2025-26 Regular Season, Game 19 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes settled for one point on Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers, finishing with three of four possible points. The Oilers came out firing, getting goals from Jack Roslovic and Connor McDavid in the first 6:30 of the contest. The Canes slowly worked back into the game, starting with Eric Robinson's goal late in the first period to cut the deficit in half. Then, Nikolaj Ehlers tied the game early in the second, extending his point streak to seven games. The captains traded goals in the third, with McDavid and Jordan Staal scoring 59 seconds apart. With each side securing a point through 60 minutes, the Oilers wasted little time winning it in overtime. Leon Draisaitl scored 19 seconds into the extra session to earn the second point, winning, 4-3. McDavid and Draisaitl recorded three points each, while three of the Canes' four lines found the back of the net.

Injury Report
Jesperi Kotkaniemi: He missed Saturday's contest with an ankle injury that he suffered on Friday, and the belief is that it isn't a long-term issue.
Jalen Chatfield: He skated on his own on Sunday, giving us a seemingly positive update as he recovers from a concussion.
Jaccob Slavin: We don't have much of an update on him after he appeared during Tuesday's broadcast against Washington.

The Opponent: Boston Bruins (12-8-0, 24 Points; 1st in the Atlantic Division)
Last Meeting: The teams opened their November slates in Boston with a Saturday matinee. Through two periods, neither side could break through, with Frederik Andersen and Jeremy Swayman shutting the door for 40 minutes. It wasn't until Casey Mittelstadt buried a Charlie McAvoy pass early in the third that the puck finally ended up in the back of the net. Viktor Arvidsson added another on a breakaway shortly after to double Boston's lead. The Canes pushed, getting a late goal from Alexander Nikishin to break the shutout, but the Bruins prevailed, 2-1. 

Since We Last Met: While it's still too early to declare whether last season was jsut an anomaly for the Bruins, they are certainly in a good spot after winning seven straight games. Their streak was ended by the Senators on Thursday night, though the gruop gutted out a big victory on Saturday against the Canadiens to take a two-point lead in the Atlantic. David Pastrnak is tied for fourth in the league with 26 points, while Morgan Geekie is tied for fourth in goals, just two points off the lead for the Rocket Richard. The Bruins are a Top 5 offense this season, scoring just over 3.3 goals per game, though they're in the Bottom 10 in goals allowed. One saveing grace has been Jeremy Swayman, who has won all five starts in November, beginning with his excellent performance against the Canes on November 1st.

Stories to Watch
1. The start of a pre-Thanksgiving journey
Their stop in Boston marks the first of four straight on the road this week, concluding next Sunday afternoon in Buffalo. The Canes have been good away from home, winning six of their first nine games away from the Lenovo Center. One of those three misteps was in Boston more than two weeks ago. It's not that they played a bad game. Their offense just couldn't get rolling. With only a handful of games before the holiday, the Canes need to empty the tank.

2. Who is healthy for Boston?
The Bruins are currently dealing with an epidemic of injuries throughout their roster. Charlie McAvoy took a puck to the jaw on Saturday against the Canadiens, though he was able to return home with the team. Viktor Arvidsson also left the game on Saturday, though his prognosis is a little less ideal. Casey Mittelstadt has been on the shelf, while Elias Lindholm has too. There is plenty to worry about with the players we know will be in the lineup, though there is plenty of power potentially out of the lineup.

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