2025-26 Regular Season, Game 67 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes earned a statement victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night, going into a tough environment and coming out of it with two more points. They got off to an incredible start. Andrei Svechnikov immediately drew a penalty, but he refused to stop play. Just 36 seconds in, he finished a pass from Sebastian Aho to get the group rolling. Late in the period, Svechnikov returned the favor. After Aho was denied on a breakaway, Svechnikov slid the rebound over to Aho for an easy goal, making it 2-0 after 20. The Canes were in control, but they let it slip late in the second. Yanni Gourde got in on a breakaway. Frederik Andersen got some of it, but not enough, allowing the Bolts to gain some life. Just over a minute later, they stormed in on a 3-on-1, and Charle-Edouard D'Astous finished it, tying the game at two. After an incredible stop from Andersen and an even better stop by Sean Walker, the team pushed back in front. Jordan Martinook surprised Andrei Vasilevskiy with a sharp-angle shot, putting the group up 3-2 with more than half of the period remaining. Andersen made one final big stop on Kucherov before Logan Stankoven scored into the empty net, securing a 4-2 win. 

Injury Report

Shayne Gostisbehere: It sounds like he's closing in on a return, but it won't be on Tuesday night, and probably not on Wednesday either.

The Opponent: Columbus Blue Jackets (34-21-11, 79 Points; 4th in the Metropolitan Division)

Last Meeting: The Blue Jackets made the trip to Raleigh for the first of four meetings this season. They got on the board first, striking on the power play with an easy backdoor tap-in for Dmitri Voronkov. From there, it was pretty much all Carolina. The Canes tied it midway through the second after Andrei Svechnikov's hard work along the boards allowed him to find Seth Jarvis in the slot. Tied at one after 40, the home team pulled ahead in the third and stayed there. Eric Robinson put his group ahead. Joel Nystrom intercepted a pass, and Taylor Hall fed Robinson to finish the chance on a 2-on-1. The captain joined the fun, redirecting Svechnikov's shot past Jet Greaves to extend the lead. Jordan Martinook capped it off by finding the empty net. Brandon Bussi was outstanding, earning his ninth win in ten starts, as the Canes rolled to a 4-1 victory.

Since We Last Met: There is a movement in Columbus right now that is gaining traction and could threaten to steal a playoff bid from one of the teams that has long been involved. When they fired Dean Evason on January 11, the Blue Jackets were last in the division and the conference, despite being a .500 team. Since that move, they've been nearly impossible to slow down. All of a sudden, they're the team closest to the cut line. They sit just two points back of the Islanders and the Penguins in the division, and they are breathing down the necks of the Atlantic teams occupying the Wild Card spots. At 15-2-4 under Rick Bowness, the Blue Jackets seem legit. Zach Werenski feels like a near-lock to be a finalist for the Norris Trophy, sitting tied for second in defensemen's goals (20), second in points (68), and second in time on ice (26:28). Kirill Marchenko leads the team with 25 goals and trails only Werenski with 57 points. Charlie Coyle seems poised to break his career-high in points. He has 51 points, 25 of which have come since the coaching change in January. Dmitri Voronkov has goals in five straight against the Canes, and his seven goals on the power play lead the Blue Jackets. Jet Greaves has taken over as the primary goalie for the Blue Jackets, starting 40 games, and his future appears very bright. The team has added Mason Marchment and Conor Carland through trades since we met in December, and both have fit in nicely with their new teams. While things are trending in the right direction, the Blue Jackets still face several hurdles, mostly because their numbers don't stand out. They're middle-of-the-road in just about everything on offense and defense. They've also benefited from the "loser point" quite a bit. They've earned points in their last nine games, but four of them have ended in overtime losses. At this stage of the season, points are points, no matter how you get them. The Blue Jackets have won quite a bit over the last two months, and they're within striking distance of the playoffs.

Stories to Watch

1. Match Columbus's Desperation

Given where they are in the standings right now, the Columbus Blue Jackets are already playing playoff games, trying to keep their hopes alive. They've been doing a very good job, too. While the Canes are in a more favorable position, there is still plenty for them to play for right now. Their spot atop the division is anything but secure, especially with a pair of games against the Penguins this week, including tomorrow night in Raleigh. The Canes need Brandon Bussi to turn in his best performance since the break, and the team around him needs to play the type of game that makes it possible. Otherwise, the Blue Jackets will find ways to make tonight's game very long and painful to sit through.