Hockey returns to Raleigh on Tuesday night. With the State Fair abandoning the fairgrounds, the Carolina Hurricanes can get a little home cooking as they begin a quick three-game homestand against the Boston Bruins. The Canes went 3-1-1 on their journey, alternating wins and losses. It was a very successful trip for the group despite the injuries they acquired throughout.
Carolina finished its road trip as well as they could've hoped. After a scoreless opening frame, Sean Walker and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored 20 seconds apart early in the second period. While that would prove to be enough, Logan Stankoven added another in the second, and Nikolaj Ehlers finished it on the power play in the third. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped all 24 St. Louis shots in a 4-0 victory.
The Canes took two of the three games with the Bruins last season. Boston drew first blood in early November with a tight, defensive victory, but the Canes responded a few weeks later with a close win of their own. The only meeting in Raleigh was the Canes' home finale, a wild back-and-forth contest with Jaccob Slavin spoiling Morgan Geekie's hat trick with the overtime winner to earn a 6-5 victory.
Behind Enemy Lines: Boston Bruins
Tonight marks the first meeting between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference, points-wise. The Canes sit at the top with 20 points, while the Bruins are just one behind with 19. They're the only two teams with nine wins, though the Bruins own a slightly better points percentage on account of playing one fewer game than the Hurricanes thus far. Of course, none of this matters in October.
The Bruins made a few decent splashes this offseason, acquiring John-Jason Peterka from the Mammoth and Will Borgen from the Rangers, and trading backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo to New York in a separate deal. The team also announced David Pastrnak as their new captain, replacing Brad Marchand after a season without anyone wearing the "C".
Boston leads a balanced attack, paced offensively by their captain, with seven goals and 17 points. Jeremy Swayman is bouncing back in a major way, sitting at 7-1-1 with a .920 save percentage and a 2.20 GAA, both of which are Top 10 in the league. The Bruins are second in goals allowed per game and third in goals per game, joining the Canes as the only other team to be in the Top 4 in both.
Injury Report
Carolina: After taking Sunday off, it was anyone's guess how the lines would look at Monday's practice. Fortunately, Taylor Hall was out there with the regular group, so he should be good to go for Tuesday's contest after being activated from IR. Mark Jankowski worked before the rest of the team and will be out tonight, and Jordan Staal remains out with his calf tear.
Boston: The Bruins are as healthy as a horse right now. No one on their roster is injured at the moment.
Players to Watch
Morgan Geekie: One of the biggest surprises in the league two years ago, Geekie followed up his first 30-goal season by scoring 39 last year. He has done some damage against his old squad over the last two years, recording a five-point contest in 2024-25 and scoring a hat trick last season. He's off to a slower goal-scoring start, though his eight assists are second to Pastrnak's ten.
James Hagans: In a loaded year for rookies, Hagans is standing out among the crowd. His four goals and nine points are tied for the most among all rookies, putting him in the thick of the Calder Trophy race. Hagans is throwing his body in front of shots, too, tying the team lead with 16. He is coming off a multi-point performance on Saturday, his second in the last five games.
Jackson Blake: After finishing with five points in the last three games of the road trip, Blake was among my players trending in the right direction heading into tonight's game. He has been nothing short of phenomenal as a playmaker this season. His 11 assists are tied with Sebastian Aho for the team lead, and he trails only Aho with 13 points overall.
K'Andre Miller: It has been a slower start for Miller than I had envisioned, with just one goal and four points through 13 games. He recorded an assist in Vancouver, representing his only point of the road trip. However, he has been stellar defensively, making numerous outstanding plays with his stick to break up chances. Miller is leading the team in time on ice again. The offense is bound to come.
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