2025-26 Regular Season, Game 47 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at St. Louis Blues

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 point secured, the Canes made a great push in overtime, but the only push that mattered was the cross-check by Andrew Copp on Gostisbehere. By knocking the Canes' defender down, Copp was all alone in front of the net to tap the puck home and win the game. It was a bad miss by the stripes, no matter how much Detroit fans lament the "slash" (that was definitely a slash) called on Lucas Raymond before the tying goal.

Injury Report

William Carrier: He was absent from Monday's morning skate with a lower-body injury and didn't play in Detroit, so I'm not expecting him tonight.

Noah Philp: He hasn't played since suffering a concussion, so it's not clear what his timeline is.

The Opponent: St. Louis Blues (17-21-8, 42 Points; 7th in the Central Division)

Last Season's Meetings: St. Louis was the second stop on the Canes' State Fair trip last season. It was also the only stop during which they lost. After Andrei Svechnikov scored 81 seconds into the game, the Blues scored three unanswered goals just 3:09 apart in the second period (Joseph, Neighbours, Holloway). Shayne Gostisbehere and Jack Roslovic scored less than three minutes into the third period to tie it, but Kasperi Kapanen restored St. Louis' lead less than two minutes later in a 4-3 Blues victory. The Blues visited Raleigh a month later. Jake Neighbours broke the ice, but the Canes controlled it from there. Martin Necas played a part in all four goals, assisting on the first two and scoring the final two. Svechnikov and Eric Robinson, who added three points, scored the other two. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 29 shots in a 4-1 Carolina win to split the season series.

Since We Last Met: The Blues were seconds away from completing a massive seven-game upset in the 1st Round of the playoffs. They had the Winnipeg Jets on the ropes in Game 7. Up 3-1 with less than two minutes left, the Blues conceded a pair with the net empty, including the tying goal with less than three seconds to go, before falling in double overtime to end their season. Coming that close to upsetting the President's Trophy winners, the Blues didn't do much this offseason. The only somewhat notable move they made was a bit confusing, trading Zack Bolduc to Montreal for Logan Mailloux. However, if they thought this roster was close to contending, they were given a reality check once the season began. The Blues have not gained an ounce of traction. They've yet to win more than two games in a row this season and sit near the bottom of the league. At Thanksgiving, they'd benefited some from the loser point (7-10-7). Since then, the Blues are playing around .500 (10-11-1). They're returning from a three-game road trip that saw them lose all three in regulation by a combined 15-7. The Blues have scored the second-fewest goals, with Robert Thomas, Justin Faulk, and Jake Neighbours all tied for the team lead with 11. Thomas is also the leader in points (33), with only three players over 20 points for the season. Their defense hasn't been much better. They're 30th in goals allowed, with Jordan Binnington sporting a .871 save percentage and a 3.53 GAA. They might also be without Philip Broberg, who left Saturday's game with an injury after signing a big extension earlier in the day. The one big advantage they'll have is that they haven't played since Saturday, giving them a few days off before facing a team playing the second half of a back-to-back.

Stories to Watch

1. How do the Hurricanes respond to Monday's loss?

Frankly, this is the only thing I care about. They have plenty of reasons to be upset with how the game ended last night. I'm still a little upset, to be completely honest. I'm not saying the Hurricanes win the game if they call it a penalty, but the power play was certainly feeling it in the third period. With this stinging loss not far in the rear-view mirror, it'll be up to them to shake it off. Tuesday is a brand-new day. The St. Louis Blues are rested, and they should be hungry for a win. Brandon Bussi will draw the assignment with Frederik Andersen playing in Detroit. The team will need him to be his usual, sharp self. The Canes can either let Monday's loss fester and snowball into something worse, or they can move on and put it on the Blues tonight. Personally, the second option sounds more appealing.