Thoughts From My Couch

It turns out, they still play hockey in Raleigh. After two weeks away from home, the Hurricanes returned to the Lenovo Center to kick off a four-game homestand on Thursday night against the Boston Bruins. Aiming to extend their win streak to five games, the Canes hoped to give the Bruins a fright on Halloween night. Boston has struggled lately, but their potent scorers could catch lightning in an instant, led by David Pastrnak and captain Brad Marchand. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (6:28)- Jack Roslovic (5) (Sebastian Aho (6) & Andrei Svechnikov (6)) BOS (13:11)- Brad Marchand (2) PP (David Pastrnak (3) & Elias Lindholm (4)) CAR (17:14)- Andrei Svechnikov (3) PP (Shayne Gostisbehere (4) & Martin Necas (8)) CAR (17:52)- Jackson Blake (3) (Dmitry Orlov (3) & William Carrier (2)) CAR (18:06)- Martin Necas (5) PP (Seth Jarvis (4) & Shayne Gostisbehere (5)) 2nd Period BOS (3:38)- Hampus Lindholm (2) (Marc Kastelic (4) & David Pastrnak (4)) CAR (8:51)- Andrei Svechn...

After a long journey away from home, the Carolina Hurricanes are finally back in Raleigh to host instead of being hosted. The final stop on their six-game road trip took them to Vancouver to face the red-hot Canucks. The pace was frantic to begin the night, with William Carrier and Brock Boeser scoring in the first eight minutes. An overturned challenge in the Canes' favor helped them settle the pace down, allowing them to grab the lead late in the first period on a Martin Necas breakaway. Jack Roslovic extended the lead early in the second period, but the Canucks fought back, adding two goals in the third period to tie the game and force overtime. Sebastian Aho needed 47 seconds to end it, burying a bouncing puck into a practically empty net to complete the trip with ten of 12 points. The Opponent: Boston Bruins (4-5-1, 9 Points This Season) There were some, myself included, who thought the Boston Bruins would come back down to earth last season after Patrice Bergeron retired. Ins...

The road trip came to an end for the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night with a battle against the Vancouver Canucks. Both teams entered play on hot streaks. The Canes had won their last three games after starting their trip with a split in Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Vancouver had won their last four after beginning their season with three straight losses (0-1-2). Pyotr Kochetkov hoped to build off a solid start against the Calgary Flames, while Kevin Lankinen aimed to keep his point streak alive to begin the year. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (5:40)- William Carrier (1) (Jackson Blake (2) & Jack Drury (2)) VAN (7:17)- Brock Boeser (5) (JT Miller (4) & Quinn Hughes (6)) CAR (15:33)- Martin Necas (4) (Jesperi Kotkaniemi (6) & Eric Robinson (3)) 2nd Period CAR (1:53)- Jack Roslovic (4) (Brent Burns (3) & Andrei Svechnikov (5)) 3rd Period VAN (7:56)- Quinn Hughes (2) (Brock Boeser (4) & JT Miller (5)) VAN (16:55)- Pius Suter (2) (Daniel Sprong (2) & Nils Hoglander...

The Carolina Hurricanes are set to conclude their six-game State Fair road trip on Monday night after earning their fourth win during their fifth stop on the journey on Saturday in Seattle. The Hurricanes dismantled the Seattle Kraken from start to finish over the weekend. Andrei Svechnikov got it started early with a power-play tally. It wasn't until late in the second period before the Canes extended their lead, getting a goal from the fourth line after Jackson Blake found Jack Drury for a tap-in. Seattle got on the board to break Frederik Andersen's shutout bid, but Seth Jarvis snagged the two-goal lead back after a sensational breakaway tally late in the night. Dmitry Orlov's wedge from the defensive end found the empty net to seal the deal, earning the Canes their third straight victory, 4-1. To close the six-game trek, the Canes are in Vancouver to face the Canucks. The Opponent: Vancouver Canucks (4-1-2, 10 Points This Season) After missing three straight postseasons...

The Final Undefeated Team in SEC Play is...TEXAS A&M?!?!?! (#14 Texas A&M 38, #8 LSU 23) Since losing their season opener to Notre Dame, the Aggies have been on a roll. They've had some close calls against Bowling Green and Arkansas, but their last three victories have been a little more convincing. It was far from smooth sailing against LSU, with the Tigers leading by ten points in the second half. Marcel Reed came into the game, replacing Connor Weigman, to get the Aggies' offense going. Reed got it done with his legs, scoring three times in the second half to lead the Aggies back in front. Add three second-half interceptions from the Aggies' defense and it was the blueprint for another win. Texas A&M now sits atop the SEC at 5-0, seemingly in line to battle for the conference title in Atlanta. There's Something About Vanderbilt (#5 Texas 27, #25 Vanderbilt 24) It's rare we give teams their flowers for losing to a Top 5 team, but Vanderbilt has been on...

With Alberta behind them, the Carolina Hurricanes stormed into Seattle to try and push their win streak to three games. Taking a quick trip back across the border, the Canes hoped what helped them beat Edmonton and Calgary would lead the way against the Kraken. Seattle, having lost their last two games, was hoping to avoid a three-game streak of their own.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (4:26)- Andrei Svechnikov (2) PP (Martin Necas (6) & Seth Jarvis (3)) 2nd Period CAR (16:49)- Jack Drury (1) (Jackson Blake (1) & Brent Burns (2)) 3rd Period SEA (10:21)- Jared McCann (5) (Matty Beniers (3)) CAR (15:38)- Seth Jarvis (3) (Jordan Martinook (2) & Jaccob Slavin (3)) CAR (18:24)- Dmitry Orlov (1) EN (unassisted) My Thoughts The road trip can officially be called a success. Before they dropped the puck in Pittsburgh last weekend, I said that a successful trip would be eight points, in any fashion. With tonight's win, they've moved to 4-1-0, locking in eight of 12 possible...

The Carolina Hurricanes are back state side for one night only after completing an Alberta sweep for the first time since 2021-22 on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. The Canes started on time, getting goals from Seth Jarvis, Jack Roslovic, and Martin Necas to take a 3-0 lead 22 minutes into the game. However, the Flames started to weasel their way back into the game, beginning with Jake Bean's first goal as a Flame late in the second period. Jonathan Huberdeau put a rebound into the net to make it a one-goal game late in the third, but Eric Robinson's first as a Hurricane into the empty net helped the Canes seal the deal. Necas finished the night with two points, including his 100th goal, while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 30 shots to earn his second win of the season. With two games left on the State Fair trip, they're in Seattle to do battle with the Kraken tonight. The Opponent: Seattle Kraken (4-3-1, 9 Points This Season) After surprising the entire league during their s...

After a thrilling comeback victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, the Hurricanes hoped that their trip to Calgary would be a little smoother. The Canes erased a 2-0 third-period deficit to defeat the Oilers in overtime, helping them move to 2-1-0 on their current six-game road trip. Their opponent on Thursday is one of the hottest teams in the league. Calgary is one of four teams without a regulation loss, relying on dramatic and balanced scoring to shock the league. With the Canes' road trip reaching its second half, they would need to dig deep to secure two points against the Flames. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (12:29)- Seth Jarvis (2) PP (Sebastian Aho (5) & Martin Necas (5)) 2nd Period CAR (0:41)- Jack Roslovic (3) (Brent Burns (1) & Andrei Svechnikov (4)) CAR (1:59)- Martin Necas (3) (Shayne Gostisbehere (2) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (5)) CGY (13:01)- Jake Bean (1) (Connor Zary (4) & Mikael Backlund (3)) 3rd Period CGY (13:05)- Jonathan Huberdeau (4) (Ju...

The Carolina Hurricanes second stop in Alberta takes them a few hours south after playing in Edmonton on Tuesday night. While Connor McDavid scored twice through 40 minutes to stake the Oilers to a 2-0 lead, the Canes would get the last laugh. Shayne Gostisbehere extended his goal streak on the power play less than a minute into the third period, and Martin Necas tied the game late with 6:31 to go, sending the game to overtime. With Frederik Andersen standing on his head throughout the third period and overtime, Gostisbehere and Necas would combine to set up Sebastian Aho for the game-winner with 6.1 seconds left to complete the incredible comeback. Necas finished the night with three points, while Gostisbehere and Aho had two each. Andersen stopped 33 shots to earn his second victory of the season.  The Opponent: Calgary Flames (5-0-1, 11 Points This Season) After a tumultuous season, the Flames looked to be in for a similar year. They traded Jacob Markstrom and Andrew Mangiapane ...

The Carolina Hurricanes begin their Pacific Northwest journey in Alberta for the first of two straight games in the province. Tuesday night saw them battle Connor McDavid and the defending Western Conference champions in Edmonton. The Oilers have gotten off to a slow start once again, but their firepower makes them one of the scariest teams to play on any given night. With plenty to play for after a 4-3 loss to the Blues on Saturday night, the Hurricanes needed to find a way to prevent the Oilers from breaking out on Tuesday. Scoring Summary 1st Period EDM (3:34)- Connor McDavid (2) (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (3)) 2nd Period EDM (2:30)- Connor McDavid (3) PP (Leon Draisaitl (3) & Evan Bouchard (1)) 3rd Period CAR (0:46)- Shayne Gostisbehere (4) PP (Martin Necas (3) & Sebastian Aho (4)) CAR (13:29)- Martin Necas (2) (Eric Robinson (2) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (4)) Overtime CAR (4:53)- Sebastian Aho (2) (Martin Necas (4) & Shayne Gostisbehere (1)) My Thoughts I have to formally tha...

The Carolina Hurricanes are in Alberta to begin the Pacific Northwest portion of their six-game road trip. They're coming off a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night during the second half of a back-to-back that saw them win in Pittsburgh. The Canes completely dominated the Blues in the first period, outshooting them 19-4 and scoring the opening goal less than 90 seconds into the contest, courtesy of Andrei Svechnikov and the top line. The Blues worked their way back into the game in the second period before bowing it open with three goals in 3:09. Mathieu Joseph, Jake Neighbours, and Dylan Holloway put the Blues ahead while Joel Hofer was standing his ground. The Hurricanes got two early goals in the third period. Shayne Gostisbehere extended his goal streak to three games with a tally on the power play, and Jack Roslovic scored in his second straight shortly after to knot it up. An unfortunate fumble in the neutral zone by Martin Necas allowed Kasperi Kapanen to swoop...

Never Count Out Georgia (#5 Georgia 30, #1 Texas 15) Texas in the first half couldn't do anything right on offense. Quinn Ewers was benched in the second quarter as the Longhorns were shut out. Georgia's offense was accomplishing much either, throwing interceptions on two of their first three possessions, but they opened up a 23-0 lead by halftime. Ewers was back in action in the third quarter and things went a little better. However, Trevor Etienne's three touchdowns proved to be too much. While Carson Beck had a bad game, Georgia's rushing attack and defense did most of the work to help the Bulldogs hand Texas its first loss. Rocky Top on Top (#11 Tennessee 24, #7 Alabama 17) Nico Iamaleava couldn't do anything right in the first half. The Volunteers turned the ball over three times, but Alabama's offense couldn't do anything to capitalize on their mistakes. The Crimson Tide only managed one touchdown, leaving an entire half for Tennessee to get back into ...

The Hurricanes were back in action on Saturday night in St. Louis after starting their six-game road trip with a 4-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. The Canes dominated the Penguins from start to finish, getting goals from Jackson Blake, Martin Necas, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Jack Roslovic to get the job done. With Frederik Andersen earning the win on Friday, Pyotr Kochetkov took the net on Saturday, hoping to build off his season debut win over the Devils on Tuesday. Joel Hofer earned his second straight start for the Blues after shutting out the Islanders in a 1-0 overtime win on Thursday. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (1:21)- Andrei Svechnikov (1) (Sebastian Aho (2) & Seth Jarvis (2)) 2nd Period STL (10:22)- Mathieu Joseph (2) (Brayden Schenn (1) & Pierre-Olivier Joseph (1)) STL (11:35)- Jake Neighbours (2) (Zach Bolduc (2)) STL (13:31)- Dylan Holloway (1) (Phillip Broberg (5) & Mathieu Joseph (1)) 3rd Period CAR (1:39)- Shayne Gostisbehere (3) PP (Se...

It'll be a quick turnaround for the Carolina Hurricanes after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 in the Steel City on Friday night. Aided by Jackson Blake's second goal in as many games, a pair of power-play goals from Martin Necas and Shayne Gostisbehere, the first Canes goal for Jack Roslovic, and a stellar goaltending performance by Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes cruised to a victory in their first road contest. On top of excellent offensive output, the Canes held Malkin and Crosby without a shot. Joel Blomqvist did everything in his power to keep the Penguins in the game, but the Canes were too much for the rookie. Tonight, the Hurricanes will look to replicate this performance in the second half of a back-to-back in St. Louis. The Opponent: St. Louis Blues (3-2-0, 6 Points This Season) The Blues are riding a small rollercoaster early in their campaign. After opening with a pair of tight victories in Seattle and San Jose, St. Louis lost its next two games to Vegas and M...

The Carolina Hurricanes hit the road for the first time on Friday night to begin their annual State Fair road trip. The Canes will be on the road for their next six games, beginning tonight in Pittsburgh. They're looking to continue their momentum from Tuesday night's win over the New Jersey Devils while finding a way to halt the hot starts of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Both Penguins reached major milestones on Wednesday in their 6-5 overtime thriller against the Sabres. Malkin recorded his 500th goal, while Crosby eclipsed 1600 points. With both historically performing well against the Canes, the first road game of the season could prove challenging.  Scoring Summary 1st Period PIT (12:20)- Drew O'Connor (3) (Lars Eller (2) & Jesse Puljujarvi (3)) CAR (13:24)- Jackson Blake (2) (Eric Robinson (1) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2)) 2nd Period CAR (6:52)- Martin Necas (1) PP (Seth Jarvis (1) & Sebastian Aho (1)) CAR (17:13)- Shayne Gostisbehere (2) PP (Andrei Svechn...

The Hurricanes found their way into the win column on Tuesday night, beating the Devils 4-2 for their first victory of the season. After allowing a goal to Jack Hughes early in the second period, the Hurricanes scored three unanswered. Seth Jarvis and Shayne Gostisbehere put the Canes ahead through 40 minutes before Jackson Blake redirected a shot midway through the third period for his first NHL goal. Nico Hischier scored during a 5-on-3, but Sebastian Aho iced the game late into the empty net to secure the victory. Pyotr Kochetkov earned the win, outdueling Jacob Markstrom by making 24 stops. The Hurricanes now embark on a six-game journey as the State Fair rolls into town. The first stop on the trip will be their lone meeting with a conference opponent. The Opponent: Pittsburgh Penguins (3-2-0, 6 Points This Season) Not much about the Pittsburgh Penguins changed during the offseason. Reilly Smith is the most notable addition to the team, but they are largely the same team they have ...

We had to wait a few extra days, but the Carolina Hurricanes were back on the ice on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center. After a stinging 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday to open the season, the Canes hoped to rebound against Stefan Noesen and the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have been a dangerous team to begin the season, winning four of their first five contests, including a 3-0 shutout victory over Utah on Monday. With Jacob Markstrom backstopping them in Raleigh, the Canes had their work cut out for them against their first division opponent of the campaign.  Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period NJD (1:16)- Jack Hughes (1) (Jesper Bratt (4) & Jonathan Kovacevic (3)) CAR (10:55)- Seth Jarvis (1) (Andrei Svechnikov (1)) CAR (19:23)- Shayne Gostisbehere (1) (Martin Necas (1) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1)) 3rd Period CAR (10:16)- Jackson Blake (1) Dmitry Orlov (1)) NJD (15:16)- Nico Hischier (3) PP (Jack Hughes (4) & Jesper Bratt (5)) CAR (18:24)- Sebasti...

Opening Night for the Carolina Hurricanes didn't play out how we hoped it would. Despite Jordan Staal scoring the opening goal late in the first period, the Lightning scored four unanswered, getting two goals on the power play and two more into the empty net, three of which came courtesy of Nikita Kucherov, to win 4-1. Andrei Vasilevskiy was phenomenal through two periods before sitting back and watching his teammates dominate the third period. The Martinook-Staal-Carrier line did the heavy lifting for the Canes, while several others had good individual efforts. It wasn't nearly enough to get the job done, giving the Canes their first regulation loss in a season opener under Rod Brind'Amour. After having Saturday's game in Tampa Bay canceled, the Hurricanes waited for the New Jersey Devils to make their way to Raleigh for Game 2. With an extra few days to prepare, the hope is that Carolina will find a new gear before their long road trip. The Opponent: New Jersey Devils...

Conference Check-ins ACC- Four teams remain undefeated at the halfway point, led by Miami and Clemson, who are both in the Top 10 of the AP Poll. Clemson is already 4-0 in conference play, with a road game at Pittsburgh in its conference finale being the only major test remaining. Miami still has six conference games remaining, though none are against the Top 4 in the ACC. Pittsburgh and SMU could prove to be dark horses, as could Louisville or Syracuse. However, it feels like a two-horse race at the moment.  Big Ten- Saturday's Ohio State-Oregon game provided a little clarity for the direction of the conference. Three teams remain perfect at 3-0. Oregon and Penn State each earned close wins on Saturday, while Indiana stunned everyone with their perfect start. The Hoosiers still have a daunting schedule ahead, highlighted by Ohio State and Michigan. Oregon also has Michigan on the schedule, meeting the Wolverines in The Big House in early November. That same weekend, the Nittany Li...