RSS Hurricanes Team Notes

[Carolina Hurricanes]

To Trade Or Not To Trade, That Is The Question

Nov 1, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) warms up before a game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The NHL Trade Deadline is fast approaching and now that the Olympic trade freeze is over, look for all kinds of rumors and inuendo to explode around hockey social media for the next several days. Yes, even more so than usual.

If NHL General Managers want to try to improve their respective teams, they have until 3 P.M. on March 6 to do so. But they should be careful, there are no guarantees that a trade will actually improve your team.

In Carolina, GM Eric Tulsky and his crew have the responsibility to make that decision.

After seven consecutive playoffs and eventual disappointments, many media“experts” feel that the Hurricanes need to upgrade in order to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Some upgrades were made over the offseason. The addition of Nikolaj Ehlers certainly is an improvement from last season.

The Canes also signed K’Andre Miller and while he is still acclimating to the Carolina system, he is mostly an improvement over Dmitri Orlov from last year.

Is Alexander Nikishin an upgrade over Brent Burns?

Rod Brind’Amour would say no but the eye test doesn’t look that bad as well as some stats. Nikishin certainly has more points on the powerplay (two goals and four assists so far) than Burns did last year (zero goals and three assists) and has more hits, (Burns 11, Niki 100 so far) and he is still learning.

That should also be counted as a position that was upgraded for the playoffs.

Last postseason, the injury to Jalen Chatfield hurt the team. They were forced to play Scott Morrow and a brand new Nikishin in some high pressure situations. The signing of an experienced Mike Reilly should be adequate insurance for this possibility, this time around. (At least better than last year).

Last but not least, newly signed goalie Brandon Bussi is setting NHL records seemingly every time he takes the ice. That position looks like it has been upgraded, at this point. But we all know goaltending can be fickle.

So the argument could be made that the team has improved enough to be successful in the postseason just by the changes they have made so far.

But, are those changes enough to get over the hump in the rough and tumble playoffs?

One position many are looking at is the center position.

Logan Stankoven was moved to center this season and there have been mixed results. He still needs work on his faceoffs, for sure. (44.4%) But let’s take a look at some of his other stats.

So far this season in 57 games, he has 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points. (.44 points per game)

Previous to this season in 78 games he scored 14 goals and had 24 assists. (.49 points per game).

For his first NHL season playing the center position, his production has not dropped off too much and should improve. Stankoven did play center often in the Juniors so it is not totally a foreign concept to him.

Still, there is a valid argument to be made that the Canes could improve there, if they really wanted to.

Experienced centers like, Vincent Trochek, Ryan O’Reilly, Nazem Kadri, Elias Pettersson, Robert Thomas, and Mika Zibanejad are all rumored to be available. But at what cost?

There are other forwards that could also help the team.

Carolina officials do not seem excited about the chance to make adjustments at this point. Of course the front office is always looking to improve the team and they could fool everyone with a big move at any time. The Rantanen deal from last season came out of nowhere.

The team seems involved in almost every major trade rumor out there.

But Tulsky himself noted that (he was happy with this group) in a recent interview.

And why not?

The Hurricanes are tied for first in the East with the Lightning with 78 points. (The Bolts have two games in hand). They have an eight point lead in their division. They are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games.

The team has been fighting adversity much of the season primarily as Slavin has been out more than he has been in.

There is also an argument to be made that the players who have have gotten you to this point, deserve the chance to take it to the next level.

That is why I think that if there is a deal to be made, it will not include any of the top nine or ten forwards.

There is also an argument to be made that the coaching staff’s system needs to be changed to be more successful in the playoffs, more so than the players. But that is a discussion for another day!

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...to-trade-or-not-to-trade-that-is-the-question

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes hold off Lightning, 5-4, in first game back after Olympics

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 26: Seth Jarvis #24 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his goal during the second period of a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Lenovo Center on February 26, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-4, on Thursday night in their first game back following the Olympics.

Despite giving up an early three goal lead, the Canes power play was the difference, with Sebastian Aho netting the game winner with 12 minutes left. Carolina has now won nine of its last 11 games and is tied with the Lightning for the most points in the Eastern Conference at 80.

Nikolaj Ehlers got the Lenovo Center rocking early on with his 15th goal of the season less than two minutes into the game. K’Andre Miller tallied the assist on the great cross-ice find.

A Lightning turnover in the neutral zone led to a 2-on-1 where Logan Stankoven found the back of the net on a pass from Taylor Hall just a minute later to give the Canes a 2-0 lead less than four minutes in.

The big first period continued when Jackson Blake made a nifty move to feed Hall for a tap-in at the 6:41 mark. Less than seven minutes in, the Canes were firing on offense with a 3-0 advantage.

Tampa Bay cut the deficit to two on a rip from Brandon Hagel from the circle with a little over three minutes left in the first period.

It didn’t take long for the Lightning strike again. This time, Nikita Kucherov showed off his patience before finding the top corner of the net past Brandon Bussi. In 35 seconds, Tampa Bay cut Carolina’s three goal lead to a 3-2 one.

After a quick start to the second period, the Lightning tied up the game when Jake Guentzel found Dominic James a little less than two minutes in.

The Canes quickly took the lead back on a great backhand pass from Andrei Svechnikov, who found Seth Jarvis in the slot for the game’s seventh goal.

Carolina faltered towards the end of the period again, allowing a power play goal by Brayden Point with under six minutes to go, tying the game 4-4.

When it looked like the scoring stopped for a moment in the third period, Aho went bardown on the power play to give the Canes a 5-4 lead with a little over 12 minutes left in the game.

For the rest of the third period, the Lightning were kept off the scoreboard to give the Canes the big win over one of the top contenders in the East.

The Canes will host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at 7 pm, looking to extend their point streak to 12 games.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...ghtning-5-4-in-first-game-back-after-olympics

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Game Preview and Thread: Hurricanes vs Lightning

TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 20: Brayden Point #21 of the Tampa Bay Lightning against Jackson Blake #53 of the Carolina Hurricanes at Benchmark International Arena on December 20, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Hurricanes hockey is back. After a three week Olympic hiatus, the Carolina Hurricanes (36-15-6) host the Tampa Bay Lightning (38-14-4) tonight at 7 pm.

Carolina had three players bring home medals: Jaccob Slavin won gold with the United States, Seth Jarvis won silver with Canada, and Sebastian Aho won bronze with Finland. All three will suit up tonight head coach Rod Brind’Amour said, reported by Walt Ruff.

Getting back to regular season NHL hockey, it’s a battle of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference tonight, as both the Canes and Lightning lead their respective divisions.

It won’t be an easy first game back to say the least for the Canes. Before the break, Tampa Bay was the hottest team in the league, winning their last five and 19 of their last 21 games. They picked up right where they left off last night, with a 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The last time these two teams played was on Dec. 20, where the Lightning won 6-4. That game snapped a three-game losing streak for Tampa Bay and jump started the run that they have been on.

The Lightning currently have the second best odds to win the Stanley Cup according to FanDuel, followed by the Canes at third.

While injuries have hurt both teams this season, the lineups are healthy for the most part heading into the matchup.

Tampa Bay is led by winger Nikita Kucherov, whose 94 points in 52 games is good for second in the NHL. Kucherov is also tied for the most assists in the league this year with 64.

Joining him on the Lightning’s forward group is former Cane Jake Guentzel, who has tallied 26 goals and 34 assists in 56 games.

On the backend, Tampa Bay has Darren Raddysh, who has the sixth most points amongst defenseman this season with 52. Star defenseman Victor Hedman, who has only played 22 games this year due to injury, is back in the lineup.

Brandon Bussi will get the nod in net for the Canes tonight. He has posted a 23-3-1 record to go along with a 2.16 GAA and .906 save percentage this year.

It’s a tough matchup right out of the break, but these are the types of games the Canes need to win down the stretch to prove they have what it takes come playoff time. So look out for a potentially close one tonight.

Here’s how to catch the action:

Time: 7 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network App/ESPN+

Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Odds: Hurricanes -150 Moneyline, Hurricanes -1.5 at +156

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/caroli...me-preview-and-thread-hurricanes-vs-lightning

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Taking Stock of the Canes’ Possible Playoff Opponents

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 1: William Carrier #28 of the Carolina Hurricanes handles the puck during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at Lenovo Center on January 1, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes have defeated their first playoff opponent in each of their seven seasons in which Rod Brind’Amour has been behind the bench.

The quality of those teams has been a mixed bag. In 2019, they slayed a behemoth in the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. In 2022, they knocked off a 107-point Boston Bruins team in a seven-game thriller.

More recently, they’ve gotten quality draws to start their bids for the Stanley Cup. Last year, it was a banged up New Jersey Devils group without Jack Hughes and some key defensemen that never stood much of a chance. The prior two seasons, it was very pedestrian New York Islanders squads.

With seven straight years with a playoff series won, the Hurricanes are tied with the Islanders dynasties of the early 1980s for the third-longest such streak. They’re two away from catching the Broad Street Bully-era Flyers, and three away from tying two different iterations of the Montreal Canadiens for the longest streak in NHL history.

If Carolina wants to run that stretch to eight this spring, it’s going to have to defeat a better team than it has the past few first rounds.

Here’s a look at the candidates the Canes could face in mid-April, where they stand, and what could make them a challenging matchup.

Montreal Canadiens​

If the season ended today and went by raw points and not points percentage, this would be the matchup. It’s an interesting one.

Comparing just the skaters, Montreal is close on paper. The top line of Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield is up there with any in the league.

Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson provide oodles of offense from the back end, and Ivan Demidov is living up to the hype with 47 points in 58 games in his rookie season.

They’re not just top heavy, either. Oliver Kapanen is a quality young forward in a depth role, and when healthy, they have capable size and defensive ability with a bit of scoring touch littered all over their bottom six.

There’s one big problem though. Montreal’s goalies can not stop a beach ball. Jakub Dobes is rocking a .892 save percentage, and incumbent starter Sam Montembeault is having a nightmare season at a .874. Rookie Jacob Fowler has been solid with a .904 in his 10 appearances, but it’s hard to see this franchise turning the crease over to a rookie in such a high-leverage playoff opportunity for this emerging, young team.

The time for being happy just to be there was last year when the Capitals handled them in five. There are expectations this time. If the Habs add a goalie at the deadline, look out. Otherwise, Carolina would likely be able to survive a team with that as a major issue.

Buffalo Sabres​

No. No, no, no. No thank you. That is what I say to the idea of drawing the Buffalo Sabres in a playoff series.

Are the Hurricanes better? Definitely. Should they win on paper? Certainly.

But there is something about these teams coming off of extended playoff droughts finally getting their chance in the dance that puts out some major team-of-destiny energy.

The Sabres have been absent from the Stanley Cup Playoffs since all the way back in 2011. That drought is the longest in the league by far, and it’s even longer than the one the 2019 Hurricanes snapped.

Do you remember how excited you were to have playoff hockey back in Raleigh in 2019? Do you remember the home ice advantage the fans created in that first-round series against a superior Capitals squad?

That’s what facing off with Buffalo invites. A talented team with a nothing-to-lose mentality with a rabid fan base ready to make life miserable for an opponent.

That’s to say nothing of this very talented roster led by Olympic gold medalist Tage Thompson and Swedish star Rasmus Dahlin on the back end. This defense is way deeper than you’d expect. Mattias Samuelsson has taken massive steps forward, and Bowen Byram has improved. Michael Kesselring needs to get healthy, but you throw him into the mix with the other three and then add former first overall pick Owen Power? Loaded.

Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn and Peyton Krebs add quality young-ish depth up front to go with veterans Alex Tech and Jason Zucker.

Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are finally providing strong goaltending, as well.

Boston Bruins​

If the Sabres are a surprise because they’re overcoming their recent history, the Bruins are a surprise because they’re delivering better results than the talent on the roster suggests they should be capable of.

David Pastrnak is of course the star up front, but old friend Morgan Geekie has broken out as a bonafide top-end goalscorer, and fellow old friend Elias Lindholm has bounced back from a disastrous effort last season to provide some level of competency down the middle.

Center is still the weak point in Boston, though, as goalie Jeremy Swayman is back into form this season, and Charlie McAvoy leads a solid, even if unspectacular, unit on the backend.

While a glance at the roster suggests a ho-hum team, the emergence of entertaining young players like Fraser Minten, Alex Steeves and Marat Khusnutdinov have exponentially increased the watchability of these Bruins compared to their counterparts last year.

This is another team on this list against whom the Hurricanes would be favored, maybe even pretty comfortably, but it’s another roster that if it gets hot for a couple weeks could present some big issues.

Detroit Red Wings​

This is an interesting one. Detroit checks all the boxes for a worthy playoff team. They’ve got star players at center in Dylan Larkin and defense in Moritz Seider.

They also have a pair of impactful wingers in Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond at the top of their lineup.

John Gibson provides solid play between the pipes, and they’ve already shown to be a challenging matchup for the Hurricanes in the regular season.

Simon Edvinsson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka provide strong upside on defense, but the forward depth is a possible issue here in a playoff series.

The Wings, like every team in the top half of the Atlantic, have been playing incredible hockey for a while now. If the Hurricanes face one of these Atlantic teams, it could look comparable to that 107-point 2022 Bruins squad that finished fourth in the division.

Washington Capitals​

After a shockingly strong regular season that saw them claim the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in 2024-25, many predicted a fall back to earth for the Capitals.

Not many were brave enough to peg them as a team outside the playoffs entirely, but that’s where they sit right now. A big win over Vegas on Friday helps their chances, but they’re two points behind a Bruins team that has three games in hand on them for the second wild card spot at the time of this writing.

But if the Capitals were overrated last year when the Canes sent them home with relative ease in the second round, they’re underrated this season.

Logan Thompson is still the sort of goalie who can steal a series. They still have the sort of physical, defensive buy-in from most of their forwards that translates well to the spring. Jakob Chychrun, Alex Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas provide valuable finishing ability.

The lack of elite talent up front will hold this team back, but with all the other ingredients, Washington is not a first-round matchup I’d be clamoring for personally.

New York Islanders​

This is certainly not your grandfather’s New York Islanders, but it’s definitely not your New York Islanders either.

Sure, Patrick Roy is still the coach, and they’re still largely dependent upon goaltender Ilya Sorokin turning in elite performances on a regular basis, but there’s something different about this team from the past iterations the Canes have easily sent home in the spring.

It’s largely about Matthew Schaefer, the jaw-droppingly good rookie defenseman who has taken the league by storm as he waltzes to the Calder Trophy.

He’s a minute-munching blue liner who skates like the wind and has a finishing touch that would put many quality top-six forwards to shame. He recently broke the record for most goals by an 18-year-old defenseman.

Throw in a quality one-two punch down the middle consisting of Bo Horvat and a newly healthy Mathew Barzal, and while the Isles need more time in the oven to be a real contender, they have a much higher ceiling than they have in recent years.

They’re 33-21-5, currently third in the Metro, and it would require a really strong push from Washington for the Islanders to fall into the wild card mix. If it happens, Carolina would be favored, but write this Islanders squad off at your own peril.

Columbus Blue Jackets​

I’m not going to devote a ton of time to the Jackets here. They’re currently six points out of the playoffs, but they could still get in.

They’ve turned a corner since hiring Rick Bowness as their head coach following the dismissal of Dean Evason, but a loss to Boston in their first game back from the break poured some cold water on their hopes.

Zach Werenski is having another Norris-caliber season, and forwards like Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov and Adam Fantilli provide some young upside to go with strong veteran contributions from Charlie Coyle, but there’s not much of note beyond those key core pieces.

Young goalie Jet Greaves and his .910 save percentage is surely the most intimidating thing about this team in a playoff matchup in terms of who could single-handedly steal a series for this team.

If Columbus gets in, it means they went on a run that would make them hot enough to be concerning, but this is as close as it would get for the Canes to what they’ve drawn in the past few years.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/genera...es-possible-playoff-opponents-nhl-stanley-cup

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes rout Red Wings 5-2 for fifth straight win

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 28: Jackson Blake #53 of the Carolina Hurricanes reacts to his goal during the third period against the Detroit Red Wings at Lenovo Center on February 28, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

For 59 minutes, the Carolina Hurricanes completely outclassed the Detroit Red Wings, a quality playoff team in the Eastern Conference, on their way to a 5-2 victory at the Lenovo Center on Saturday night.

Shayne Gostisbehere turned in a three-point night while Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake stayed hot as the Canes ran their point streak to 12 games and winning streak to 5 behind a quality performance between the pipes from Frederik Andersen.

Hall got the scoring started with his 14th goal of the season in the first period. After blocking a Detroit shot sent the puck into the neutral zone, Hall won a foot race to earn a breakaway in on veteran goalie Cam Talbot. Hall unfurled a slick move, beating Talbot to the far side on the forehand to make it 1-0.

In the dying moments of the first, Sebastian Aho struck for his 22nd of the year when a pass he intended for Seth Jarvis went in off the stick of Red Wing defenseman Simon Edvinsson to take a two-goal lead into the break.

Eric Robinson made it 3-0 with his first goal since returning from injury with a hard-fought tally in front of Talbot.

The one minute the Hurricanes didn’t have a claim to dominating came at the end of the second, and it threw the game’s result into question. Edvinsson ripped a perfect shot off the bar and in behind Andersen to make it 3-1, and then Patrick Kane added his ninth of the season to get back within one.

The Wings weren’t able to transfer that momentum into the third, as Andersen made a couple big stops before Gostisbehere restored Carolina’s multi-goal lead on a give-and-go with Blake.

Blake got in on the scoring himself a few minutes later when he looked off Logan Stankoven on a 2-on-1 to wire a wrister past Talbot to make it 5-2.

Hall’s three-point night wrapped up with losing some teeth on a high-stick from Edvinsson to give Carolina a four-minute power play that began with just under five minutes left in the contest.

With the win, the Canes bolstered their lead atop the Metropolitan Division standings, as the Pittsburgh Penguins let a point slip away in a shootout loss to the New York Rangers earlier in the day. The Hurricanes now hold a nine-point lead over both the Penguins and New York Islanders.

After coming back from the Olympic break with two wins on home ice, Carolina will hit the road for a four-game trip that will feature a stop in Seattle on Monday night before visits to Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary to occupy the schedule next week.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...-detroit-red-wings-5-2-for-fifth-straight-win

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Red Wings at Hurricanes: How to Watch, Odds and Game Thread

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 10: Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings skates behind the net after the puck with Jaccob Slavin #74 of the Carolina Hurricanes during an NHL game at Little Caesars Arena on March 10, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes will look to extend their point streak to 12 games on Saturday night as they welcome the Detroit Red Wings to the Lenovo Center.

Two of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference by points percentage square off, as both clubs come in having won their first game back from the Olympic break.

The Hurricanes are more or less in cruise control toward their first regular season division championship since the 2022-23 season with an eight-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins with 24 games to the finish line.

Detroit, on the other hand, is working through a gauntlet of an Atlantic Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning lead the way, but the Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres are all looking like quality playoff teams.

While all of those squads look like safe bets to make the playoffs, the jockeying for positioning down the stretch will be one of the most compelling stories in the league.

These two teams played an entertaining game in the Motor City on January 12 when the Hurricanes forced overtime with a late goal before the Wings took the win in overtime on a goal that featured a controversial no-call on a possible interference infraction right in front of the Carolina net.

If this game is anywhere near as compelling as that one, the fans are in for a treat.

Here’s how to check out the action…

Time: 7:00 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network. Mike Maniscalco will handle play-by-play alongside Tripp Tracy doing color. Hanna Yates will provide off-ice reports as well as host pregame starting at 6:00 and postgame that will run for about 30 minutes after the conclusion.

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network App for fans in the Carolinas. Outside of the area, the ESPN app has you covered as they have every out-of-market hockey game available to watch.

Radio: The pregame on 99.9 The Fan starts at 6:30. At 7:00 PM the Hurricanes Radio Nework (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570) picks up the FDSN feed. You can also stream the call on the Hurricanes app.

Odds: Hurricanes -184 Moneyline, Puckline Hurricanes -1.5 (+138)/Red Wings +152 Moneyline, Puckline +1.5 (-2170), O/U 6.5 (+102/-124)

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/genera...-hurricanes-how-to-watch-odds-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Game Preview: Hurricanes put 11-game point streak on the line against Red Wings

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 12: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes tries to get around the stick of Alex DeBrincat #93 of the Detroit Red Wings during the first period at Little Caesars Arena on January 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes face a second consecutive stiff test from an Atlantic Division foe on Saturday night, as the Detroit Red Wings make their way into the Lenovo Center for a 7:00 pm puck drop.

After defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in thrilling fashion in their first game back from the Olympic break on Thursday, the Hurricanes get another possible playoff preview tonight.

After floundering for years under former Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, the Yzerplan has finally started to pay dividends this season for Detroit, which brings a 34-19-6 record to Saturday’s contest.

That’s good enough to have the Red Wings sitting in third place in an extremely competitive Atlantic Division race. Detroit could very feasibly finish anywhere from second in the division to the second wild card spot.

The Wings are led in points by Lucas Raymond with 62. Raymond, who was a sparse bright spot for Team Sweden in Milan, has racked up 19 goals and 43 assists in 57 games.

Alex DeBrincat paces Detroit with 30 goals, while captain Dylan Larkin is right on his heels with 28.

On the back end, the Wings are led by German star Moritz Seider, who has taken a massive leap forward at both ends of the rink this season. His excellent defensive play and strong offensive production (39 points) have put him squarely in the race for the Norris Trophy.

Goalie John Gibson has gone 23-12-2 in the first season of his career outside of Anaheim.

For Carolina’s part, this game presents an opportunity to run their point streak to 12 games. Thursday’s win shortened the runway, but it didn’t give the Canes any more cushion in the Metropolitan, as the Pittsburgh Penguins picked up a win as well.

The Pens have another prime opportunity for two points Saturday as they visit the flailing New York Rangers for a matinee at Madison Square Garden.

Carolina’s Olympians shined in their first game back on Thursday, as Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Nikolaj Ehlers all found the back of the net against Tampa.

With Andrei Svechnikov’s game at a high water mark, and the second line of Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven looking sharp on Thursday, it feels like Rod Brind’Amour’s forward group is finally rounding into peak form.

Brandon Bussi had the net on Thursday, so we could see Frederik Andersen between the pipes for the Canes tonight. It’s more than understandable given the long layoff and the opponent, but Bussi did not have his best game in Carolina’s win over the Bolts.

FanDuel Sports Network will have you covered for the game starting with the pre-game show at 6:30 leading up to puck drop at 7:00;

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/caroli...-hurricanes-detroit-red-wings-february-28-nhl

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Kraken 2, Hurricanes 1

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 02: Ben Meyers #59 of the Seattle Kraken scores a goal against Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena on March 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Streaks were made to be broken and a couple of them were broken late Monday night as the Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Seattle Kraken, 2-1.

The Canes had earned points in 12 straight games up to this night. The team was undefeated with Jaccob Slavin in the lineup up until this game. Both streaks are history now.

The Hurricanes outshot the home team by a 36-15 margin (shots on goal) but could only solve Kraken goalie, Joey Daccord once when Nikolaj Ehlers scored late in the second period.

Give Daccord credit, he looked very good and has now won seven of his last eight starts.

Head Coach, Rod Brind’Amour decided to break up the previously indicated goalie rotation with Brandon Bussi and started Frederik Andersen for the second game in a row.

Andersen allowed two goals on the 15 shots he faced.

The Kraken only had a total of 21 (5v5) shots attempted all game, the lowest amount the Hurricanes have allowed this season.

The 21 5v5 shot attempts allowed is the fewest by a Hurricanes opponent this season, edging the 22 the Panthers had Jan. 16 in Carolina's 9-1 win.

— Cory Lavalette (@corylav) March 3, 2026

The Canes had a total of 71 attempted shots.

The Kraken outhit the Canes, 31-13 and had a couple of solid hits on Seth Jarvis and Eric Robinson which stunned each player.

Next up for Carolina will be a tilt against the reeling Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.

Game Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/GS020957.HTM

Event Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/ES020957.HTM

Highlights-

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-11-carolina-hurricanes-game-recaps/52999/kraken-2-hurricanes-1

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Kraken – Preview and Open Thread

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 10: Joey Daccord #35 of the Seattle Kraken makes a save against Taylor Hall #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center on January 10, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes (38-15-6) begin a four game road trip out west as they take on the Seattle Kraken (28-22-9) at Climate Pledge Arena tonight. Game time is 10 P.M. Eastern.

The Hurricanes are currently the hottest team in the NHL and are sporting a 10-0-2 record in their last 12 games. This is the fourth longest point streak in franchise history.

Rod Brind’Amour recently stated that he would probably rotate goalies the rest of the season. Since Frederik Andersen got the last start, it would seem that Brandon Bussi will get the start tonight.

Bussi has put together an amazing 24-3-1 record.

The Canes are led by Sebastian Aho (22G 37A) who has 59 points in 59 games.

Andrei Svechnikov (21G 30A) is right behind with 51 points.

The Kraken are currently sitting in fourth place in the Pacific Division, good to make the playoffs as of today but they are in a precarious position.

Their 65 points put them just three points ahead of three teams with 62, the Preds, Sharks, and Kings.

Jordan Eberle leads them with 41 points in 57 games.

While the team’s scoring is not among the best, they do have suitable defense and above average goaltending.

Joey Daccord has won six of his last seven starts. (17-13-5, .904 SV%, 2.75GAA)

A very capable Philipp Grubauer shares duties in net. (11-7-3, .914 SV%, 2.50GAA)

This will be a week of late nights for Caniacs so stock up on your caffeine products!

The game will be televised by the FanDuel Sports Network with the usual suspects providing play-by-play and analysis.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...994/hurricanes-kraken-preview-and-open-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Ehlers Nets a Hattie – Hurricanes 6, Canucks 4

VANCOUVER, CANADA - MARCH 4: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a hat trick during the third period of their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on March 4, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes got a hat trick from Nikolaj Ehlers and defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 6-4 on Wednesday night at Rogers Arena.

It was a tight game at the end as Ehlers netted his last goal into an empty net with just 14 seconds left. It was his second hat trick of the season and the seventh of his career.

At times it seemed like the Hurricanes might run away with things as they outshot the home team, 33-22, but Vancouver made it interesting.

After taking the lead early on a powerplay goal by Andrei Svechnikov, the Canucks scored twice before the end of the first period to carry a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

The Canes would come roaring back in the second period and scored four straight goals to pull ahead.

Sean Walker, Ehlers, Sebastian Aho, then Ehlers again provided the offensive push.

Aho’s goal gave him 60 points making him just one of four other Finnish players to score 60 points or more in eight straight seasons. He joins Kurri, Selanne, and Rantanen.

The Canucks scored late in the second and early in the third to make it a one goal game but it stayed that way until near the end.

Brandon Bussi picked up another win giving him a 25-3-1 record. Bussi didn’t look sharp at times but made the saves he needed to when it counted, which he has done often this season. That makes nine wins in a row for the netminder.

Brandon Bussi now the fastest goaltender in NHL history to 25 career wins.

Did it in 29 games.

Teammate Frederik Andersen did it in 33 games.

— Ryan Henkel (@RyanHenkel_) March 5, 2026

The Canes were outhit again, 30-13 with Svechnikov leading the way with four. They won the faceoff battle, 53% to 47%.

This was the last game before the trade deadline. Will Tulsky make a deal? We will have an open thread Friday morning to discuss the deadline.

Game Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/GS020972.HTM

Event Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/ES020972.HTM

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...8/ehlers-nets-a-hattie-hurricanes-6-canucks-4

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Canucks – Preview and Game Thread

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 14: Kevin Lankinen #32 of the Vancouver Canucks blocks a shot during the second period of the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on November 14, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes (38-16-6) continue their road trip with a visit to Vancouver to battle the Canucks (18-35-7) tonight.

This is game two of their four game visit out West.

The Canes point streak was broken in Seattle on Monday night but they still have an admirable 12-1-2 record in their last 15 games.

The Canucks have had a rough season. They are 1-7-2 in their last 10 games and currently sit in last place in the Pacific Division.

Goalie, Fred Andersen has started the last two games for Carolina and it would seem that Brandon Bussi, who has played in just one game since February 5th when he shut out the Rangers, would be due for a start. But who knows?

The Canes are led by Sebastian Aho (59 points) and Andrei Svechnikov (51 points).

The Canucks will be missing defenseman Tyler Myers, who was traded today.

Here is some information from their camp.

"A great leader. A good human… I think he'll leave his mark on this dressing room for a long time."

Head Coach Adam Foote speaks on the Tyler Myers trade, tonight's matchup against the Canes, and more.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/RMpSYsOK15

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 4, 2026

What will the Hurricanes do, if anything? Can they improve their line up or are they all set? There is a lot of discussion regarding that. Time is running short.

It is another late one tonight. Game time is 10 P.M. Eastern.

The FanDuel Sports Network will have the television broadcast.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/caroli...10/hurricanes-canucks-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Trade Deadline Day Open Thread

RALEIGH, NC - SEPTEMBER 19: Television analyst Tripp Tracy, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky and television analyst Shane Willis address Lenovo employees prior to the Lenovo Center sign unveiling press conference on September 19, 2024 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

At last it is March 6 and the final day to make trades for the 2025-26 season has arrived. By 3 P.M. (or shortly afterward), fans will know if the Hurricanes made any changes.

There are still big names out there available but will the Canes make any moves or not?

Eric Tulsky has his annual press conference scheduled at the Lenovo Center for 3 P.M. We will see what he has to say.

In the mean time, there will be plenty to discuss I’m sure.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...analysis/53035/trade-deadline-day-open-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes pull away late defeating Oilers 6-3

EDMONTON, CANADA - MARCH 6: Alexander Nikishin #21, Seth Jarvis #24 and Shayne Gostisbehere #4 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrate a first-period goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the game at Rogers Place on March 6, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Leila Devlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Jackson Blake scored twice, Carolina survived the potent Edmonton Power Play, and the Hurricanes took their second straight on their Pacific Road Trip defeating Connor McDavid and the Oilers 6-3.

It was the first game for Carolina since a quiet deadline day that saw the Hurricanes involved, per reports, in several discussions but ultimately settling to not make a big move at the deadline for the first time since 2023.

The Oilers were able to get on the board first thanks to a misplay by Mark Jankowski, reinserted into the lineup after a night to let Jesperi Kotkaniemi play before the trade deadline. Jankowski had a rush down the ice with Jordan Martinook, however instead of shooting he tried a pass. Connor McDavid was able to get the puck off the muffed pass, and fed a beautiful feed to Zach Hyman. Hyman got between the defense, staked all alone, and flipped the puck past Frederik Anderesen.

However, Carolina didn’t take long to recover. The Hurricanes would score just 37 seconds later—while the arena PA was still reading off the notes of Hyman’s goal—when Rod Brind’Amour sent out the Sebastian Aho line for the bump up shift. Aho and Seth Jarvis drew several Oilers over to the far wall, and when Jarvis started to skate towards the goal they tried to compress on him. He was able to feed a great pass to Shayne Gostisbehere who immediately fired it on net, past a leaning Tristan Jarry to knot the score at one.

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Then 46 seconds after that, the next bump up shift led by the Jordan Stall line got it into the offensive zone again, and some hard work by Jalen Chatfield got the puck over to Nikolaj Ehlers, who blasted it past Jarry for his 20th on the season and a quick 2-1 lead not even 90 seconds after Edmonton put them down 1-0.

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The Canes had to weather the dangerous Edmonton Power Play at the end of the period thanks to a questionable call against Taylor Hall, but they held the Oilers to zero shots on the whole two minutes, and ended the period up 2-1 with an 8-3 shot advantage.

Carolina started the second period quickly, as 1:37 in they were able to get the puck in deep. Ehlers picked up his second point of the night as he feathered a perfect pass over to Jordan Martinook. Martinook wasn’t able to get the full power on his first shot but stuck with it and was able to push a second attempt past Jarry to give Carolina a 3-1 lead.

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It looked like Carolina was firmly in control, but just two minutes later Vasily Podkolzin just willed a goal into existence thanks to some poor play by Sean Walker, bad goal coverage by Andersen, and an insane shot. Edmonton was able to get the puck in deep, but Jackson Blake was able to grab it to try and get it out of the zone. Walker, however, misread where the puck was going and the puck was left where Blake had tried to pass it. Podkolzin closed in on Walker as he tried to recover, got the puck and skated toward Andersen. Alexander Nikishin recovered to push Podkolzin to the side, and Podkolzin put the puck on net from near the goal line. Andersen didn’t close the gap between himself and the post, and the puck found that gab to close the score to 3-2.

Andersen would recover for the rest of the period to keep the score at 3-2, and while the Canes were able to pepper the former Penguin Jarry with 18 shots to only nine by Edmonton, the second ended with the gap the same as the first. One negative from the period was how early on Gostisbehere took a harder check to the boards, left the ice, and didn’t return forcing the the Canes to play with five defensemen for the rest of the game. This was after he took a skate blade to the face in the first before his goal.

Carolina started the third on a power play when officials called a tripping call on Connor McDavid, but the Canes were unsuccessful in it. The ice started to tilt to Edmonton, but then the Logan Stankoven/Taylor Hall/Jackson Blake line struck for the first time since their torrid performance last week. The sequence started with a little luck as the Oilers just missed a goal by hitting a post, and then the Canes were able to rush the puck in the opposite direction. Sebastian Aho sped down the ice drawing a penalty, but the Canes were able to keep possession and set up 6-on-5. Carolina would keep it in the zone for over a minute without an Edmonton skater gaining possession, and eventually Blake would get a great feed by K’Andre Miller, and blast a shot by Jarry to take a 4-2 lead.

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The officials would eventually apologize to McDavid by calling a dubious tripping call on Miller a few minutes later, and the Edmonton Power Play wouldn’t be denied. Hyman would get his second on the night wide open in front of the net to make the score 4-3. From there, though, the Canes would shut down the Oilers. Jarry would leave the net, but eventually Jordan Staal was able to fly out of the zone and take another pass by Miller to pot it into the empty net.

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Edmonton wouldn’t pull Jarry again even though there was about a minute left, however, the Stankoven line went back out on the ice, set up in the zone, and Jackson Blake once again did what he had been told to do more of—shoot the puck. His goal would erase any doubt about this game, setting the final 6-3 score.

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The goal was Blake’s 19th which sets a new bar for a career high in his second full season. Miller also stood strong on a night all five defensemen remaining had to work by getting three points, all on assists, and Jalen Chatfield had one of his strongest games as a Hurricane.

The Canes head to the other part of Alberta for the last game of this road trip Saturday night, facing a Calgary team that waived the white flag and traded Nazem Kadri right at the deadline to Colorado. Brandon Bussi will get the start, what remains to be seen is how severe Gostisbehere’s injury is and how long it might keep him out. As the Canes now are 11 points up on Pittsburgh for the Metropolitan lead, expect the team to be careful with any injury from here on out.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...urricanes-pull-away-late-defeating-oilers-6-3

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Game Preview: Carolina at Calgary

EDMONTON, CANADA - MARCH 6: Sebastian Aho #20 of the Carolina Hurricanes shields the puck from Jack Roslovic #28 of the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of the game at Rogers Place on March 6, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

After defeating Edmonton 6-3 last night, the Carolina Hurricanes travel three hours south to take on Calgary tonight at 10:00 PM ET.

Saturday night’s matchup is a tale of two opposites. The Flames are the second-worst team in the league, while the Hurricanes are tied for the second-best record in the NHL.

Calgary General Manager Craig Conroy has fully committed to a rebuild, offloading veterans and big contracts to stockpile draft capital and prospects.

In January, the Flames sent defenseman Rasmus Andersson to Vegas for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and two defensemen.

Defenseman Mackenzie Weegar was sent to Utah earlier this week for three second-round picks, Olli Maatta, and Jonathan Castagna.

The big trade on Friday was center and leading scorer Nazem Kadri, who rejoined Colorado in exchange for a conditional first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick, Victor Olofsson, and Max Curran.

The two youngsters to keep an eye on are Castagna and Curran. Both are big, left-shot centers who will be critical in Calgary’s rebuild.

Castagna is a two-way center at Cornell and is expected to sign an entry-level contract once the NCAA season is over. This 200-foot player could make his NHL debut near the end of the season and will certainly compete for a roster spot next year.

Curran is a playmaker in the WHL, tallying 14 goals and 27 assists in 31 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings. The young Czech will likely be in juniors for another season.

The Flames have added a stockpile of solid draft picks, which will help build the prospect pool and enable trades for players who can help in the near term.

With these departures, Mikael Backlund is now the Flames’ leading scorer with 13 goals and 22 assists. Matt Coronato leads the team with 14 goals.

Another sore spot for Calgary fans is the injury to Jonathan Huberdeau. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve in late February and is undergoing hip resurfacing surgery to alleviate lingering issues.

In net, 24-year-old Dustin Wolf is taking the bulk of the starter’s workload. Wolf has played 44 games and has a 17-23-3 record. He is backed up by Devin Cooley, who has played 22 games and has a solid 2.27 goals against average and .923 save percentage.

Third-year coach Ryan Huska must completely shift his focus to developing players and executing his system. Huska’s philosophy relies heavily on structural defensive play, aggressive penalty killing, and quick transitions.

But the execution has not completely matched the blueprint.

Despite having the seventh-best penalty kill in the league, the Flames have a -35 goal differential, tied for 30th in the NHL.

The power play is abysmal, ranking second-to-last in the league. The units have been completely revamped, so expect some young forwards to get a shot on the man advantage.

Since the NHL returned from the 2026 Winter Olympics break in late February, the Flames have posted a 1-3-1 record. In these five games, the Flames have managed only eight goals while allowing 16. The lack of an offensive finish over the last four games is part of a larger problem for this team.

Calgary is the lowest-scoring team in the league, tallying 150 goals this season. The team has scored just 98 goals during five-on-five while allowing 125 goals.

When you look at the advanced statistics, the Flames’ season becomes both a little more encouraging and a lot more frustrating.

The Flames had 127 expected goals during five-on-five. That massive gap between their expected and actual goals shows that, while the Flames are generating some decent offensive chances, they severely lack the finishing touch needed to actually put the puck in the net.

The team has a Corsi percentage just over 50 percent, meaning they control the puck a bit more than the opponent during five-on-five.

Looking at expected goals against, it is 132 during five-on-five. Calgary has allowed 125 goals, and when looking at the number of high-danger chances, credit is due to Wolf.

The Flames are a young, retooled team. There is not much for them to gain this season, but putting up a solid effort against one of the best squads in the NHL can help them look to the future with confidence.

---

There are no nights off in the NHL, and the Hurricanes need to finish off this Canadian tour strong.

Brandon Bussi earned his first career shutout against the Flames back in November. With Frederik Andersen earning the win last night, and getting an assist on Jordan Staal’s goal, Bussi is expected to make the start.

Nikolaj Ehlers is the hot Hurricane right now. After his hat trick against Vancouver, Ehlers netted his 20th goal of the season last night.

Jackson Blake netted two third period goals to set a new career high in his sophomore season, and put him one marker away from the 20-goal threshold.

K’Andre Miller had three assists last night, his first three-assist night since February 8, 2023.

Sebastian Aho assisted on Shayne Gostisbehere’s first-period goal last night, putting him one away from 40 assists on the season. With his next apple, Aho will reach the 40-assist plateau for the fourth time in his 10 NHL seasons.

The most concerning news from last night was a lower-body injury to Gostisbehere. He left the game and did not return. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour did not have an update after the game.

Stay tuned for lineup changes, notably Gostisbehere and the fourth-line center.

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Here’s how to check out the action:

• Time: 10:00 PM ET
• Location: Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, AB
• TV: FanDuel Sports Network with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Shane Willis, analyst; Hannah Yates, rinkside.
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan FM
• Line: ML: CAR -192; PL: CAR -1.5 +136

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/caroli...hurricanes-at-calgary-flames-march-7-2026-nhl

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Bussi stickhandling errors cost Carolina, fall to Calgary 5-4

Mar 7, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (24) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images | Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

It felt like for the longest time that the remarkable start of Brandon Bussi was one that was increasingly impossible. While bringing a strong track record of sterling saves, since the Olympic Break he hasn’t looked nearly as stellar. What’s been more concerning is his weakness at handling the puck, and it would play a direct role in the Hurricanes losing to Calgary at the end of their pacific road trip.

The game got off to a quick start for Carolina, as Seth Jarvis would score just 44 seconds into the contest. The Sebastian Aho, Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov started the game off and their fight produced a goal quickly. Calgary was trying to exit the zone but Aho and Svechnikov converged on the puck, forcing a turnover that ended up on the stick of Svechnikov. He feathered a great pass over to Jarvis who immediately put a shot on net past Dustin Wolf.

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With how Calgary sold a lot of their players at the deadline and the quick start for the Hurricanes, you would have thought the rest of the period would have devolved quickly. However, despite each side getting a power play, neither side was able to get another goal. Carolina outshot Calgary nine to six, but a lot of those shots for Calgary came later in the period as the Canes seemed to relax a little and got a little sloppy with the puck.

That sloppiness carried over to start the second and it started in net. Brandon Bussi—who had a good first period—let his puck handling issues come back to bite him early as he mishandled a puck right after the face off. Calgary jumped on it, and Ryan Strome tied up the score at one just nineteen seconds into the period. Just three minutes later, Calgary kept the pressure on and basically out Carolina’d the Canes as Blake Coleman threw a shot in front of the net that Bussi was able to stop but it created a rebound that Joel Farabee was able to slap past Bussi.

Then for good measure, the Hurricanes decided to give Calgary a couple of tries on the Power Play, which they were able to cash in on as Morgan Frost took the face off win by the Flames and got the third one for the home squad. In a matter of seven minutes, the Flames had turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead and were able to hold it through the end of the period. The Flames outshot the Canes 13-7 in the period.

It’s possible that the schedule of four games in five nights on the road had caught up to the team, especially after having to empty the tank to deal with the league’s best duo in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl the night before. It’s also possible that the Canes were struggling with missing Shayne Gostisbehere, who sat out after getting injured the night before. During the pregame, though, coach Rod Brind’Amour seemed to say that it wasn’t serious enough to be out long term.

No matter the reason, the second period was one of the worst the Hurricanes played all season.

The third started just badly, as the puck handling issues were firmly in Bussi’s head. He moved outside his crease to try and push the puck out of zone, but instead he shot it directly to the stick of Joel Farabee. Farabee shot it back to Bussi, who made the stop but gave up a rebound directly to Blake Coleman who potted it to give Calgary a 4-1 lead just 2:24 into the period.

At that point it felt like things were done, but Brind’Amour switched up the lines to see what would happen and despite the bad start, the Canes responded. First, Aho was able to pinch down low and free up the puck onto the stick of Taylor Hall, Hall whipped a pass over to Sean Walker, and Walker was able to wrist it past Wolf to bring the Canes back to 4-2.

That’s a 5-game point streak for Walks pic.twitter.com/QWEdo27knB

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 8, 2026

Just a few seconds later, Calgary was finally called for the off-the-puck action they had been doing all night, giving the Canes their second Power Play and they took advantage. With Alexander Nikishin taking over the defenseman spot for Shayne Gostisbehere, the Canes were able to enter the zone. Jarvis passed the puck over to Aho after making the entry, Aho immediately got it over to Nikishin who slapped it from near the blue line past Wolf to make it 4-3 just three minutes after the Flames had taken a three goal lead.

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The pressure was on the Flames to right the ship, and they were able to hold on while the Canes just didn’t have the juice to be able get the last puck across the net. Joel Farabee made a great play in the defensive zone to fly out and get a breakaway chance against Bussi, which he was able to convert making the score 5-3. The Canes would pull Bussi and get that one back with just eleven seconds left thanks to Andrei Svechnikov recovering a rebound and pounding it home. Unfortunately there just wasn’t enough time left for the Canes to get one more, and they let Calgary celebrate their first win since the trade deadline selloff.

The loss makes Carolina 2-2 on the road trip, but they still end Saturday 10 points up on the Penguins for first place in the Metropolitan. Pittsburgh is set to face the Bruins Sunday before coming to Raleigh for the first of three meetings in the next month.

Aho finished with three points on the night, all assists, while Jarvis also had three points with the goal and two assists.

We’ll see if Bussi can snap out of this funk, as the Canes showed some trust in his ability by not making a move for a goaltender at the deadline. Carolina is back in action in Raleigh for the next two games starting on Tuesday.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...ling-errors-cost-carolina-fall-to-calgary-5-4

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Game Preview and Thread: Hurricanes @ Oilers

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 15: K'Andre Miller #19 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck guarded by Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of the game at the Lenovo Center on November 15, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes (39-16-6) are on the road tonight to take on the Edmonton Oilers (30-24-8) at 9 PM.

The Canes are fresh off a slightly underwhelming trade deadline, where their only move was acquiring winger Nicolas Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2027 conditional seventh round pick.

With center and goalie depth a need, and prospects that could have potentially been moved, it came as a bit of a surprise the Canes didn’t opt to hunt for any bigger fish on the market.

Deslauriers is known to be a tough guy and would most likely slot in somewhere in the bottom six. In 24 games with the Flyers this season, he tallied 1 point in 24 games.

Turning towards tonight’s matchup with the Oilers, the Canes are coming off a 6-4 win against the Canucks on Wednesday after dropping their previous two.

On the other side, Edmonton has gone 2-2 in the first four games after the Olympic break. Currently, they are third in the Pacific Division with 68 points, which would serve as a disappointing finish for a team that has lost in back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who need no introduction, the Oilers have one of the most dangerous scoring attacks in the league. McDavid is once again in the running for the Hart Trophy, and is leading the NHL in points with 105 in 62 games. Draisaitl isn’t too far behind, coming in at fourth in the league with 90 points in 59 games.

On the back end, Edmonton has even more offense, with defenseman Evan Bouchard leading the league in points for a defenseman with 71 in 62 games.

The story of the Oilers this season, consistent with the last couple, has been on the defensive side and in net, though. They allow 3.34 goals per game this season, which is 25th in the NHL. While their 3.55 goals per game, which is second most in the league, helps make up for some of it, the Canes should be able to exploit a relatively weak defensive team.

In net for the Oilers tonight will be Tristan Jarry, who was traded earlier this season from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarry has not been good this season, posting a 3.18 GAA and .890 save percentage, which rank 49th and 43rd in the league respectively.

The Canes have no key injuries going into tonight’s game and will look to put another win-streak together.

In net for Carolina should be Brandon Bussi and the lines should look relatively the same.

Here’s how to catch the action:

Time: 9 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network App/ESPN+

Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Odds: Hurricanes -118 Moneyline, Hurricanes -1.5 at +205

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/caroli...039/game-preview-and-thread-hurricanes-oilers

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

How do several Hurricanes end up at a UNC Game?

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 26: Logan Stankoven #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes is recognized as one of the stars of the game after the victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Lenovo Center on February 26, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Two weeks ago between the end of the Olympics and the return of the NHL, UNC tipped off against Louisville in a big ACC Matchup. The stands were stuffed with UNC fans, students, alumni, and dignitaries.

And right there a couple of rows behind the scorer’s table, in clear camera view, sat several members of the Carolina Hurricanes.

It can be difficult to recognize the players without their jerseys on, but of course as the rest of the crowd was wearing either white or Carolina Blue it wasn’t that difficult to spot Alexander Nikishin, Andrei Svechnikov, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Mike Riley, and in the middle wearing team-provided gear was Logan Stankoven.

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The Hurricanes have been in North Carolina since 1997 and in Raleigh since 1999, but between the fact that basketball plays their schedule at the same time as hockey, and nights off are extremely valuable to hockey players there really hasn’t been an instance before where this group of players had been visible at a UNC Basketball game—or any game that wasn’t NC State for that matter. This also happened a few days after Svechnikov and Nikishin went to see the home state Charlotte Hornets play.

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As a UNC alumnus and Hurricanes fan I was curious about how this happened. After morning skate of the Detroit game, I was able to speak with Stankoven for a few minutes about the trip. I asked how it came about:

“Honestly…one of our team services..Mallory Wilmoth, she actually used to go to school there and work there as well. So she kind of has that connection to them. She had kind of mentioned, ‘hey I can get you guys hooked up with tickets to go to their game.’ And there were a bunch of us that were willing to go and just check it out.”

It’s funny that Stankoven would single out Wilmoth on this day because later on, after the win, Rod Brind’Amour would also single her out with one of the coveted post-victory t-shirts.

See ya in Seattle pic.twitter.com/H1UlLQYHYi

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 1, 2026

She’s clearly someone who’s made a connection in the locker room to the point she’s picked up a nickname, and hearing that there was a team connection to UNC made me a little more curious about how this came about. So, I reached out to Madison White, the Manager of Communications, to ask if she could put me in touch with Mallory. Within a couple of days we were chatting.

The conversation reveals how White has one of the more under appreciated jobs with with Hurricanes and why the players are such fans of hers. Her job is Team Operations Assistant, and on top of the other items she is basically the ticket master. If a player wants to go to a game—be it State, Duke, Carolina, Hornets—her job is to reach out to the various folks in charge and arrange to get them in the door. As fans you always wonder how random players will show up at other sporting events, and the answer is it’s someone’s job to make it happen.

That said, it seemed odd that a group of hockey players that are from Illinois, Canada, Finland, Denmark, and Russia would have a real desire to go to a college basketball game. Was this just something that popped up or part of Mallory’s job to try and give the team something to do during a long off time before the season kicked back into gear?

The answer is a little bit of everything.

“So, [Vice President of Communications] Mike Sundheim..and [Head Athletic Trainer] Doug Bennett both mentioned that they were going to the game. They had gotten tickets…and they were taking Jordan Staal and my boss [Manager of Team Services] Mike Brown…and I was like ‘this could be cool to see if any other guys want to go since Jordo’s going…so I texted [UNC Director of Operations Eric] Hoots, and was just like ‘Hey I think I”m going to see if we can get some guys together to come to this game. I know it’s going to be a good one. I just wanted to see what the availability is.‘ Hoots goes ‘say the word and we’ll take care of you.‘ So I just went around the locker and just asked all the guys.“

The reason that Wilmoth was able to easily text Hoots was her bond to the UNC basketball program. She grew up as a UNC fan herself, and her freshman year at Carolina was the 2016-17 National Championship year. She would get involved as a student manager, rising to be on the varsity for one season in 2019-20. Being a team manager at UNC, especially the work it takes to get onto the varsity program, creates a bond just as strong as amongst the players. It was the assistant coach at the time, Steve Robinson, who recommended her going to Florida State for graduate school to work in sports. Once done there, a friend sent her the opening with the Hurricanes. That bond with UNC helped her get her current spot,

“Mike…was the one who hired me and he actually knew Eric Hoots, which brings it back full circle to UNC. That was my reference. I was happy to be closer to home, and turn our guys into Tar Heels.”

I also asked earlier if she was a fan of the team or if working with the Canes had turned her more into a fan. “I definitely feel confident in my hockey knowledge now compared to when I started. I definitely have great friends in the area who were huge Caniacs before, and when I got this job, they, of course, were delighted and picked my brain any chance they got…I didn’t even know what a power play was, I didn’t know what forecheck meant. There were just things that I had no idea because I was just so locked in on basketball for my whole life. It’s amazing, now, I’m into hockey and I have it on all the time and I’ve got my parents, my sisters, all my family into it…It was just a really funny way to go from zero to 100.”

Considering where the Hurricanes were as a team between the time she entered college in 2016 and when she returned to the area, it’s understandable it wasn’t on her radar. Now, though, they’ve become a team that can unite the area and the state.

At least until tip off.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/canes-...ow-do-several-hurricanes-end-up-at-a-unc-game

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Game Preview and Thread: Hurricanes vs Penguins

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 30: Jalen Chatfield #5 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck under pressure from Tommy Novak #18 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After a couple days off, the Carolina Hurricanes (40-17-6) are back in action tonight to host the Pittsburgh Penguins (32-17-14) at 7 PM.

Following Saturday’s 5-4 loss to the Calgary Flames, the Canes have a chance to get back in the win column in a battle of the two top teams in the Metropolitan Division.

Even though the Penguins are second in the Metro, they are eight points back of Carolina and have been going through a bit of a rough patch as of late. Pittsburgh is 4-3-3 in their last 10 and has lost four of seven since coming back from the Olympic break.

One reason for that is they’ve been without captain and leading scorer Sidney Crosby, who was placed on injured reserve following a lower-body injury suffered at the Olympics.

Crosby has been dominant once again in his 21st season, having tallied 59 points in 56 games so far this season. He leads the Penguins in both goals, with 27, and points.

In addition to most likely being without Crosby again tonight, Pittsburgh also won’t have Evgeni Malkin, who is serving a five game suspension for slashing Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Malkin, also playing well, is tied for Pittsburgh’s second leading scorer with 47 points in 46 games.

Without their two leading scorers, the Penguins will have to rely on the rest of the forward group to step up. That presumably starts with wingers Anthony Mantha and Bryan Rust, who have 47 and 46 points respectively this season. On the backend, Erik Karlsson is still getting it done, with a team-leading 36 assists on the year.

The Penguins aren’t an extremely talented team, especially without two of their best players, but they have found a way to get it done this season after missing the playoffs last year and finishing second-to-last in the Metro.

Carolina is pretty much fully healthy as the regular season begins to near the finish line, but they will most likely be without defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere tonight, who is dealing with a lower-body injury.

In net for Carolina tonight looks to be Frederik Andersen, who has posted a 3.16 GAA and .873 save percentage this season.

The Penguins will most likely go with Stuart Skinner in goal, who has put up a 2.74 GAA and .890 save percentage on the year.

Tonight is an excellent opportunity for Carolina to not only get back on track after a rough loss, but also to increase their division lead.

Here’s how to catch the action:

Time: 7 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network App/ESPN+

Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Odds: Hurricanes -205 Moneyline, Hurricanes -1.5 at +108

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/caroli...ame-preview-and-thread-hurricanes-vs-penguins

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes beat Penguins in shootout, 5-4, to prevent comeback

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 10: Logan Stankoven #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during first period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Lenovo Center on March 10, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-4, in a shootout on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center to get back in the win column.

Jackson Blake scored the winner in the shootout, propelling the Canes to the win. Two goals, both with an empty net in the final three minutes of the third period, allowed the Penguins to send the game to a shootout but Carolina was able to stifle the comeback attempt. With the victory, the Canes have a 9 point lead over Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division.

The Canes got on the board first after Logan Stankoven buried his 12th goal of the year from the slot. The original shot came from Mike Reilly, who made a great play crashing the net.

After Carolina controlled the first 15 minutes, the Penguins were able to flip the script and generate some good chances over the final couple minutes.

Nikolaj Ehlers went down late in the first on a hit in the corner with what looked to be like a lower body injury, but returned in the second period.

Pittsburgh tied the game up less than 20 seconds later courtesy of Anthony Mantha to make the game 1-1.

The Penguins took a 2-1 lead on their third power play of the second period at the 11:44 mark. Tensions between the two teams hit a new level during the period, with multiple net-front srcums.

It didn’t take long into the third period for the Canes to tie up the game. Jankowski got his own rebound on a pass from William Carrier less than three minutes in to make it 2-2.

Less than a minute later, Jarvis took a puck off the boards and went backhand to forehand on a breakaway to give Carolina a one goal lead. In just a minute, the Canes flipped the game around.

Alexander Nikishin gave the Canes a 4-2 advantage with his ninth goal on a 5-on-3 for his second point of the net.

When it looked like Carolina had the game wrapped up with a two goal lead and under three minutes to play, the Penguins added two empty net goals to tie the game, forcing overtime.

The Canes were able to kill off a Pittsburgh power play in overtime to send the game to a shootout.

In the shootout, Blake beat Stuart Skinner five-hole in the third round to give Carolina the win.

Next up for the Canes is a battle with the Blues on Thursday at 7 PM.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...-penguins-in-shootout-5-4-to-prevent-comeback

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Blues @ Hurricanes – Preview and Game Thread

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 06: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates in against Jordan Binnington #50 of the St. Louis Blues during overtime at PNC Arena on January 06, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes (41-17-6) finish up their brief homestand tonight with a match against the St. Louis Blues (25-29-10).

The Canes have allowed 16 goals in their last four games but still have a 3-1 record for their trouble. They will be looking to tighten up the defense a bit against the Blues.

St. Louis is one of the lowest scoring teams in the NHL so this is a good place to start.

Carolina had a morning skate today and Ryan Henkel posted the lines as follows:

Canes morning skate lines:

Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis
Hall-Stankoven-Blake
Ehlers-Staal-Martinook
Carrier-Jankowski-Robinson
Kotkaniemi-Deslauriers

Slavin-Chatfield
Miller-Walker
Reilly-Nikishin

Bussi
Andersen

*No Gostisbehere

— Ryan Henkel (@RyanHenkel_) March 12, 2026

The Canes are currently in first place in the Eastern Conference by two points over the Sabres, with a game in hand. They are nine points over second place Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division.

With his goal on Tuesday night, Carolina rookie, Alexander “Boom” Nikishin set a new franchise record for goals scored for rookie defensemen with nine surpassing Justin “Queso” Faulk who had eight.

A local business would be smart to sign up the popular youngster to an ad campaign.

The blueliner leads the defense with 111 hits and is second on the team with 70 blocked shots, all this while being fifth in total ice time on the defense, averaging just over 19 minutes per game.

While his coach continually pushes working on his defense, he is tied for the second best plus/minus on the team with a (plus) +13. He has a long reach and a longer stick which he uses quite well in breaking up plays.

Nikishin was held out of the powerplay unit for a bit earlier in the season while the coaches tried out other defensemen at quarterback. When he finally got the chance he has shined and now has four powerplay goals in just 86 minutes of ice time during the man advantage.

According to NHL.com, he averages 2.78 goals per 60 minutes played while on the powerplay. On the other hand, Shayne Ghostisbehere averages 2.02 goals per 60. The number one powerplay quarterback has five goals scored in over 148 minutes of ice time.

(Stats) – https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?r...chise.26&sort=ppGoalsPer60&page=0&pageSize=50

Hopefully, this bodes well for the future of Carolina’s powerplay.

The Blues have had a rough season and are getting over the loss of a couple of regulars to the trade deadline, Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn. They are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and could still be be a tough opponent.

Here’s how to check out the action:

• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh. NC.
• TV: FanDuel Sports Network with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Shane Willis, analyst; Hannah Yates, rinkside.
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan FM

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2010-1...3106/blues-hurricanes-preview-and-game-thread