The Carolina Hurricanes got off to a good start on their six-game road trip, taking down the San Jose Sharks, 5-1, on Tuesday. The story to begin the night was Brandon Bussi, the 27-year-old goalie who was making his NHL debut. While he started the night with some incredible saves, the Canes' offense finally came to life, scoring three times in the second and twice early in the third to pull away.
It was clear that the Hurricanes were feeling the initial shock of not having Jaccob Slavin in the lineup, but the team settled down in front of the debutant to earn him the win. With Frederik Andersen back between the pipes, the trip is only getting harder from here. Before moving on to the playoff team gauntlet, they have another big fight on their hands.
On the Other Side: Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are an interesting team on paper. They have a good blend of veteran players and young stars that could seriously threaten for a playoff spot, but the jury is still out on how feasible that is. In the Pacific Division, anything feels possible, though. They're off to a good start, currently sitting at 2-1-0 after wins over the Sharks and the Penguins.
They were one of the more active teams this offseason, both in adding players and extending their own. They brought in Mikael Granlund, one of the few big free agents left in the class, on a three-year deal. Anaheim also traded for Chris Kreider, reuniting him with Jacob Trouba, while sending Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia and John Gibson to Detroit.
The Gibson trade enabled them to put all of their eggs in Lukas Dostal's basket, giving the 25-year-old netminder a five-year extension. They also worked out long-term deals for Jackson LaCombe and Mason McTavish, the latter of which took them into training camp to iron out as one of the final RFAs unsigned by the time teams came together.
Last season: The Canes and the Ducks split their two meetings last season, with the road team emerging victorious on both counts. Anaheim ruined Eric Staal's jersey retirement by winning 3-2 in overtime behind a pair of goals from Cutter Gauthier, including the game-winner. Carolina responded in kind with a 5-2 win in California, sparked by a third-period hat trick by Taylor Hall.
Ducks to Watch
Chris Kreider: I'll take facing Kreider twice a year compared to four times. He always seems to find the back of the net against the Hurricanes. In his career, Kreider has scored 17 goals and 29 points in 41 games, not to mention the postseason hat trick in 2024 to eliminate the Canes from the playoffs. He's coming off a two-goal performance on Tuesday, and he leads the Ducks with four goals.
Jackson LaCombe: As one of the Ducks to get a long-term extension this offseason, expectations surrounding LaCombe are rightfully high. He led the defensive group in points a season ago, but he's yet to record a point this season in three games. As someone trying to find the scoresheet, we might see a little more desperation from LaCombe to impact the game.
Hurricanes to Watch
Taylor Hall: Starting the season at a torrid pace, it's hard to imagine that Hall will keep scoring like he is, but he did enough to earn a temporary promotion to the second line on Tuesday. It immediately led to a goal and Hall extending his point streak. Now, facing the team he scored a hat trick against last season, Hall will look to extend his point streak to four games.
Nikolaj Ehlers: I'll start by saying that I'm not concerned that Ehlers hasn't recorded a point as a Hurricane yet. He has been all over it in the offensive zone, setting his linemates up for dangerous chances. It's only a matter of time before he finally breaks through. Tuesday was the closest he's been, so I'm taking it as a positive sign that it's coming.