2025-26 Regular Season, Game 17 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Vancouver Canucks

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes were thoroughly outplayed by the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, dropping their first division game of the season. A lost battle in the corner put the Canes in an early hole, with Ethan Frank set up Brandon Duhaime at the side of the net for an easy opening goal. The Capitals extended their lead in the second after Sebastian Aho failed to get a puck deep into the zone. They sent it the other way, ending with Dylan Strome burying a breakaway goal over Frederik Andersen's glove. The Canes got one back late in the period. Jackson Blake's speed through the neutral zone and into the Capitals' zone, and Nikolaj Ehlers' finish at the side of the net gave the group a little life. Washington seized the momentum back with an early PPG from Jakob Chychrun, and Alex Ovechkin scored his 901st goal into the empty net to secure a 4-1 win in Raleigh. Logan Thompson made 30 stops to continue his magnificent start. Shayne Gostisbehere added the only other point for the Canes in his return to the lineup.

Injury Report

Frederik Andersen: I dont' think there's anything to worry about after he was pulled from Tuesday's game late by the concussion spotter, seeing as he practiced on Thursday.

Jaccob Slavin: He's still not back on the ice yet, but he joined the broadcast on Tuesday night for half of the second period. 

Jalen Chatfield: There still anything new from him as he continues to navigate through concussion protocol.

Charles Alexis Legault: The cut from Sunday's game required surgery that will keep him out for 3-4 months, so this is probably the only time I'll list him until he's ready to come back.

The Opponent: Vancouver Canucks (8-9-1, 17 Points; 7th in the Pacific Division)

Last Season's Meetings: The Canes swept the Canucks last season, winning each of their two contests. The group concluded its six-game State Fair trip in Vancouver last October. They led 3-1 through 40 minutes, with William Carrier scoring his first as a Hurricane, and Martin Necas and Jack Roslovic each getting their fourth goals early in the campaign. Poor puck management from Pyotr Kochetkov allowed Vancouver to tie the game in the third, sending the sides to overtime. Less than a minute in, Sebastian Aho collected his second OT goal of the trip, sliding a rebound past Kevin Lankinen to secure the second point. The Canucks' visit to Raleigh in January was incredibly uneventful. The Canes were completing a back-to-back, so a low-event win was welcomed. Jordan Staal scored in the first period. Andrei Svechnikov scored in the second. Dustin Tokarski only needed to make 14 saves. The Canes won, 2-0. It was as simple as that. 

Since We Last Met: Last season was a tumultuous one for the Canucks. After winning the division in 2023-24, the group struggled to find cohesion, both on the ice and in the locker room. Elias Pettersson and JT Miller were at the center of plenty of controversy, though it was considered overblown by many in the organization. Regardless, it ended with Miller being traded to the Rangers midseason. Pettersson was in the spotlight for his play on the ice as well, scoring just 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games. Thatcher Demko was limited to just 23 starts, with Kevin Lankinen doing most of the heavy lifting. Still, having Quinn Hughes on your roster makes up for plenty. The captain led the team with 60 assists and 76 points, finishing 3rd in Norris Trophy voting. Their offseason primarily focused on them bringing their guys back. Demko (3 years), Conor Garland (6 years), and Brock Boeser (7 years) each signed extensions with the team. Otherwise, the only notable moves they made sent Dakota Joshua and Arturs Silovs to Toronto and Pittsburgh, respectively, while adding Evander Kane from Edmonton. Their start has been very inconsistent, with injuries, once again, taking center stage. Their offense has been average, with Kiefer Sherwood scoring 11 goals, while Pettersson and Hughes are tied with a team-leading 13 points. Goaltending has been another issue, with Demko and Lankinen struggling to find consistency. This marks the first of three games in four nights for the Canucks as they do the Carolina/Florida Southeast Gauntlet this weekend.

Stories to Watch

1. Another busy weekend...

After zero back-to-back over the first few weeks, the Canes are staring down the barrel of their second back-to-back in as many weekends. Last weekend's was fun, seeing the Canes pick up a pair of victories against Buffalo and Toronto. The beauty of this weekend is that both games are in Raleigh, unlike last weekend, which required travel from Raleigh to Toronto. I would expect Pyotr Kochetkov to start against the Canucks tonight, while Frederik Andersen should draw the assignment against the Oilers tomorrow, though that doesn't appear set in stone.

2. And another milestone for the captain

When you've played as long as Jordan Staal has, it feels like these moments come quickly. For the second time in eight days, the captain will skate in his 914th game with the Hurricanes, breaking his tie with Glen Wesley for the most in franchise history. Staal broke a tie with his brother last Thursday night when the Canes faced the Wild for the most games in Hurricanes history. He got into a fight. What does he have in store for another big game tonight?