Thoughts From My Couch

The Carolina Hurricanes had the opportunity to finish the job on Saturday afternoon in the Senators' barn. All they needed to do was win one more game to send them to the next round. The Canes were dealt their first bit of adversity in the series, with the news that Nikolaj Ehlers wouldn't be able to play today. That didn't change the objective. One more win, and it would be the toughest of them all to get. The Senators have dealt with adversity this entire series. They lost one defenseman in Game 1. Then, they lost another in Game 3. Neither would be available today. It made their job that much harder as they tried to begin their climb out of this three-game hole. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (15:15)- Taylor Hall (2) (Mark Jankowski (1) & Eric Robinson (2)) OTT (17:08-PP)- Drake Batherson (3) (Tim Stutzle (1) & Carter Yakemchuk (1)) 3rd Period CAR (9:10-PP)- Logan Stankoven (4) (K'Andre Miller (3) & Taylor Hall (5)) CAR (17:38-EN)- Sebasti...

There's a change of venue for the next two games, but the job for the Carolina Hurricanes remains the same. They have a 2-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators, but two wins won't earn you a series victory. Four wins will. They have five chances to win two games, and it starts tonight in Ottawa. The Canes seem content with the way things have been, leading to no changes with their lineup, including a third-straight start for Frederik Andersen. Ottawa seems poised to get a boost with the return of Tyler Kleven. They're also shaking up their lines a little after scoring just twice in the first two games of the series. It'll be on the Canes to handle these changes and the rowdy Ottawa crowd to keep their momentum rolling from Monday night. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (5:13)- Logan Stankoven (3) (Taylor Hall (3) & Eric Robinson (1)) 2nd Period OTT (16:06)- Drake Batherson (2) (Nick Cousins (1)) CAR (17:29)- Jackson Blake (1) (K'Andre Miller (2) & Taylor Hall...

After getting off to an excellent start with their win on Saturday afternoon, there was no room for the Carolina Hurricanes to become complacent. While they won the game, they needed two goals from their second line and a perfect performance from Frederik Andersen in the net to get it done. A win this time of year is great, regardless of the way it came to be, but they needed more from everyone else in the lineup to make sure they made it two. The Senators were certain to come out hungry after being shut out. It would be up to the Canes to match their hunger and tenacity, while staying within themselves and playing their game. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (6:31-PP)- Logan Stankoven (2) (Taylor Hall (2) & Jackson Blake (3)) 2nd Period CAR (7:50)- Sebastian Aho (1) (Jordan Staal (1)) OTT (10:47)- Drake Batherson (1) (Jake Sanderson (1)) OTT (16:40)- Dylan Cozens (1) (Ridly Greig (1) & Jake Sanderson (2)) 3rd Period None Overtime None 2nd Overtime CAR (13:53)- Jordan Martinook (...

Every record is wiped clean, and teams are all back at the starting line as the 2026 postseason gets underway today. The Carolina Hurricanes hope that this is their year, while the Ottawa Senators, a popular upset pick among many experts, try to spoil one of the best seasons in Hurricanes history. While the series couldn't be won or lost today, the result of Game 1 could go a long way in setting the tone for how the rest of the series would play out. The Canes won the season series during the regular season, but the Senators won the most recent meeting in Ottawa a few weeks ago. Frederik Andersen got the opener for the Canes, while Linus Ullmark was on the other side. With a lot on the line over the next few weeks, each side tried to get out in front of it. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (2:11)- Logan Stankoven (1) (Jackson Blake (1) & Taylor Hall (1)) 3rd Period CAR (7:15)- Taylor Hall (1) (Logan Stankoven (1) & Jackson Blake (2)) My Thoughts If there was e...

Eastern Conference M1. Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2.  Ottawa Senators Season Series- The Hurricanes won two out of three against the Senators. They split the games in Ottawa, with the Canes winning, 4-1, in January, while Ottawa won the most recent battle, 6-3, a few weeks ago. The only game in Raleigh was a 4-1 Carolina win in February. Postseason History- This will be the 1st postseason meeting between these two teams. The Canes are in their eighth straight postseason, trying to reach at least the conference finals for the fourth time during that span. Ottawa is in for the second straight season, losing to Toronto in six games last April. Prediction- There is a part of me that just wants to say "Carolina in 5" because of my die-hard fandom for the Hurricanes. However, the rational hockey brain in me won't allow that to happen. This is the toughest opening-round opponent the Hurricanes have faced since the 2019 Capitals, when the Canes were the up-and-coming team. Now, th...

Six months of work reach their end tonight for the Carolina Hurricanes. They have already done what they needed to do, so tonight doesn't mean a ton for the Canes, while the Islanders' season is done once the final horn sounds. While we wouldn't see Pyotr Kochetkov, as we had initially expected, because of a technicality, we did get the NHL debuts of Felix Unger Sorum and Ronan Seeley, as well as the return of Joel Nystrom. Honestly, as long as everyone stays healthy, I'm not very invested in how this one plays out. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (3:05)- Nikolaj Ehlers (26) (Felix Unger Sorum (1) & Logan Stankoven (23)) 2nd Period NYI (13:14)- Bo Horvat (31) (Mathew Barzal (53) & Victor Eklund (1)) 3rd Period CAR (14:38)- Mark Jankowski (11) (Joel Nystrom (9) & Alexander Nikishin (22)) My Thoughts I think I can honestly say that this was one of the weirdest pre-game roller coaster rides that I can remember. All day, we'd anticipated seeing a pair of NHL ...

Last Game : The Carolina Hurricanes saw their winning streak come to an end on Monday night against the Flyers, but they got a point to check the final box. They got off to a very good start in Philadelphia. After a few good stops by Brandon Bussi early, Nikolaj Ehlers made a great pass to Bradly Nadeau from behind the net to get the Canes off and running. Late in the opening frame, Ehlers added a goal on the power play, reaching 70 points and extending the lead. However, the Flyers, needing a win to clinch a playoff spot, worked back into it. Matvei Michkov snapped a shot past Bussi to finally get the Flyers on the board. Less than three minutes later, Trevor Zegras tied it on the power play. He outwaited Bussi and slid it home to get the building rocking. Neither team got the go-ahead goal in the third, allowing the Canes to get a point and secure the top spot in the East. However, the storybook ending for the Flyers materialized in the shootout, with Tyson Foerster scoring in the fo...

The resting of players continued for the Carolina Hurricanes as they tried to lock up the top spot in the Eastern Conference. All they needed was one point, or for the Blackhawks to beat the Sabres in some fashion. Meanwhile, this game meant a ton for the Philadelphia Flyers, needing a win to finish third in the division and secure the final playoff spot in the conference. This meant another game with half of the Canes' roster against a fully available opponent. It worked during the first two stops on their road trip in Chicago and Utah. They hoped it would work again in Philly. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (8:41)- Bradly Nadeau (3) (Nikolaj Ehlers (45) & Sean Walker (22)) CAR (15:30-PP)- Nikolaj Ehlers (25) (Logan Stankoven (22) & Jackson Blake (31)) 2nd Period PHI (7:57)- Matvei Michkov (19) (Denver Barkey (12) & Noah Cates (29)) PHI (10:30-PP)- Trevor Zegras (26) (Porter Martone (5) & Tyson Foerster (4)) 3rd Period None Overtime None Shootout PHI- Tyson Foerste...

Last Game : The Carolina Hurricanes swapped mass rest groups on Saturday in Salt Lake City, but they came away with another victory over a very solid Utah squad. The Canes got going early, with the power play doing the job. Andrei Svechnikov put a rebound past a sprawling Karel Vejmelka to get the Canes on the board first and earn Svechnikov new career highs in goals and points. They added to it late in the frame. Jordan Staal scored his 20th of the season on a great feed from Nikolaj Ehlers, his second assist already, to double the advantage. Clayton Keller had a goal wiped off for being offside, ensuring a 2-0 lead for the Canes after 20. The lead persisted into the third period before Dylan Guenther wired a one-timer past Frederik Andersen on the power play to cut the deficit in half. The dagger came when Sebastian Aho kept his stick just below the crossbar to redirect Shayne Gostisbehere's shot, restoring the two-goal lead on Aho's 80th point. Sean Walker put it to bed for ...

As one group returned from its rest, another group took a seat in the press box. To their credit, those getting today off did a wonderful job in Chicago, so it was a well-earned game off for them. With the stars and the captains back on the ice against a very solid Utah team, the goal was very simple: win and stay healthy. If they could do both things, or just stay healthy, it would be a trip well spent for the team. Frederik Andersen getting back-to-back starts threw me for a bit of a loop, but I can't complain after what he did against the Blackhawks. Hopefully, Rod Brind'Amour knows what he is doing there. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (4:25-PP)- Andrei Svechnikov (31) (Nikolaj Ehlers (43) & Shayne Gostisbehere (36) CAR (13:23)- Jordan Staal (20) (Nikolaj Ehlers (44) & Jordan Martinook (16)) 2nd Period None 3rd Period UTH (2:42-PP)- Dylan Guenther (40) (Clayton Keller (58) & Mikhail Sergachev (48)) CAR (15:31)- Sebastian Aho (27) (Shayne Gostisbehere (37) & ...

Last Game : The Carolina Hurricanes rested almost half of their normal roster, and they still beat the Chicago Blackhawks like they stole something on Thursday to open their final road trip of the season. Sean Walker broke the ice, needing just 19 seconds to get the Canes off and rolling. Anton Frondell got the Hawks even, and Andrew Mangiapane would've given them the lead if not for the skate blade of Frederik Andersen. Late in the opening frame, Logan Stankoven joined the 20-goal club with a beautiful steal and tuck over Spencer Knight's shoulder. The Canes ballooned the lead from there. Stankoven scored his second of the game early in the second with a rebound finish. Mark Jankowski redirected Alexander Nikishin's wrister with a subtle tip to make it 4-1 after two. K'Andre Miller joined the party by clapping a one-timer after coming out of the box. Frondell scored his second of the game 22 seconds later, but Taylor Hall got one against his old team to restore the fou...

The road to the postseason has just one more road trip to get through before the Hurricanes begin their chase for the Stanley Cup once more. The four-game journey begins tonight in the Windy City against the Chicago Blackhawks. While postseason hockey remains a distant memory for Chicago, they are still in the business of being spoilers. The Canes called up a bunch of players on Wednesday, which could signal the beginning of mass resting for the group, which I wouldn't be opposed to. The Canes have just the top spot in the conference to play for, though that comes with both great advantages and expectations. This game could serve as the trend setter for the team as they venture through a wild path before Game 1 this weekend. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (0:19)- Sean Walker (8) (Nikolaj Ehlers (42)) CHI (10:48)- Anton Frondell (2) (Louis Crevier (17)) CAR (17:10)- Logan Stankoven (20) (unassisted) 2nd Period CAR (4:08)- Logan Stankoven (21) (Taylor Hall (30) & Jackson Blake (3...

Last Game : The Carolina Hurricanes put the Metropolitan Division to rest with an overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, and the road to get there was wild. Hampus Lindholm got the scoring started for the Bruins, but Andrei Svechnikov got a bounce on a wrap-around, and K'Andre Miller sniped one off the draw to put the Canes in front midway through the frame. The Bruins' top line answered with two before the end of the period. On both occasions, David Pastrnak set up Morgan Geekie, giving the former Hurricane a chance for revenge against his old team. The Canes' offense exploded in the second. Logan Stankoven started it with another goal on the power play. William Carrier put the Canes back in front with a shot under Jeremy Swayman's glove. Then, Taylor Hall followed his rebound and slid it through the pads of the netminder, chasing Swayman from the game. Geekie pulled the Bruins within a goal by redirecting a shot to finish his hat trick. In the third, the only...

We could be looking at a first-round matchup preview tonight between the Hurricanes and the Bruins at the Lenovo Center. The Canes need just one point to clinch the division, while the Bruins appear anchored in the top Wild Card spot with just four games to go. There is no shortage of history between these two in the postseason, meeting three times in the last seven years under Rod Brind'Amour. The times have changed quite a bit with each passing matchup. Tonight's home finale serves as the rubber match in the season series, with the teams splitting games in Boston in November. The Canes have the ball in their court, so it's up to them to get this one over the finish line and leave no doubt as to who the best team in the Metropolitan Division is. Scoring Summary 1st Period BOS (4:40)- Hampus Lindholm (5) (Pavel Zacha (34) & Viktor Arvidsson (28)) CAR (10:04)- Andrei Svechnikov (30) (Alexander Nikishin (20) & Sean Walker (20)) CAR (11:38)- K'Andre Miller (7) (Jor...

Last Game : The Carolina Hurricanes failed to claim the division crown on Sunday, nor did they receive the requisite help to get it done. They lost in the second half of their back-to-back in Ottawa. They got off to a good start, with Logan Stankoven scoring on the power play, but Dylan Cozen responded with one on the power play, and Tim Stutzle carved through the defense for a beautiful tuck to give the Senators the lead. Andrei Svechnikov scored the tying goal in the dying seconds of the opening frame to send the teams into the second tied at two. Brady Tkachuk redirected one past Frederik Andersen in the second to put the Senators back in front. They broke it open in the third. Shane Pinto snapped one on the power play, and Tkachuk added his second on a rebound. Taylor Hall tried to make it look a little closer, scoring his 300th career goal. Claude Giroux re-extended the lead back to three into the empty net, securing a 6-3 win for the Senators. Injury Report None that I'm awar...

A chance to claim the division crown is back on the table for the Carolina Hurricanes today, and they won't need to rely on anyone else to get it done this time. The Canes just need one point against the Ottawa Senators to finish the job, though the Panthers taking the Penguins to overtime or outright beating them would help, too. Meanwhile, the Senators are holding on, fighting for a chance to get into the postseason, entering the day in the final spot, though it's far from secure. The Senators will be ready to fight for their lives, while the Canes must be ready to respond in the second half of a back-to-back less than 24 hours later. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (5:22- PP)- Logan Stankoven (18) (Nikolaj Ehlers (41) & Jackson Blake (26)) OTT (7:17-PP)- Dylan Cozens (27) (Tim Stutzle (46) & Drake Batherson (35)) OTT (8:52)- Tim Stutzle (33) (unassisted) CAR (19:41)- Andrei Svechnikov (29) (unassisted) 2nd Period OTT (8:34)- Brady Tkachuk (21) (Artem Zub (24) & Ri...

Last Game : The Carolina Hurricanes would've wrapped up the Metropolitan Division on Saturday if they'd gotten a little help. It wasn't pretty, but the Canes beat the New York Islanders. Marc Gatcomb put the Islanders up early, scoring after coming out of the box on a 3-on-2. Seth Jarvis got it back midway through the frame, burying a shot past Ilya Sorokin's blocker to tie it up. New York jumped back in front in the second on a Max Shabanov goal, but Jackson Blake got it done this time, burying a pass from Logan Stankoven. This would help the Canes snatch momentum back and take the lead. Jarvis found Sebastian Aho on a short-handed 2-on-1, giving the Canes their first lead of the contest. Jarvis picked up his second goal of the night 24 seconds into the third period, expanding the lead. Anders Lee got one with Sorokin on the bench on a beautiful tip, but that's as close as it got. Brandon Bussi made a few stops in the dying seconds to put the game away for the Cane...

The first of many boxes has been checked for the Carolina Hurricanes, but their focus remains on the goal at the top of the mountain. Winning the Metropolitan Division is the next box for the team to conquer. With a very outside chance of doing it today (especially with how badly Pittsburgh was beating Florida in the second period), the team must be locked in against a New York Islanders team playing the second half of a back-to-back. Meeting for the first time since late October, a lot has changed for both teams since that first encounter. The Islanders are fighting for their lives right now, trying to keep themselves above the cut-off line. After losing last night, they should be incredibly motivated to bounce back. Scoring Summary 1st Period NYI (5:16)- Marc Gatcomb (3) (Simon Holmstrom (22) & Jean-Gabriel Pageau (18)) CAR (11:07)- Seth Jarvis (31) (Sean Walker (18) & K'Andre Miller (28)) 2nd Period NYI (2:15)- Maxim Shabanov (5) (Callum Ritchie (16) & Scott Mayfield...