2025-26 Regular Season, Game 26 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes continued their homestand on Sunday night, hosting the Calgary Flames in the third of seven straight at the Lenovo Center. Brandon Bussi earned consecutive starts for the first time in his NHL career after his strong performance against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. It wasn't a particularly fun game to watch. Neither team found the back of the net across the 60 minutes of regulation. Bussi was tested a few times, and he passed each one. In overtime, Nikolaj Ehlers was the hero, finishing a perfect pass from Taylor Hall to beat Devin Cooley and earn the second point. Bussi made 15 stops, recording his first NHL shutout as the Canes triumphed, 1-0. 

Injury Report

Jesperi Kotkaniemi: He was a full participant at practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, signaling he should be good to go soon, if not on Thursday.

Pyotr Kochetkov: He was also in the goalie rotation at practice, though it's unclear when he'll be returning to the net.

Jaccob Slavin: He skated in a yellow non-contact jersey with the full group, which feels like a step in the right direction, even if the head coach said he wasn't close to playing yet.

The Opponent: Toronto Maple Leafs (12-11-3, 27 Points; 6th in the Atlantic Division)

Last Meeting: The Canes traveled to Toronto a little under a month ago to conclude their first back-to-back of the season. The Leafs got off to a quick start after William Nylander buried a breakaway chance five minutes in. The Canes' response was two-fold. First, Sebastian Aho labeled a one-timer on the power play to tie it. Then, Seth Jarvis snapped home a shot in transition to take the lead. Toronto's response came late in the opening frame. John Tavares finished a chance in front of the net, and Nylander hammered home his second of the game on the power play, giving Toronto a 3-2 lead after 20. The Leafs added to their advantage midway through the second when Auston Matthews finished a tap-in at the side of the net. While things were rolling in Toronto's favor, the Canes snatched it away late in the period. Sean Walker's floater from the point eluded Denis Hildeby, putting the Canes down a goal after two. Taylor Hall was on the spot to tie the game early in the third, and Logan Stankoven finished another midway through to put the Canes back in front for good. Despite 42 saves from Hildeby, the Canes prevailed in a 5-4 thriller.

Since We Last Met: Their loss to the Canes was the second of what became a five-game losing streak for the Maple Leafs. They lost seven of eight during this stretch, putting them at an incredible low point early in the season. Things have rebounded well for Toronto, which enters the night with wins in three of its last four, including a pair of dominant victories in Pittsburgh and Sunrise. Their trip to Raleigh is the final of a six-game road trip. Their offense remains lethal, sitting 4th in goals per game and 5th in total goals. William Nylander is tied for 9th in scoring despite missing some time, and John Tavares continues to turn back the clock with 29 points. However, their offense remains very top-heavy. Six players have 18 or more points, and it's the six that you would expect. The rest of the team is way behind. Their defense also remains in rough shape. They're allowing the 5th-most goals per game, though Joseph Woll hasn't been terrible since returning. 

Stories to Watch

1. How will the long layoff affect the Canes?

It has been a month since the Hurricanes played a game. Okay, while that's not entirely true, it certainly feels that way. The Canes are on a nice two-game winning streak as their homestand continues tonight. They're on a nice stretch and have had plenty of rest. It begs the question about how the team will come out of the chute tonight against the team with a little more game action recently. Especially one that is playing better than they have in about a month.

2. New-look power play?

The Hurricanes are doing a little experimenting on the power play at practice, putting Jordan Staal on the top unit to take the draws while Alexander Nikishin has taken most of the reps on the second power play. I'm curious how permanent some of these changes are and whether we'll see them implemented for the entire night. Hopefully, it'll lead to greater success for the group as they try to turn their power play around.