2025-26 Regular Season, Games 31 & 32 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes-Philadelphia Flyers Home-and-Home

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes battled the Washington Capitals on Thursday night with sole possession of first place potentially on the line. Neither side found paydirt in the first period, but it was Washington that got it rolling in the second. Alex Ovechkin sprung Connor McMichael for a breakaway chance that he slid between Brandon Bussi's pads to get the Capitals on the board. The Canes finally broke even late in the frame. After hitting three posts, Nikolaj Ehlers popped a rebound past Logan Thompson to finally beat the Washington netminder. Midway through the third, the Capitals struck again. Nic Dowd, who opened the period by dropping the gloves with Jordan Martinook, redirected a pass from Rasmus Sandin home to restore Washington's lead. With Bussi heading to the bench late in regulation, Logan Stankoven tied it again, snapping a deflected pass from Ehlers over Thompson's glove. Bussi came up with a trio of dazzling stops in overtime and three more in the shootout to pair with Seth Jarvis's beautiful goal to help the Canes earn a 3-2 victory in the nation's capital.

Injury Report

Jesperi Kotkaniemi: As a full participant in practice on Friday, it would make sense to see him at least once this weekend to get him back in the mix.

Jaccob Slavin: He's been participating for a good bit now, but it's unclear how close he is to returning, though I'm cautiously optimistic that it's soon.

The Opponent: Philadelphia Flyers (16-9-4, 36 Points; 4th in the Metropolitan Division)

Last Meeting: The Flyers were in Raleigh for the second game of the season, after the Canes beat the Devils on Opening Night. The home team dominated the opening period, but the Flyers scored on the power play with 21.9 seconds left. Owen Tippett was gifted a bounce off the stanchion as the puck came right to him in the slot for him to finish past a surprised Frederik Andersen. The Canes got it back early in the second when Logan Stankoven buried a rebound on the doorstep. Bobby Brink responded immediately with a quick shot over Andersen's glove to regain the lead. Carolina finally gained some traction, scoring twice before the end of the period. Eric Robinson put a pass ahead of Taylor Hall so he could swoop in a redirect it to tie the game again. Then, with 90 seconds left in the second, Jordan Staal banged one home off a feed from Jordan Martinook to give the Canes their first lead. With four minutes remaining in regulation, the Flyers tied it again. Travis Sanheim uncorked a one-timer from the point to send the game to overtime. The Flyers thought they won it when Brink scored his second of the night, but it was reviewed and retracted for goalie interference. The Canes responded with the winner. Sebastian Aho put a pass in Seth Jarvis's wheelhouse for a one-timer to finish a 4-3 victory, sending the Canes off to California with two wins to begin the season. 

Since We Last Met: In a season when the division and the Wild Card are tighter than they've ever been, the Philadelphia Flyers have put themselves in a very good spot. They hold the top Wild Card by a razor-thin margin while sitting within striking distance of the division leaders. They've done it by remaining even keel. Their offense feels like a paradox to me. You look at the point totals for individuals, led by Trevor Zegras (11 goals, 29 points) and Travis Konecny (8 goals, 25 points), in a lineup with a dozen players recording a dozen points, and you'd think their offense would be very good. Instead, they're near the bottom of the league in goals scored. Inversely, their defense has been solid. They're near the top of the league in goals allowed and in the Top 10 in goals allowed per game. Maybe part of the issue is that their power play hasn't been great, albeit better than Carolina's, which is a low bar to clear. After good months in October and November, they're only 2-2-1 in December, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday in overtime. It's only mildly disappointing after ending last month with wins in six of their final eight. With the home-and-home beginning in Philadelphia on Saturday, the Flyers begin a four-game road trip with the return trip to Raleigh on Sunday. It also starts a stretch of nine road games over their next ten.

Stories to Watch

1. How will the Hurricanes rotate their goalies?

If you haven't heard, the Carolina Hurricanes have three active goalies on their roster, all of whom are currently healthy. Of those three, Brandon Bussi is the only one really feeling it. Pyotr Kochetkov has only made one start since returning from injury, while Frederik Andersen hasn't gotten to his game in over a month. With two games this weekend, the Canes have some decisions to make. I suspect we'll see one of Kochetkov or Andersen on Saturday, with Kochetkov currently holding the edge. Assuming that is the case, there's no argument to not to go back to Bussi on Sunday with how he's been playing. Under normal circumstances, I'd make a point about Bussi having nearly a week between starts if the team waits to play him next Wednesday against Nashville, but Bussi has waited longer than that to get back in the crease this season. I'm sure the Canes will make the smartest decision while still pissing off the fans.

2. Familiarity breeds discontent

Home-and-homes like this were something far more regular decades ago, and I'm a fan of them. In today's game, it usually means you won't see the same goalie in each game. However, it means we could see the aftereffects of Saturday's game when the two meet again on Sunday. The Canes had a scheduling situation like this last season, facing the Florida Panthers on consecutive days after Thanksgiving. The team is in a much different spot right now than they were then, especially in the net. This time around, the Canes feel better equipped to handle it. It should lead to an exciting weekend.