2025-26 Regular Season, Game 68 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Last Game: There wasn't much to like about the Carolina Hurricanes' effort in Columbus last night. The Canes immediately found themselves on the wrong side of the game after Mason Marchment scored on the power play early in the first period. The Blue Jackets' man advantage struck again during the final minute of the frame, with Charlie Coyle burying one past Brandon Bussi. The Canes showed signs of life midway through the second, with Nicolas Deslauriers dropping the gloves and Andrei Svechnikov scoring during a 4-on-4 soon after. However, Danton Heinen scored a controversial goal to restore Columbus's two-goal lead, and Denton Mateychuk scored less than a minute later to extend it to three before the end of the second. Mathieu Olivier added one more in the third to complete a 5-1 win for the Blue Jackets.

Injury Report
Shayne Gostisbehere: He didn't play on Tuesday, and all signs point to him missing tonight's contest as well, with a chance of playing on the upcoming road trip potentially.

The Opponent: Pittsburgh Penguins (34-18-15, 83 Points; 2nd in the Metropolitan Division)
Last Meeting: The Penguins visited Raleigh to begin their five-game road trip last Tuesday night, making tonight's meeting a full-circle moment for them. The Canes struck early in the opening frame after Logan Stankoven popped home a loose puck from the top of the crease. Pittsburgh got it back on a last-minute goal by Anthony Mantha, and their power play put them ahead during the second period, courtesy of Bryan Rust. The Canes' response early in the third was lethal. Mark Jankowski knotted things up, and Seth Jarvis added another 59 seconds later on a breakaway. Alexander Nikishin hammered home a one-timer during a 5-on-3, putting the Canes in the driver's seat down the stretch. Stuart Skinner made an incredible stop on Eric Robinson to prevent the lead from ballooning, allowing the Penguins to make their comeback. With their goalie on the bench, Rust's shot hit Noel Acciari's skate, pulling Pittsburgh within one. With 35 seconds left, Rust capitalized on a block at the side of the net, beating Frederik Andersen to send the game to overtime. The Canes were forced to kill a penalty in overtime, doing so to send the game to a shootout. Ben Kindel opened the scoring in the first round, but Jackson Blake responded in the second round to tie it. Andrei Svechnikov put the Canes out front in the third round, and Andersen denied Mantha to finish the job, earning the Canes a 5-4 win.

Since We Last Met: Their trip continued West, with three games against playoff teams. The Penguins came home with four of six possible points, looking to finish on the right foot. They were beaten soundly by the Vegas Golden Knights, with Arturs Silovs allowing five goals on 16 shots in a 6-2 loss. Dylan Guenther put them behind early in Utah. Still, this scrappy Penguins group countered with three unanswered and responded to the tying goal by getting another gritty one soon after to reclaim the lead. Stuart Skinner played very well in the win, stopping 26 shots in a 4-3 victory. To close the Western portion, the Penguins made the Avalanche look really bad in their building. Getting Evgeni Malkin back into the lineup was a big help. He recorded two goals and an assist in return from suspension, leading the Penguins to a 7-2 thrashing of the Avs in Denver. Bryan Rust's fingerprints have been all over this trip, tying with Erik Karlsson for the most points (7) while leading the team with four goals. The rotation seemingly indicates that Stuart Skinner will be in the net for the contest. He made 40 saves in Raleigh. Having Malkin back in the lineup is going to be big for them, and Sidney Crosby doesn't appear to be far either. I wouldn't be surprised if we see him on Sunday night when these two meet for the final time.

Stories to Watch
1. Flush it and move on
Tuesday night in Columbus is among the Canes' worst performances of the season, but that was last night. Tonight presents a new challenge for the group, and they have no choice but to respond with a big effort. The lead in the division is seven points, which remains the largest in the league at the moment. However, with two of the next three games against the Penguins, there could be a swing in Pittsburgh's favor if the Hurricanes continue to slide. They can't afford for this to become the trend. It starts with a big performance in the net by Frederik Andersen, but it'll ultimately be on the guys in front of him to make sure things don't carry over.

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