To call the first month of the season anything but an unmitigated success for the Carolina Hurricanes would be wrong. While they lost their first two games, including a bitter Opening Night overtime loss to the Panthers, the Canes responded by winning 11 of their next 13 contests, assuming control of the division and sitting atop the league table.
The season is now in full swing, and the Hurricanes have found their groove. Because of this, they can't afford to take their foot off the gas. They sit six points up for the moment in the Metro, but it's still far too early to put much stock in that. With a lighter schedule in November, their opportunities will be fewer to extend their lead.
Over the next 30 days, the Canes will drop the puck 12 times. They play just three division games, all three of which will be played in New York. It's an even 5-5 split of home and road games, though two of them will emanate from a neutral site, which we'll talk about in a bit. There's only one back-to-back on the schedule, down from three in October. They also play five games at 1 pm or earlier.
A busy first week gives way to a little rest for the Canes
The month kicks off with a Sunday afternoon visit from the Winnipeg Jets, concluding their season series after the Canes beat them in Winnipeg to begin their road trip. Then, the Canes hit the road, visiting Nashville on Tuesday night. Pyotr Kochetkov will likely get at least one of these games as he looks to set another franchise record after besting Frederik Andersen's season-opening win streak.
Their first division game of the month comes on Long Island with the first meeting of the season with the New York Islanders. This will be the first national game of the month, broadcasting on ESPN+ on Thursday. To finish the week, their season series with the Chicago Blackhawks comes to an end, playing on Saturday night in Raleigh. The Canes stomped the Blackhawks in Chicago in October.
Along with none of these games coming as part of a back-to-back, the busy week gives way to a long rest for the team. After facing the Blackhawks on Saturday, the Canes have four full days before their next game the following Thursday, and it's for a good reason. After all, it takes a fair amount of time to take a flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
The defending champs take their show to Finland
When the Hurricanes take the ice after their long rest, they'll be in Helsinki, Finland. The Canes were given the honor of representing the NHL in the Global Series against the Seattle Kraken in Finland, playing on November 12th and 14th. It's the Hurricanes' first trip abroad since visiting Finland in 2010, when the Canes swept their set against the Minnesota Wild.
The Canes and the Kraken each have three Finns on their active rosters. Only Kaapo Kakko has been a regular in the Seattle lineup, with Jani Nyman and Ville Ottavainen both being scratched for the Kraken. For the Canes, Sebastian Aho will be on center stage as one of Finland's top stars, with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Juuso Valimaki also getting regular time in the lineup.
I'm curious whether the recently re-signed Alexander Nikishin will be ready to go by then. The reason I mention this is that Valimaki would appear to be the odd-man out in that regard. He's the only of the six defensemen who wasn't on last year's Cup team, and it will have given Nikishin another full week of prep, assuming he doesn't play before then. It would be a shame if Valimaki didn't get to play at home.
When they return to Raleigh, the Canes finish the month with a gauntlet
The weary travelers will get another four-day break on the other side of the Global Series as well, adding to the abundance of rest they'll have throughout the month. They'll need it because the remainder of their month is brutal. Their return game comes the following Thursday night when the Montreal Canadiens make their first visit to Raleigh since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The weekend features the month's lone back-to-back, with both games dropping in the afternoon. On Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers travel to the Lenovo Center for the return game after the Canes fell in a shootout in Edmonton in a crazy back-and-forth contest in October. On Sunday, the Canes make the first of two trips to Madison Square Garden in nine days.
To conclude the month, the Canes head to Tampa Bay, whose season hit an interesting snag with Nikita Kucherov looking to be traded. He'll continue to play for the Bolts, but it's certainly something to keep an eye on. The Canes return to Raleigh for a Saturday night visit from the Ottawa Senators before closing the month back in New York City against the Rangers on November 30.
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