Thoughts From My Couch

Thursday night was nuts, but it's in the past now. The Carolina Hurricanes start a back-to-back on Saturday against a division opponent, so all of the celebrating subsides. They're rolling into this one, earning points in their last six games after the miraculous comeback win, and they sit atop the division. The Capitals are trying to get it figured out, and the timing of some injuries has made it even tougher. Along with Pierre-Luc Dubois' long-term ailment, both of their goalies are out, two of their key defensemen aren't playing, and Connor McMichael, who scored in the last matchup, is week-to-week. Still, the Capitals have known Canes' killer Alex Ovechkin, general nuisance Tom Wilson, and two of the highest-scoring defensemen in the league, John Carlson and Jakub Chychrun. The Capitals are desperate. It'll be up to the Canes to match it. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (13:27)- Mark Jankowski (5) (William Carrier (6) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (7)) CAR (17:51)...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes played their first game in four days on Thursday night, battling the Utah Mammoth on Whalers Night. Andrei Svechnikov got the Canes off to a fast start, potting a rebound past Karel Vejmelka. The Canes maintained their lead after 20 minutes, but Utah tied it early in the second, capitalizing on a blown tire. Shayne Gostisbehere, playing in his first game in over two weeks, fell in the neutral zone, allowing the Mammoth to turn it the other way and score when Kailer Yamamoto went post-and-in on Brandon Bussi. Yamamoto potted his second a few minutes later after getting away with a slash. The Mammoth's fourth line was denied on a 2-on-1 before Yamamoto cleaned up the trash. Gostisbehere got is back late in the period by hammering home a shot on the power play, but another turnover led to another Utah goal 19 seconds later. Jalen Chatfield's dump-in attempt was blocked by Barrett Hayton. He turned it up the ice and found JJ Peterka for a one-time...

I'd almost forgotten what gameday felt like. That's how long it has been since the Carolina Hurricanes played. We only have one more week of games before the Olympics break, so let's enjoy it while we can. Tonight, it's actually the Hartford Whalers on the ice, playing in their green, blue, and white for the final time this season against the Utah Mammoth. The group is getting positive results, recording points in their last five games, even if their effort isn't always the best. Their lead in the Metropolitan Division is okay, but it would certainly be better with two more points tonight. The team is welcoming Shayne Gostisbehere back into the lineup, which hopefully bodes well for a power play that has struggled in its last two outings. Facing Karel Vejmelka, you're either scoring five times or not at all. We'll see which side the Hurricanes land on tonight. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (3:04)- Andrei Svechnikov (19) (unassisted) 2nd Period UTH (4:10)- K...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes extended their point streak to five games with a win in Ottawa that they earned, but it certainly wasn't their best effort. They jumped out to an early lead on a pair of goals in the first 5:36. Mark Jankowski and William Carrier took advantage of a bad line change, getting into the zone uncontested before Carrier finished the play to open the scoring. Less than two minutes later, Alexander Nikishin made a disgusting saucer pass to Seth Jarvis, who went bar-down on James Reimer to extend the lead. The Senators controlled play for most of the first period, but they couldn't get anything past Brandon Bussi. The Canes added another late in the frame. Taylor Hall used Thomas Chabot as a screen, sneaking it five-hole to triple the advantage. Andrei Svechnikov quadrupled it in the second. During a 5-on-3, Svechnikov threw the puck at the front of the net from below the goal line and got a bounce. The rubber hit Tyler Kleven's skates and trickled...

There's a storm outside, but the Carolina Hurricanes hoped to create a storm of their own when they took the ice in Ottawa for the first of two pre-Olympic meetings with the Senators. Tonight's contest took place in what was expected to be one of the coldest provinces on the continent, as Winter Storm Fern makes her presence felt. Inside the barn, the Canes tried to get back on the winning side, entering the night with points in four straight contests (3-0-1). Brandon Bussi was looking to build off another excellent start against the Sabres, while the offense needed to find a way to play from in front against a team struggling to stay in the hunt in the Atlantic Division. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (3:53)- William Carrier (6) (Mark Jankowski (7) & Jalen Chatfield (10)) CAR (5:36)- Seth Jarvis (23) (Alexander Nikishin (15) & Andrei Svechnikov (26)) CAR (18:43)- Taylor Hall (12) (Jackson Blake (15) & Jalen Chatfield (11)) 2nd Period CAR (9:29-PP)- Andrei Svechniko...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes extended their point streak on Thursday night, but they couldn't find the second point in a shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Canes fell behind three times in the game, but they responded with a goal to get the game to overtime. Ilya Mikheyev scored short-handed in the first period after intercepting a telegraphed pass and popping home a rebound after Frederik Andersen stopped the initial chance. Joel Nystrom tied it by scoring his first NHL goal with a quick snapshot from inside the dots. In the second period, Nick Lardis broke through by squeezing a shot under his arm. Jordan Staal got it back for the Canes, burying a 2-on-1 over Spencer Knight's shoulder. In the third, Connor Murphy slid a shot around Andersen's pad, but Jackson Blake scored 42 seconds later to tie it a third time. Both goalies made big stops in overtime before the Blackhawks won it in the shootout. Andrei Svechnikov and Connor Bedard each scored in the secon...

For the third time in five games, the Carolina Hurricanes are on national television. It's their second time on ESPN+ during that stretch, and the first time around didn't go very well for the Canes. Fortunately, they're on home ice this time, so that could be a positive sign. Their opponent is the Chicago Blackhawks, which means it'll be a steady diet of Connor Bedard talk for the better part of 2.5 hours. It doesn't matter, though. The Canes are riding a three-game winning streak that includes a fun win over the Sabres on Monday. With only a change in the net coming, the home team needs another sound defensive effort against one of the league's top stars.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CHI (11:12-SH)- Ilya Mikheyev (9) (unassisted) CAR (12:50)- Joel Nystrom (1) (Jesperi Kotkaniemi (6)) 2nd Period CHI (4:35)- Nick Lardis (5) (Ryan Donato (10) & Oliver Moore (10)) CAR (9:16)- Jordan Staal (11) (Jordan Martinook (9) & Jaccob Slavin (2)) 3rd Period CHI (13:38...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes and the Buffalo Sabres played a playoff-like game on Monday afternoon at the Lenovo Center. Buffalo got off to a very quick start, scoring on its first shot of the game. Rasmus Dahlin buried a chance past Brandon Bussi to put the Sabres on top early. The Hurricanes responded quickly. Sean Walker made a good play in the neutral zone to interrupt the Sabres' breakout, Sebastian Aho showed good patience, and Andrei Svechnikov got his stick free for the tap-in, tying the game at one. Both Bussi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen were outstanding. Bussi made a few highlight-reel stops during the middle frame, but his best was easily his 2-on-0 glove save on Tage Thompson that broke the internet. The Canes assumed the lead early in the third period. Aho and Svechnikov set up Seth Jarvis on the power play to take their first lead of the afternoon. From there, the Sabres kept pushing, but Bussi wasn't letting anything through. While he only finished with 17 sav...

The Carolina Hurricanes haven't fared well in matinee games this season, losing a pair in November to Boston and Buffalo. The good news? Both of those were on the road. Today's matinee takes place at the Lenovo Center, meaning the team should be ready to give the fans a show in Raleigh. Both teams have playing exceptional hockey right now, which feels like a long-time coming for the Buffalo Sabres. They've been on fire since early December. The Canes have been a little more sporadic, but they've responded well to being shut out last Tuesday. With a chance to take the season series against the Sabres, the team turned to Brandon Bussi to continue his magnificent season and put the Sabres in their place.  Scoring Summary 1st Period BUF (1:33)- Rasmus Dahlin (7) (Jack Quinn (17) & Jason Zucker (14)) CAR (7:04)- Andrei Svechnikov (17) (Sebastian Aho (34) & Sean Walker (10)) 2nd Period None 3rd Period CAR (2:10-PP)- Seth Jarvis (22) (Andrei Svechnikov (25) & Sebas...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes completed a perfect weekend with a victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night in Newark. Frederik Andersen and Jacob Markstrom held their opponents scoreless for most of the opening 40 minutes, but the Canes finally broke through late in the second. Andrei Svechnikov forced an errant pass from Luke Hughes. Sebastian Aho picked it off and dropped it for Svechnikov to snap under Markstrom's glove. Svechnikov struck again 57 seconds later. This one should've been stopped, as Svechnikov's shot trickled through Markstrom's pads. The Devils got within a goal on the power play early in the third, but they wouldn't draw closer. Jackson Blake restored the two-goal advantage during a delayed penalty, finishing a beautiful pass from Nikolaj Ehlers. To close the scoring, Svechnikov completed his hat trick. Seth Jarvis forced another turnover, and Aho made another good pass to Svechnikov, who threw it past Markstrom a third time to co...

Last night was a great night for the Carolina Hurricanes, but that has to be left in the past. The Canes laid the smackdown on the Florida Panthers, scoring nine goals in a 9-1 rout at the Lenovo Center. Everyone got involved, but it was Nikolaj Ehlers who stole the show, scoring the team's second hat trick of the season. However, it's a new day, which means their attention must be turned to the New Jersey Devils. The Canes had a golden opportunity to put more distance between them and the rest of the division, especially with the Islanders and the Flyers losing in regulation this afternoon. With the same lineup playing in front of Frederik Andersen, it should be business as usual for their second trip to Newark in less than two weeks. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (13:12)- Andrei Svechnikov (14) (Sebastian Aho (31)) CAR (14:09)- Andrei Svechnikov (15) (Sebastian Aho (32) & Sean Walker (9))  3rd Period NJD (4:27-PP)- Timo Meier (13) (Cody Glass (3) & Do...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes pulled out the belt on Friday night, spanking the Florida Panthers at the Lenovo Center. It was relatively tight early in the game. Nikolaj Ehlers finally broke the ice late in the opening period after the captain made an insane pass from along the wall to find him in the slot. The Panthers tied it early in the second, but they wouldn't score again for the rest of the night. The Canes restored their lead when Mark Jankowski got to the front of the net and put home a rebound. Alexander Nikishin added to it with a 92.5 MPH bomb on the power play to push the lead to two after 40 minutes. The third period was all Carolina. The Canes scored three more times on the power play. Andrei Svechnikov started it by recording his 400th point. Ehlers got his second of the night on a 5-on-3. Taylor Hall got another 23 seconds later. Ehlers completed his hat trick by scoring the team's seventh goal of the night. Hall made it eight, and Eric Robinson got the ni...

There might not be a bigger contest this season than this one for the Carolina Hurricanes. It's not about the division. It's not about playoff seeding. It's not even about revenge. It's all about pride. The Hurricanes have lost to the Panthers twice this season in demoralizing fashion. They've blown leads in both Sunrise and Raleigh. The Canes have no other chances to get some shred of dignity back this season against the Panthers. This is it. They have to do it now. The Panthers are without several of their key contributors. The Canes are at home, with the crowd on their side. They have to find a way to exercise a few of their demons tonight.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (18:35)- Nikolaj Ehlers (12) (Jordan Staal (10) & Jordan Martinook (8)) 2nd Period FLA (1:19)- Uvis Balinskis (2) (Mackie Samoskevich (15) & Sandis Valmanis (1)) CAR (13:10)- Mark Jankowski (4) (Alexander Nikishin (14) & Mike Reilly (6)) CAR (16:28-PP)- Alexander Nikishin (6) (Sebast...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes suffered their first shutout loss of the season on Tuesday night, falling 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues. After both sides failed to score in the first period, a turnover on the power play led to the Blues breaking the ice early in the second. Nick Bjugstad, returning after a month, fired it over Brandon Bussi's glove to get it started. Midway through the period, the Blues transitioned the puck beautifully again. This time, Dalibor Dvorsky was on the receiving end, doubling the lead. To close the frame, Jimmy Snuggerud nearly replicated Bjugstad's goal, firing the puck over Bussi's glove-side shoulder to push it to three. The only story left to tell in the third period was Joel Hofer's. He recorded 33 saves, picking up his fourth shutout of the season. Bussi made 28 stops in defeat.  Injury Report Jaccob Slavin: He was on the ice for Thursday's practice, seemingly indicating that he'll play on Friday, but likely not on Saturday, pe...

It doesn't matter how last night ended. It's all about what the Carolina Hurricanes choose to do in response. Tonight, they turn their focus to the St. Louis Blues to complete this quick back-to-back on the road. They don't have time to think about Monday night in Detroit. All of their attention is on the Blues. The Canes wouldn't have Jaccob Slavin for the contest, keeping him out for the second half as part of his rehab. It would be a big change with the Canes' pillar of stability, Brandon Bussi, in the net. Tonight marks his 20th start in the NHL, and he's going for win #17. To do it, he'll need to beat a Blues team that is sliding and playing without its top scorer and one of its top defensemen. This has the makings of a classic trap game, if the Canes aren't careful. I feel like they'll be plenty motivated to earn two points, but we'll have to see whether my intuition is correct. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period STL (3:09-SH)- Nick...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes had to settle for one point after a very bad missed call in overtime robbed them of the second. Despite playing an excellent first period, the Canes found themselves behind early on a James van Riemsdyk power-play goal. The start of the second period saw the Red Wings extend their lead quickly. Alex DeBrincat snapped a shot in the slot past Frederik Andersen to double the advantage. Then, Albert Johansson finished a beautiful pass from Patrick Kane to balloon the lead to three less than five minutes into the frame. Down by three at the start of the third, it felt like the game was over. However, the Canes kept fighting. Jackson Blake started up the comeback trail by scoring on the power play. Seth Jarvis kept the journey going with his third short-handed goal, burying a 2-on-1 with Sebastian Aho. Things were knotted at three when Shayne Gostisbehere scored during a 5-on-3 late in regulation, much to the disdain of the fans in attendance. With one poin...

Division leaders took the ice on Monday night. While the Hurricanes' spot couldn't be overtaken, the Red Wings are fighting for their lives to stay atop the Atlantic Division, with Montreal and Tampa Bay breathing down their necks. Both teams have been rolling, with the Canes entering on a four-game winning streak, and Detroit winning their last three and five of their last seven. Both teams were also playing the first halves of back-to-backs. The Canes were without one of their hardest hitters up front, with William Carrier suffering an undisclosed injury between Saturday's game and Monday's morning skate. Former Ducks teammates squared off in the net, adding another interesting dimension to the contest. Scoring Summary 1st Period DET (1:32-PP)- James van Riemsdyk (12) (Moritz Seider (26) & Lucas Raymond (35)) 2nd Period DET (1:28)- Alex DeBrincat (24) (Andrew Copp (20) & Ben Chiarot (6)) DET (4:54)- Albert Johansson (1) (Patrick Kane (20) & Alex DeBrincat ...

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes kept the fun times going on Saturday night, though they didn't make it easy on themselves. They got the part started early, with Logan Stankoven scoring in his fourth straight game. K'Andre Miller picked off an attempted pass out of the zone before finding Stankoven alone in the slot. Seattle got it back late in the opening frame. Matty Beniers danced around Jaccob Slavin and slid his shot through Brandon Bussi's pads to knot it up. Neither team scored in the middle frame, keeping it 1-1 heading into the third period. Bussi made a big mistake, having his attempted clearing pass knocked down by Ryan Winterton. He slid it to Berkly Catton, who scored to give Seattle its first lead. The Staal line worked to tie the game. Jordan Staal confused the Seattle defenders, sliding a pass to an unmarked Jordan Martinook in front of the net for the tying tally. A little over three minutes later, the captain was at it again. He played catch with Jaccob ...

Today was a great day to get Jaccob Slavin back into the lineup. Frankly, any day would've been a good day for that. The Hurricanes are finally back to full strength again amongst the forwards and the defense, which isn't something we've seen in a long time. They had the chance to finish a perfect homestand against the West on Saturday night, while the Seattle Kraken sought to extend their point streak to 11 games with a win in Raleigh. They'd have to do it without their leading scorers, Jordan Eberle and Chandler Stephenson, in the lineup, but they are all about playing sound defense in front of their netminders. Brandon Bussi and Joey Daccord drew the assignments tonight, giving us a good duel on Saturday night in Raleighwood. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (3:23)- Logan Stankoven (10) (K'Andre Miller (17)) SEA (14:13)- Matty Beniers (9) (Cale Fleury (2) & Ryan Lindgren (5)) 2nd Period None 3rd Period SEA (5:56)- Berkly Catton (3) (Ryan Winterton (7)) CAR (10:...