2025-26 Regular Season, Game 82 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at New York Islanders

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 fourth round, and Dan Vladar stopping all four shooters to get the Flyers back to the postseason with a 3-2 win.

Injury Report
Jalen Chatfield: He returned to the lineup on Monday, but a tough hit sent him down the tunnel for a moment before returning, so I don't think he'll play tonight.

The Opponent: New York Islanders (43-33-5, 91 Points; 6th in the Metropolitan Division)
Last Meeting: Just 10 days ago, the Islanders were in Raleigh for the second time. They got off to a good start after Marc Gatcomb came out of the box and finished a 3-on-2 chance early in the frame. Midway through the frame, Seth Jarvis got it back, snapping a shot under Ilya Sorokin's glove to tie it. Max Shabanov gave New York its second lead early in the second, but the Canes turned it on after that. First, Jackson Blake found just enough daylight to fit a shot through Sorokin to pull level again. Then, Jarvis and Sebastian Aho made a little more short-handed magic, ending with Aho putting the Canes ahead for the first time. Jarvis needed 24 seconds of the third period to put the Canes ahead by two. Anders Lee got one late to make it close. Ultimately, the Canes held on for a 4-3 win. They outshot the Islanders 40-16 and outplayed them for most of the night. However, the scoreboard remained tight.

Since We Last Met: This lopsided effort, among other things, led the Islanders to fire Patrick Roy the next day and name Peter DeBoer as the head coach moving forward. It was a very surprising move, especially since the Islanders remained in the thick of the playoff hunt. However, they went the same route as Vegas, hoping it would have similar results. It did not. While the Islanders won in DeBoer's first game behind the bench, they followed it up by losing their next two games to Ottawa and Montreal, the latter of which officially knocked them out of playoff contention. Therefore, the Islanders will miss the postseason for the second year in a row. It's a bit of a surprise, given how long they were in a playoff spot this season, though it might not be the worst thing in the world for them, especially at this stage. With Matthew Schaefer lighting up the league at 18, Ilya Sorokin continuing to be one of the best goalies in the world, and many other big pieces performing well, the Islanders will be perfectly fine.

Stories to Watch
1. An NHL debut and a potential return in the net
Let's be honest: no one would blame you for skipping this game. There is nothing on the line for the Canes. They know they'll be at home this weekend playing the second Wild Card team. Their standing can't improve or worsen with tonight's result. However, the Canes did a very sneaky thing in calling up Felix Unger Sorum and recalling Pyotr Kochetkov. All of a sudden, we care about this game again. Under Sorum is getting the call for the first time in his career, playing alongside Wolves teammate Bradly Nadeau. Meanwhile, Kochetkov could see his first NHL action since December after it looked like he was done for the season. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but this could be a fun game after all.

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