2025-26 Regular Season, Game 2 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes began their 2025-26 season with a 6-3 victory over the New Jerseu Devils on Thursday night. Taylor Hall got the party started, redirecting Shayne Gostisbehere's point shot through Jacob Markstrom's pads to score the first goal of the season and earn Alexander Nikishin his first (official) NHL point. The Devils leveled the score in the second on Dougie Hamilton's backhand, but the Canes quickly snatched the lead back on K'Andre Miller's bouncer. Cody Glass took advantage of a turnover, scoring on a 2-on-1 to knot the game at two after 40 minutes. The Canes, once again, took the lead on Miller's second of the night, a clapper walking down from the point that Markstrom got more than a piece of. This time, it was the Devils with the quick response, as Jesper Bratt charged to the net and finished a pass from Brett Pesce. Seth Jarvis, who hit the post twice prior, gave the Canes their fourth lead of the night with 2:43 left, and they wouldn't relinquish it this time. Jarvis added another into the empty net, and Eric Robinson put one more home for good measure to complete the scoring. 10 Hurricanes found the scoresheet, with five (Jarvis, Miller, Aho, Gostisbehere, Hall) recording multi-point efforts to begin the season. Frederik Andersen made 19 stops in the net.

Injury Report
Pyotr Kochetkov: He was supposed to be re-evaluated for a nagging injury on Friday, so we'll likely know more about his status at Saturday's morning skate. If he's on the ice, it's very possible that he plays.

The Opponent: Philadelphia Flyers (0-1-0, 0 Points; 76 Points, 8th in the Metro last season)
Last Season's Meetings: The lone contest of the three in Raleigh came in early November and was a high-scoring affair. Travis Konecny scored twice and added two assists, but it wasn't enough to propel the Flyers to a road win. Martin Necas broke a 4-4 tie with just over 30 seconds left to push the Canes to a 6-4 win. The other two meetings, both in Philadelphia, weren't very close. The Canes visited PA 15 days later, earning a 4-1 win behind a three-goal third period. In mid-March, they were perfect, shutting out the Flyers in their barn. Mark Jankowski scored two more goals, Scott Morrow earned his first-career goal, and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped all 26 shots in a 5-0 win. 

Since We Last Met: The Flyers had an interesting offseason, focusing more on internal matters than improving, though they did both. The biggest addition comes in the form of Trevor Zegras, who desperately needed a fresh start after his development stalled in Anaheim. He's a high-powered forward who can do incredible things with the puck, but he wasn't always put in the best spot to do it. They also improved in the net, adding Dan Vladar to create an interesting tandem with Samuel Ersson. Vladar earned the Opening Night start, stopping 32 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday. The Flyers also sured up some of their bigger player, signing Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster, and Cam York to extensions. While they probably aren't going to push themselves into the playoffs, the Flyers should embrace their role as spoilers. It'll make the season a lot more fun.

Stories to Watch
1. Early Season Goalie Questions
Canes fans are used to concerns surrounding their goaltending, especially over the last five years. Pyotr Kochetkov's uncertain status creates a few interesting scenarios. If Kochetkov is healthy enough to play, it's possible that he gets the nod in the net. If he isn't, it could mean that Frederik Andersen gets back-to-back starts, which he didn't do a single time last season during the regular season. Or, it could mean that Brandon Bussi finally gets to make his NHL debut after years in Boston's system. 

2. Miller's and Ehlers' Encores
It's hard not to like what we saw from the two biggest additions this offseason. Ehlers proved to have incredible chemistry with his new linemates, while Miller scored two goals. Their first game is out of the way. Now, they can focus on playing and helping the team win games. I would love to see Ehlers get rewarded with a goal, and Miller scoring another goal would be cool, too.

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