"Leonor McDraisavid": 2025-26 Regular Season, Game 18: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Edmonton Oilers

Just as the roster was getting back to a good spot, the Carolina Hurricanes finished Friday night down two men. We know that Jesperi Kotkaniemi won't play, but Seth Jarvis's status remained unclear heading into the contest after taking a stick to the eye. Edmonton was facing some good injury news of its own, getting Zach Hyman back in time for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to exit with an ailment. Still, with the Canes staring down the barrel of another back-to-back, the group needed to be at its absolute best against two of the league's most dynamic playmakers. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

EDM (3:47)- Jack Roslovic (6) (unassisted)

EDM (6:30-PP)- Connor McDavid (8) (Jack Roslovic (8) & Leon Draisaitl (9))

CAR (15:39)- Eric Robinson (5) (Shayne Gostisbehere (11) & Taylor Hall (6)

2nd Period

CAR (1:41)- Nikolaj Ehlers (4) (Jackson Blake (9) & Logan Stankoven (5))

3rd Period

EDM (5:46)- Connor McDavid (9) (Leon Draisaitl (10) & Zach Hyman (1))

CAR (6:45)- Jordan Staal (4) (unassisted)

Overtime

EDM (0:19)- Leon Draisaitl (13) (Connor McDavid (21) & Evan Bouchard (13))

My Thoughts

The first page of the scouting report on the Edmonton Oilers should say "STOP CONNOR MCDAVID AND LEON DRAISAITL" in big red lettering. It's probably the first several pages of the report, too. The Oilers are one of a few teams in the league that can win games with just two of three forwards doing all of the work. I put teams like Tampa Bay, Vegas, and Dallas in the same category. The duo combined on Edmonton's power-play goal in the first period. Then, once the coaches put them together in the third period, they scored early in the period and added the winner in overtime. McDavid scored twice, Draisaitl scored once, and they assisted on each other's goals. The rest of the team had four points, with Jack Roslovic picking up two in the first 6:30 of the game. It's a bit crazy that I liked how the Aho line played against McDavid more than the Staal line.

The Canes might've lost the game, but they managed a point because of their incredible forward depth. Three of the four lines scored goals tonight, and the one that didn't was their top trio, though they had their share of chances. They combined for 11 of the teams' 36 shots, led by Aho's seven. The fourth line really got it going, with Eric Robinson scoring late in the first to get the Canes within one. Early in the second period, we saw the adventures of Stuart Skinner in real time. He was so mesmerized by Jackson Blake with the puck behind the net that he left it vacant, allowing Blake to find Nikolaj Ehlers for his streak-extending tally. In the third, after allowing the go-ahead goal to McDavid, the Staal line tied it again, with the captain on the spot for the tying marker. There were a few close calls, with Taylor Hall and Alexander Nikishin hitting the post, but the Canes just couldn't get it over the hump tonight.

Before he was hurt in Los Angeles, Shayne Gostisbehere was on an incredible run. He had seven points through five games before his early injury against the Kings. His game against Vegas shouldn't count because he didn't make it out of the first period, but he has gotten right back to it this week. After assisting on the Canes' only goal on Tuesday night, Gostisbehere had three assists last night and added one more tonight on Robinson's goal in the first period. I really like that he's doing most of his damage at 5-on-5, though a little more success on the power play would be greatly appreciated. Keeping him healthy and in the lineup is going to be important because this production from the blue line is very welcome. 

At the end of the night, I'll take the point, especially since they were down 2-0 almost immediately. They worked back into it, tying the game twice to get it to overtime. While three of a possible four points are good, the way they went about it has highlighted a concerning trend for the group. Over their three games this week, they've gifted their opponents way too many goals. There was at least one on Tuesday against Washington, another two last night, and two more tonight. It didn't cost them against Vancouver, but it did against the Capitals and tonight against the Oilers. It's not a trend that bears continuing, especially with a road trip on the horizon.

First Star of the Game: William Carrier

If I'm being completely transparent, I don't think one Hurricane stood out over the rest tonight. There were a few players who had good nights, but I'll go with William Carrier, especially for his effort on the tying goal in the third period. He did a little bit of everything, laying three hits, blocking two shots, and making the power move to the net that resulted in Jordan Staal scoring. I'm not sure why he and Jordan Martinook didn't get assists on the goal, but I digress.

Next Up: The Hurricanes will play four straight on the road this week, beginning in Boston on Monday night. They'll play a national game on Wednesday in Minnesota, giving us a rematch of one of the wilder games we've seen this season (pun intended). Nikolaj Ehlers is sure to get a warm reception on Friday night, facing the Winnipeg Jets for the first time in his career. The trip ends on Sunday afternoon when the Canes face the Sabres. Their final game before Thanksgiving is against the New York Rangers on Thanksgiving Eve.