes, Nikishin’s North American-based representative: “We have been working with Carolina on Alexander’s status. Our Russian partners are simply excited to see Alexander play for the Hurricanes and so are we.” pic.twitter.com/i6deiNuJwO

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 25, 2025​

It turns out, there was a simple explanation for the Canes not signing Nikishin to his deal: the AHL playoffs. Due to the timing of the end of the KHL season plus how long it took Nikishin to get to North America, if he actually signed his NHL deal he would be ineligible to play in the AHL.

I was wondering why we were still talking about AHL games for Nikishin. The moment he signs an NHL contract, he’s ineligible for the AHL playoffs, because player had to be on an AHL roster like the Friday after the trade deadline to be eligible. That doesn’t apply to players on a PTO/ATO.

— Tom Edwards (@mrworkrate.com) 2025-04-23T17:21:35.766Z

So as Tom points out here, the Canes had missed the deadline to get him on the roster before the AHL playoffs began but that rule wouldn’t apply if he signed a professional or amateur tryout contract to play specifically for the Wolves. Understandably, everyone involved had been hoping that Nikishin would get some games in Chicago, so they didn’t want to preclude him from doing so. However, the Wolves’ first series was simply a best of three with a short turnaround, so the timing to get him over there and to sign one of those deals was presumably a little too short to have him there in time.

Unfortunately for Chicago, their season ended on Friday Night thanks to a 5-0 loss to the Rockford Ice Hogs, and so the chances for Nikishin to play with the Canes’ minor league affiliate evaporated as soon as the final horn sounded.

Thus, around 24 hours after the furor had started with the words from the Russian agent, it was put to bed officially by the team:

The #Canes have officially registered an NHL contract for defenseman Alexander Nikishin, making him eligible to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Eric Tulsky: “We had agreed with his agents to keep the options open for Alex to potentially play a game in Chicago at some point.… pic.twitter.com/m8Krs2t9Zw

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) April 26, 2025​

Looking backwards it seems pretty clear how this all played out. Ryan Barnes’ quote to Friedman on Friday was about the most polite “hey shut up” to his Russian counterpart he could release, and the fact the team didn’t feel the need to say anything before the game meant that this side of the pond was all on the same page. Tulsky seemed to affirm that with his statement today about “agreeing with his agents.”

The miscommunication likely stems from the Russian side not having a full understanding of the intricacies of the NHL CBA. It also didn’t help that one player on SKA had been able to get into games with Montreal while Nikishin still sat on the sidelines. They also don’t understand the different situation Montreal and Carolina are in, but logic would dictate that the Canes weren’t going to go through the trouble they did of brining the Russian over unless they intended to sign him. Remember, they had to negotiate with SKA to get Nikishin sent over early, and you don’t do that unless your intent is to get the contract signed.

Either way, Nikishin is now officially part of the Carolina roster, continuing to practice with the team, and now that the season is over for Chicago, look for a fleet of Wolves to make their way up to the main club so that they can practice with the team. Don’t expect Nikishin on the ice this season unless there’s an injury to one of the defensemen, and even then it’s likely Rod Brind’Amour would go with someone like Scott Morrow first.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...hin-officially-signs-carolina-hurricanes-deal

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes 5, Devils 2

Getty Images

They had to dig deep, but the Carolina Hurricanes got the job done in Newark on Sunday.

After an effort that head coach Rod Brind’Amour found lackluster in a double overtime Game 3 loss, the Carolina Hurricanes returned to form on Sunday in Game 4 against the New Jersey Devils.

An Andrei Svechnikov hat trick and a strong all-around team game led the Hurricanes to a 5-2 victory and a commanding 3-1 lead in the first round series.

The first shift of the game went New Jersey’s way, but after that it was all Carolina for a while.

Andrei Svechnikov finally broke through against Jacob Markstrom with a well-placed writer to make it 1-0.

Shortly thereafter, Jaccob Slavin made one of the plays of the year when he batted down a clearing attempt by former teammate Stefan Noesen, danced around him, and beat Markstrom from a difficult angle to push the visiting team’s edge to two.

New Jersey took a penalty with about 30 seconds left in the first, and a 2-0 lead quickly grew to 3-0 early in the second when Svechnikov deflected one home off a feed from Seth Jarvis for Carolina’s third power play goal in the last two games.

Devils captain Nico Hischier answered with his third of the series to make it 3-1, but Carolina still had the game under control.

That was until Timo Meier barreled into Frederik Andersen, knocking the Carolina net minder into the net and out of the game with an injury.

The play was reviewed for a penalty, but the referees determined it did not meet the standard for a major, which was the only call they could make on review since they did not call a minor as the play happened.

Pyotr Kochetkov came in, and he quickly surrendered a 3-2 goal to Meier, who turned and fired from a bad angle on the wall.

The Devils had all the momentum heading into third, but they struggled in the final frame to make Kochetkov come up with tough saves.

The Hurricanes got a gift late in the third when Markstrom erroneously went out to play a puck, ultimately turning it back over to the Hurricanes.

The Swedish netminder then dropped a shot that was in his glove, and Jordan Martinook shoved the rebound home.

The Devils then pulled Markstrom for the extra attacker, and Svechnikov found the twine for a hat trick and a 5-2 lead.

The two teams will now travel back to Raleigh for Game 4 at the Lenovo Center on Tuesday night, which is set for a 7:30 PM puck drop.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...hurricanes-3-new-jersey-devils-2-nhl-playoffs

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Devils - Round 1, Game 4 - Preview and Game Thread

NHLI vis Getty Images

Carolina looks to bounce back after a disappointing double OT loss to New Jersey in Game 3.

The Carolina Hurricanes have the opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead over the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Sunday afternoon when the puck drops for Game 4 at 3:30.

Friday night’s Game 3 was a letdown for the Hurricanes that saw the Devils claw their way back into the series.

New Jersey was the better team for most of the game, but power play goals by Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis forced overtime before New Jersey rookie Simon Nemec buried a winner in double overtime.

Goalie Frederik Andersen was phenomenal on Friday as he has been in each of the first three games of this series, but he’s faced a heavy workload, and the short turnaround time between Friday night and Sunday afternoon could make it best for Andersen to take the day off.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour will address the media at 1:00 PM, at which point we should know more about any possible lineup changes.

One possible situation to watch beyond the first appearance for Pyotr Kochetkov in this playoff run could be Mark Jankowski coming in for Jack Roslovic.

Jankowski’s defensive presence could help better manage the matchups on the road, and Roslovic had a rough night on Friday, getting beat by Nemec on the zone entry of the game-winning goal.

There’s also the remote possibility that Alexander Nikishin could make his NHL debut after officially signing an NHL contract Saturday, but that seems far less likely.

On New Jersey’s side of things, Johnathan Kovacevic left Friday’s game after the first period, leaving head coach Sheldon Keefe down another defensemen with Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon already sidelined.

The return of Jonas Siegenthaler on Friday helped the situation for the Devils, but if Hughes, Dillon and Kovacevic all can’t go, Dennis Cholowski could draw back in on the back end.

---

Here’s how to check out the action:

• Time: 3:30 PM ET
• Location: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ.
• TV: FanDuel Sports Network South with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Hanna Yates, in-game reporter; Shane Willis, analyst OR TNT.
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan
• Line: ML: CAR -180; PL: CAR -1.5 +154

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...new-jersey-devils-game-4-preview-nhl-playoffs

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Devils @ Hurricanes- Round 1, Game 5 - Preview and Game Thread

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 27: Pyotr Kochetkov #52 of the Carolina Hurricanes tends net against the New Jersey Devils in Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 27, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Canes look to wrap up series tonight

The Carolina Hurricanes will once again take on the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center. Game time is at 7:30 P.M.

The game will be televised locally by the FanDuel Sports Network.

The Hurricanes lead this series 3-1 and could close things out with a win tonight.

Andrei Svechnikov (4G 1A) and Sebastian Aho (1G 4A) are leading the way for the home team.

On the other side, Shayne Gostisbehere, (1G 1A) Jaccob Slavin,(1G 1A) and Brent Burns (1G 1A) have two points each to lead the blueline.

Currently, the Carolina goaltending duo has compiled among the best stats in the postseason. Pyotr Kochetkov has a .933 save percentage while Fred Andersen is sporting a 3-1, record with a .936 save percentage.

I would look for Kochetkov to start tonight, but if Andersen is cleared to play after leaving Sunday’s game with an injury, there is a chance he might play. Nothing official has been announced up to the posting of this article.

Coach Rod Brind’Amour mixed up his lines a bit prior to the last game. Will he keep the lines the same, or mix them some more?

Svechnikov - Aho - Blake

Jarvis - Kotkaniemi - Hall

Martinook - Staal - Carrier

Stankoven - Jankowski - Robinson

Will Jankowski stay in or will Roslovic draw back in?

The Devils are led by Nico Hischier, (3G 0A), Jesper Bratt, (1G 2A), and Timo Meier, (1G 2A).

Jacob Markstrom has a save percentage of .913.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...icanes-round-1-game-5-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes 5, Devils 4 - 2OT

James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Canes eliminate the Devils, advance to Round Two

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils in double overtime to advance to the Eastern Conference Second Round. As in 2023, the Canes eliminated the Devils from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five games.

If you tuned out after the first period, that would not have been the expected result.

The first period looked like a Tuesday night in December rather than a home playoff game with a chance to eliminate the opponent.

Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov was not settled in the net, allowing rebounds and making unnecessary movements.

The Carolina defense did not do him any favors, as New Jersey got behind the defenders and screened the shooting lanes.

The Devils scored just 3:46 into the game. Jesper Bratt was left unimpeded as he parked in front of Kochetkov. New Jersey crashed the crease, and the puck found the back of the net, floating over a sprawling Kochetkov.

Just two minutes later, Timo Meier scored from the high slot off a pass from Brett Pesce. Once again, Kochetkov was drifting, and a streaking Devil was perfectly timed to screen the Canes goalie.

The awful start continued with a Stefan Noesen goal at the halfway point of the period.

Andrei Svechnikov was the Hurricanes’ best player that period, tallying five of Carolina’s nine shots.

Carolina was down 3-0 after one, and captain Jordan Staal said it plainly during the intermission:

They came out at a playoff level and we did not and it looked like that.

Whatever happened in the locker room worked because the Canes came out on fire in the second.

Less than two minutes into the second stanza, Logan Stankoven’s one-timer snuck through Jacob Markstrom’s legs, and Taylor Hall punched it past the goal line.

The Canes kept pushing. Jackson Blake used the net as a pick and snapped one on the short side to beat Markstrom.

One of the best players on the ice all night equalized the score. Dmitry Orlov got the puck to Svechnikov in the high slot and fired a wrister that went under Markstrom’s arms.

Carolina climbed out of a three-goal deficit to tie the game, and did so on three shots on goal.

It was not a tied game for long, however. Nico Hischier was left all alone as he was streaking through the faceoff circle, sniping a wrister that beat Kochetkov blocker-side.

Sebastian Aho became a man-possessed halfway through the second and was dominant the rest of the evening.

Aho and the Canes took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play to tie the game. Aho buried a one-time slap shot off a beautiful feed from Seth Jarvis.

All square at four each entering the third period.

For most of the third period, and essentially all of the overtime periods, it was Markstrom versus the Hurricanes.

The big Swede goalie kept the Devils in the game. Carolina outshot New Jersey 34-12 in the third and overtime periods, and Markstrom made several highlight reel goals to preserve the tie.

The first overtime was a masterclass in possession by the Hurricanes in what can only be described as one of the best periods a team can play without scoring a goal.

After failing to score in the first overtime, Canes fans were nervous as Carolina has lost seven straight multi-overtime games.

Aho would have none of it.

Aho had all five of the Hurricanes’ shots in the second overtime. Shot number 53 for the team was the game winner. In what seemed like one of the hardest shots ever seen by Aho, he took advantage of another Devils penalty to send them back to New Jersey.

Although not the easiest or most direct route, the Canes took care of business at home to advance to the second round.

Rod Brind’Amour became the first coach in NHL history to win at least one Stanley Cup Playoffs series in each of the first seven seasons as head coach.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who left the ice bleeding during the second overtime due to a high stick, returned for the postgame handshake line.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Aho G: 2 | A: 1 | P: 3
2. Jackson Blake G: 1 | A: 0 | P: 1
3. Shayne Gostisbehere G: 0 | A: 2 | P: 2

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...-jersey-devils-4-2ot-nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes Sign Taylor Hall for Three Years

Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images

Hall signs for total of $9.5 million over a three year period

The Carolina Hurricanes got their man on Wednesday when they announced the signing of newly acquired, Taylor Hall.

According to Eric Tulsky, they had been working on the deal almost since day one. (When he was acquired).

Hall has fit in very well with the systems here and has proven he still has gas in the tank. He also has said in various interviews that he was tired of moving around and was ready to settle someplace.

The amount agreed to was a total of $9.5 million over three years.

For more details, check out this report put out by “Puckpedia”.

https://puckpedia.com/player/taylor-hall?68129e64e6d76

The Canes held a press conference via zoom. Check that out next.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/dmc1...4&rlkey=ztxfnfgxg7vp58un7di485jbi&st=0efbyp90

In other news, the Canes recalled Jaaska, Morrow, and Smith from Chicago. Here is the team’s press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 30, 2025

‘CANES RECALL JAASKA, MORROW AND SMITH FROM CHICAGO

Players have appeared in a combined 165 career regular-season NHL games

RALEIGH, NC – Eric Tulsky, General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has recalled forward Juha Jaaska as well as defensemen Scott Morrow and Ty Smith from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Jaaska, 27, who made his NHL debut on Jan. 2 at Florida, registered 0-4-4 in 18 regular-season games with the Hurricanes in 2024-25. The Helsinki, Finland native recorded 33 points (12g, 21a) in 53 games with the Wolves in 2024-25 to rank fifth on the club in points. Jaaska totaled 30 points (10g, 20a) in 57 Liiga (Finland) games with HIFK in 2023-24, while serving as an alternate captain. He tallied 142 points (51g, 91a) in 310 career Liiga games over nine seasons, all with HIFK. The 6’0”, 210-pound forward also recorded 22 points (11g, 11a) in 55 career Liiga postseason games and tallied four points (1g, 3a) in 14 career Champions Hockey League games with HIFK. Jaaska represented his home country at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship, winning gold, as well as the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2024 IIHF World Championship.



Morrow, 22, who made his season debut with the Hurricanes on Feb. 4 at Winnipeg, appeared in 14 regular-season games with the club in 2024-25. He posted 39 points (13g, 26a) in 52 games with the Chicago Wolves this season to rank tied for third in assists and fourth in points and goals (tied) on the club. He appeared in two games with the Hurricanes in 2023-24, making his NHL debut on April 12 at St. Louis. The blueliner spent the majority of last season with UMass, registering 30 points (6g, 24a) in 37 collegiate games to rank third in scoring among Hockey East defensemen and earn conference Third-Team All-Star honors. The 6’2”, 210-pound defenseman tallied 94 points (28g, 66a) in 109 games over three seasons at UMass. The Darien, Conn., native was selected by the Hurricanes in the second round, 40th overall, of the 2021 NHL Draft and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the club on April 2, 2024.

Smith, 25, who made his Hurricanes debut on Dec. 28, registered two points (1g, 1a) in eight regular-season games with the club in 2024-25. He also posted 28 points (5g, 23a) with a plus-4 rating in 36 games with the Wolves this season to rank tied for fifth in assists on the club. The Lloydminster, Alb, native spent the 2023-24 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, totaling 43 points (9g, 34a) in 63 games played. Originally selected by New Jersey in the first round, 17th overall, at the 2018 NHL Draft, he has appeared in 131 career NHL games with New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Carolina, earning 49 points (9g, 40a) and totaling 52 penalty minutes.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5/1/24421471/hurricanes-sign-taylor-hall-for-three-years

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Frederik Andersen signs one year contract extension for Hurricanes

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Andersen has been sharp in the playoffs before injury

It turns out the Hurricanes weren’t done trying to extend players. Fresh off of the Taylor Hall contract extension, the Hurricanes announced on Saturday that they had reached an agreement on a one year contract extension for goalie Frederik Andersen.

The deal acknowledges that Andersen has had trouble staying healthy during his Hurricanes tenure. The base number is for $2.75 million—a drop from his current $3.4 million per year that he signed back in 2023—however he has the ability to earn another $750,000 to bring it slightly above his current deal thanks to games played incentives. If Andersen play 35 games or more, he’ll earn $250,000. A 40 game or more played season gets him another $250,000. Finally, if the Canes reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2026 and he plays at least half of the games, he’ll get the additional $250,000.

Andersen has had a good tenure in Carolina but pot marked with several long injury stints. He has missed a large chunk of the last two seasons due to various ailments—blood clots in 2023-24, and knee surgery this year. He had been stellar in his playoff appearances this season—posting three wins, a 1.59 GAA and .936 save percentage. However he took a hard hit during game four of the series against the New Jersey Devils, knocking him out of that game and the series clinching game five.

That injury apparently is not serious enough to keep Andersen out of the net for the upcoming series against the Washington Capitals, however. When the team reported back to the ice for practice on Friday, Andersen was back in net and the starter’s crease. With the series now not starting until Tuesday, there should be little doubt as to who will start on Tuesday night in Washington, DC.

With this obvious injury history, the deal comes as a bit of a surprise at first. However, all one has to do is look at the free agent class this summer and realize that when Andersen is the one topping the list, there weren’t a lot of great options out there for improvement. It doesn’t help that the player the Canes were hoping would take Andersen’s place as the primary goalie—Pyotr Kochetkov—has been inconsistent and is currently in a downward swing since he allowed seven goals to the LA Kings back in March. His last two appearances have been his career in a microcosm—a bad goal or three that will put the team in a bad position, and then all of a sudden nothing can get by him.

This season was the year the Hurricanes were hoping that Kochetkov would show that he would seize the reins and Carolina could go in a different direction. However, he’s still not ready so the Hurricanes chose to go ahead and make sure they had some certainty in net for the start of free agency.

With this move it’s possible the Canes could make a trade for a goalie, with the two years at $2 million per left for Kochetkov as part of a move for any team looking to off load an expensive but quality goalie. General Manager Eric Tulsky can also kick the can down one more season and hope that all Kochetkov needs is one more offseason while exploring younger options to develop in the minor leagues.

The extension also means the Canes are down to seven unrestricted free agents as of July 1: Jack Roslovic, Eric Robinson, Tyson Jost, Dmitry Orlov, Brent Burns, Riley Stilman, and Jesper Fast. Only Skyler Brind’Amour and Domenick Fensore are restricted free agents.

This still leaves the Canes in excellent position for the offseason, as they have approximately $29 million of cap space left and very few holes to fill. Between the cap space and the draft picks picked up from Dallas as part of the Mikko Rantanen deal, there’s room for Tulsky to make some big moves once this season is done.

In the meantime, two big pieces of this season—Hall and Andersen—can attack the playoffs with the knowledge that they will still be in Raleigh as of October, 2025.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5...ns-one-year-contract-extension-for-hurricanes

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals Series Schedule Dates Set

Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images

There are potentially two Saturdays in Raleighwood

The Carolina Hurricanes wrapped up their series on Tuesday, and the Washington Capitals have been done since Wednesday. Both have been waiting for word of when their series would start and what the dates of the games would be. Finally, at long last, we have...most of it.

Our Round 2 schedule is here

Details » https://t.co/lL5CaQawa6 pic.twitter.com/lXv7oYxV8o

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 4, 2025​

In list form it’s as follows:

• Game 1: Tuesday, May 6 @ 7 p.m. (Washington, DC—Capital One Arena)—ESPN
• Game 2: Thursday, May 8 @ 7 p.m. (Washington, DC—Capital One Arena)—ESPN
• Game 3: Saturday, May 10 @ TBA. (Raleigh, NC—Lenovo Center)—TV TBA
• Game 4: Monday, May 12 @ TBA. (Raleigh, NC—Lenovo Center)—TV TBA
• Game 5: Thursday May 15 @ TBD (Washington, DC—Capital One Arena)—TV TBA*
• Game 6: Saturday, May 17 @ TBD (Raleigh, NC—Lenovo Center)—TV TBA*
• Game 7: Monday, May 19 @ TBD @ TBD (Washington, DC—Capital One Arena)—TV TBA*

*Games 5, 6, and 7 if needed

The NHL says the complete schedule will be confirmed once the Game 7 of the Saint Louis Blues versus the Winnipeg Jets concludes on Sunday. Face off for that game is scheduled for 7 PM Eastern.

The schedule had been of much speculation as Lenovo Center has a jam-packed week coming up. Comedian Shane Gillis performs on Friday Night before Game 3, and Game 4 comes in between two Pearl Jam shows. Some felt that there would be some hesitancy to try and tear down and rebuild a stage for the rock group, however it’s now clear in setting up the dates for the show a stipulation was that there had to be one day in between to allow for a hockey game. It also likely means the ice isn’t going to be in great shape for either game, but that’s also just a fact of life for hockey in Raleigh this time of year.

One thing the Canes did luck out on was the schedule breaking in a way that there would be two potential games in Raleigh on a Saturday—guaranteeing a crowd that will be tailgating well before hand and have no trouble dealing with traffic getting into the arena like what was seen during the first round with two weeknight games, one of which started at 6 PM. The unknown, of course, is going to be the times, as it’s clear that the NHL has one set of times in mind if Winnipeg wins and moves on to play Dallas, and another if it’s the Blues.

Also note the TV listings, as from this point forward the games will no longer appear on either regional sports network. ESPN and TNT Sports have exclusive rights to the broadcasts until the Stanley Cup Final, with the Final appearing on TNT this year, and with there being potential that this series will be the only one featuring two teams from the United States plus the star power of Alex Ovechkin, expect to see both networks’ top teams calling the action. For anyone that may want a different voice, Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy will be calling the game for the Hurricanes Radio Network. They will be able to streamed via 99.9 the Fan in Raleigh or via the NHL app.

We now have the dates, we know when and where this series will start, all that’s left is to drop the puck.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5...washington-capitals-series-schedule-dates-set

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Canes Country Playoff Pick’em, Round 2

Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Get your picks in for round two here

Round one is done and now it is time to submit your selections for round two. There are some interesting matchups here!

I forgot to mention previously how the points are earned. We will continue Brian’s earlier formula.

R1: one point for the correct winner, five bonus points for the correct winner and length (potential for 48 points)

R2: two points, five bonus points (potential for 28 points)

R3: four points, five bonus points (potential for 18 points)

SCF: eight points, five bonus points (potential for 13 points)

So the most you can possibly get, if you get every series exactly right, is 107 points, but the winner usually has around 60-65 or so.

Please submit your predictions in the following format. This will make it easier to enter the information.

TOR vs FLA - Winner (# of games)

WSH vs CAR - Winner (# of games)

WPG vs DAL - Winner (# of games)

VGK vs EDM - Winner (# of games)

Here are the results so far, in order of leaders as well as alphabetically. If you see anything you want to have checked or have any questions, please leave them in the comments. I will leave this open for just over 24 hours and will close it at 6 P.M. tomorrow, Tuesday May 6th.

Will you be able to tell who wins the Toronto/Florida series by seeing the results of game one? We will see!

Once again, a big thank you to Bambamcanefan for his help!!

bambamcanefan 26

HootiePepper 26

Canes-n-Bacon 25

DavioParker 25

reggie101 22

Samboliniboygenie 22

JaffMan 21

McAteer 21

TarryT22 21

JBihlStaal11 20

naykm 20

CaniacK9 19

Ecupirate07 19

CanesENC 17

D-ball65 17

Foba_Bett 17

Caniac1997 16

eburges1 16

Holiday_Canes 16

Ice_pack 16

Illiniman75 16

Justafansorry 16

LGCanes321 16

Ronnie Franchise 16

Take-Warning! 16

CaniacJeffy14 15

HurricaneWhaler 15

Madbaximus 15

Markmcnc 15

SCarolinaCanesFan 15

Teewig 15

The Night King 15

The Tick 14

UsedPuckBag 14

campbesc 12

formersaint 12

CanesHockeyFan 11

RoxboroCaniac 11

b.axeman 10

Cavedwellers127 10

HurricaneSirPurr13 10

mburgess00 10

Raleigh Icecap 10

Panthers59 9

Bigfist 8

dlee27701 8

M.Evans19 8

trailerparkromeo 8

Goldy Shuffle 6

CoastalCane 5

prplmnkydw 4

ptblespaul 4

Wolfpack_Caniac 4

Alphabetically

b.axeman 10

bambamcanefan 26

Bigfist 8

campbesc 12

Canes-n-Bacon 25

CanesENC 17

CanesHockeyFan 11

Caniac1997 16

CaniacJeffy14 15

CaniacK9 19

Cavedwellers127 10

CoastalCane 5

D-ball65 17

DavioParker 25

dlee27701 8

eburges1 16

Ecupirate07 19

Foba_Bett 17

formersaint 12

Goldy Shuffle 6

Holiday_Canes 16

HootiePepper 26

HurricaneSirPurr13 10

HurricaneWhaler 15

Ice_pack 16

Illiniman75 16

JaffMan 21

JBihlStaal11 20

Justafansorry 16

LGCanes321 16

M.Evans19 8

Madbaximus 15

Markmcnc 15

mburgess00 10

McAteer 21

naykm 20

Panthers59 9

prplmnkydw 4

ptblespaul 4

Raleigh Icecap 10

reggie101 22

Ronnie Franchise 16

RoxboroCaniac 11

Samboliniboygenie 22

SCarolinaCanesFan 15

Take-Warning! 16

TarryT22 21

Teewig 15

The Night King 15

The Tick 14

trailerparkromeo 8

UsedPuckBag 14

Wolfpack_Caniac 4

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5/5/24424137/canes-country-playoff-pickem-round-2

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Capitals- Game 1, Round 2- Preview and Game Thread

Photo by Jess Rapfogel/NHLI via Getty Images

Both teams will be looking to start things off well in game one.

The Carolina Hurricanes are visiting the nation’s capital as they take on the Washington Capitals tonight in game one of their round two series. Game time is 7 P.M. and it will be televised by our friends at ESPN.

Both of these teams made fast work of their opponents in round one and have been off the last week, give or take a day.

The Hurricanes announced yesterday that they would not have a morning skate today. The lines from yesterday’s practice were as follows:

(Thanks to Walt Ruff)

Svechnikov - Aho - Blake

Hall - Kotkaniemi - Stankoven

Martinook - Staal - Jarvis

Robinson - Jankowski - Carrier

Slavin - Burns

Orlov - Chatfield

Gostisbehere - Walker

It looks like Fred Andersen will be back in net.

Tom Gulitti posted the lines for Washington:

No changes for Capitals at practice today:

Beauvillier-Strome-Ovechkin
McMichael-Dubois-Wilson
Mangiapane-Eller-Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Protas
Frank, Raddysh

Chychrun-Carlson
Sandin-Roy
Alexeyev-TvR
McIlrath-Bear

Thompson
Lindgren
Gibson

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) May 5, 2025​

The Capitals earned the second most points in the NHL and celebrated a great regular season as Alexander Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record.

They earned 111 points regular season compared to 99 for the Canes.

The Caps scored 288 goals and allowed 232.

The Canes scored 266 and allowed 233.

“The Warning Take” posted the following stat comparisons on the “X”.

5 on 5 Matchups with the current projected lines.

This will probably be the last time you see this format, I've come up with something better I hope to implement before Game 2 pic.twitter.com/cyXauVjEsr

— The Warning Take (@TheWarningTake) May 6, 2025​

The team’s official preview is next.

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/preview-round-2-game-1-vs-wsh

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5...pitals-game-1-round-2-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes 2, Capitals 1 - OT

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: Logan Thompson #48 of the Washington Capitals lets in a goal by Logan Stankoven #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes as Taylor Hall #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates during the third period in Game One of the Second Round in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on May 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. | Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Canes play their game and come out on top in game one.

The Carolina Hurricanes dominated much of the game and finally came out on top as they defeated the Washington Capitals, 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday night in Washington.

How badly did they dominate the Caps? The following graphic tells much of the story.

Hurricanes hockey. Tons of zone time and shot volume - Slavin wins it with a point shot in overtime. pic.twitter.com/0kKO09GCqN

— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) May 7, 2025​

But even though they controlled the game, they still could have easily lost. While they took shot after shot after shot, they had a lot of trouble generating quality scoring chances.

The home team was able to get behind the Carolina defense a couple of times, but Fred Andersen was equal to the task all but once, during a 2 on 1 advantage in the second period.

The Canes entered the third in a precarious position, losing 1-0 after controlling much of the game.

Enter, Logan Stankoven.

The rookie took a nice pass from Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who was in a battle for the puck, and he made no mistake finally beating goalie, Logan Thompson.

The Canes had a great chance at the end of the game with a powerplay opportunity, but could get nothing going.

Next came overtime. Jaccob Slavin sent a puck toward the net and it found a way to get past Thompson for the game-winner, just three minutes into the extra period.

Jordan Staal and Seth Jarvis were both screening the goalie to help out on the play.

Carolina players hit the post or crossbar numerous times, so things could have been much worse for the Caps.

Here is another graphic.

Played our game pic.twitter.com/tpBKVSlxXz

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 7, 2025​

Not only did they control possession, the Canes came out with a physical edge and outhit the Caps, 44-31.

Carrier led the way with seven while Svechnikov and Aho had six and five, respectively.

The Hurricanes will have an optional day on Wednesday and will try to be ready for game two on Thursday night.

(note- Mark Jankowski left the game early. There was no update about his status but Brind’Amour said post game that he did not think it was serious.)

Game Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/GS030221.HTM

Event Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/ES030221.HTM

Team’s Recap - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-slavins-ot-strike-pushes-canes-past-caps

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5/6/24425263/hurricanes-2-capitals-1-ot

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Capitals- Round 2, Game 2- Preview and Game Thread

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 6: Jaccob Slavin #74 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates a game-winning goat in the overtime period of Game One of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on May 6, 2025 in Washington, D.C. | Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images

Canes look to make it two wins in a row versus Caps

The Carolina Hurricanes will look to take a 2-0 lead in their round two series against the Washington Capitals tonight. Game time is 7 P.M. and the game will be televised by ESPN.

The Canes will most likely stick with their current forward lineup although Mark Jankowski is a game time decision. If he cannot go, look for Jack Roslovic to slot back in that spot.

Svechnikov - Aho - Blake

Hall - Kotkaniemi - Stankoven

Martinook - Staal - Jarvis

Robinson - Jankowski(Roslovic) - Carrier

The defense will be as usual and Andersen will return to net.

There was an optional practice yesterday and no morning skate this morning as Rod Brind’Amour is looking to rest his team as much as possible.

Obviously, the Capitals will be a different team when they hit the ice tonight. In one reported move, it looks like Raddysh will be in for Leonard, who has looked good this postseason.

If Raddysh is indeed in for Leonard, that would appear to be the only personnel change based on the morning skate. #ALLCAPS https://t.co/kACD5sqHjN

— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) May 8, 2025​

Washington’s preview with quotes is here-

https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/caps-seek-game-2-turnaround

Carolina’s is here-

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/preview-round-2-game-2-at-wsh

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5...pitals-round-2-game-2-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Capitals 3, Hurricanes 1

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 8: Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals finishes a high check in the second period of Game Two of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes at Capital One Arena on May 8, 2025 in Washington, D.C. | Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images

Caps even series

The Carolina Hurricanes tried, but could not duplicate the results from their game one as they lost game two to the Washington Capitals, 3-1 on Thursday night.

They return home to Carolina for the next two games in the series.

Once again, they started out with a barrage of shots, but could not score during the first two periods.

It is not easy to play from behind, no matter how many shots you generate and the Canes have done that both games this series.

The first goal by the Caps was on a breakaway after a “fluke” bounce.

The next goal broke up Carolina’s perfect penalty kill for the postseason.

The good news is that Shayne Gostisbehere scored a powerplay goal when a loose puck bounced out to him, to make it 2-1.

The Canes could not tie things up though as Tom Wilson put the game away with an empty-netter.

Wilson enjoyed a charmed life in this game as at one point he tackled Svechnikov with no call, then launched himself at the Russian later in the game, (see photo), again with no penalty.

The Hurricanes generated 28 shots on goal and released a total of 86 shots for the game.

The Caps in turn had 21 shots on goal and 50 total shots.

The Canes will look to turn things around and look for more than just shots on goal on Saturday.

Carolina’s recap with quotes - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-canes-late-surge-stymied-in-game-2

Game Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/GS030222.HTM

Event Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/ES030222.HTM

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5/8/24426629/capitals-3-hurricanes-1

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Game Preview: Round 2, Game 3 vs. Washington

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Canes return to Raleigh for Game 3.

As the lower seed, the Carolina Hurricanes' task was to get a road victory early in the series to flip the schedule in their favor.

The Canes did so, and with a 1-1 series tie, the Eastern Conference Second Round is now a best-of-five sprint with Carolina holding home ice advantage.

Under head coach Rod Brind’Amour, Carolina is one of the toughest teams to play at home. The Canes tied for the most home victories in the NHL this season and have won all three home postseason games.

Interestingly enough, Washington was one of the best road teams this season. The Capitals had 25 road victories during the regular season, good for the second-best in the league. The Caps split the two road games in Montreal during the first round.

There are three keys to watch during tonight’s game.

A reason why Brind’Amour’s Canes are so tough at home is taking advantage of the last change and adjusting for the right matchups.

During Game Two, Carolina was caught on their heels several times in the neutral zone and in transition. Combined with spending too much time in the defensive zone, the Hurricanes found themselves playing from behind in the second period.

Part of that was matchups, and part was just execution.

Brind’Amour is not shy when shuffling lines, and this is something that might be done tonight. Keep an eye on the right wingers, as Seth Jarvis and William Carrier are most likely to shift during the game.

A second key is offensive zone possession. This was the biggest difference between Games One and Two. During the second period of Game Two, Washington started to sustain offensive pressure.

Even with the improvement in Game Two, the Capitals remain at the bottom of all playoff teams with a Corsi of 40.8 percent. The Hurricanes are the best at 59.7 percent.

Based on regular season figures, the Canes spend about two to three more minutes in the offensive zone at home compared to on the road. If Carolina can get the Game One meat grinder turning again, it could be another long evening for Washington.

And once again, special teams are back in focus.

Carolina gave up its first power play goal of the playoffs during Game Two, ending a streak of 19 straight kills to start the postseason. The Canes’ defenders lost John Carlson, who snuck below the dots for an easy one-timer.

The first two power plays for the Hurricanes in Game Two were not great. Fearing a regression, Shayne Gostisbehere’s power play goal in the third period eased the worry of the Caniacs. It was not a set play, but retaining possession and a willingness to shoot the puck led to an opportune rebound.

For the visiting team, the power play is the great equalizer on the road. Tonight, shutting down the Washington power play is a must. The Canes cannot let the Caps’ man advantage gain confidence and momentum.

---

Expect Frederik Andersen and Logan Thompson between the pipes tonight.

For Washington, the only expected lineup change is Charlie Lindgren returning as backup goalie.

For Carolina, Mark Jankowski will be a game-time decision. No other lineup changes are expected.

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Capitals projected lineup

• Alex Ovechkin — Dylan Strome — Aliaksei Protas
• Connor McMichael — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Tom Wilson
• Andrew Mangiapane — Lars Eller — Taylor Raddysh
• Brandon Duhaime — Nic Dowd — Anthony Beauvillier
• Jakob Chychrun — John Carlson
• Rasmus Sandin — Matt Roy
• Alex Alexeyev — Trevor van Riemsdyk
• Logan Thompson
• Charlie Lindgren

Scratched: Ryan Leonard, Ethen Frank, Dylan McIlrath, Ethan Bear, Mitchell Gibson

Injured: Martin Fehervary (lower body), Sonny Milano (upper body)

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Hurricanes projected lineup

• Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Jackson Blake
• Taylor Hall — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Logan Stankoven
• Jordan Martinook — Jordan Staal — Seth Jarvis
• Eric Robinson — Jack Roslovic — William Carrier
• Jaccob Slavin — Brent Burns
• Dmitry Orlov — Jalen Chatfield
• Shayne Gostisbehere — Sean Walker
• Frederik Andersen
• Pyotr Kochetkov

Injured: Mark Jankowski (undisclosed)

Scratched: Tyson Jost, Riley Stillman, Juha Jaaska, Scott Morrow, Ty Smith, Alexander Nikishin, Spencer Martin

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For those attending tonight’s game, the parking lots open at 1:00 PM.

The South Plaza Party starts at 3:30 PM, and the doors open at 4:30 PM.

Back in our house pic.twitter.com/BbRH2KUbnZ

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 10, 2025​

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Here’s how to check out the action:

• Time: 6:00 PM ET
• Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
• TV: TNT, truTV, Max; SN, TVAS
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst.
• Line: ML: CAR -205; PL: CAR -1.5 +136

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/5...-carolina-hurricanes-nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs