The Carolina Hurricanes are back on home ice after a long trip to Seattle and Western Canada, splitting their four games in six days. Their last outing was a 5-4 loss to Calgary. The Canes looked like a tired bunch during the second half of the back-to-back, but they fought until the bitter end. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis had three points each, while Andrei Svechnikov added two.
The group practiced on Monday, allowing their newest addition, Nicolas Deslauriers, to skate with the group for the first time. He cycled through the rotation on the fourth line, leaving us to question whether we'll see him make his Hurricanes debut against the Penguins. It's also unclear whether Shayne Gostisbehere will play, though his absence from practice might've been our answer.
On the Other Side: Pittsburgh Penguins
Last meeting: The Hurricanes visited Pittsburgh for their final game of 2025, and it got ugly before the first break. Sidney Crosby scored early after a Canes' turnover, and the Penguins added two more to lead 3-0 after 20. They scored twice more in the second, having their streak broken by Mark Jankowski late in the frame. The Penguins cruised to a 5-1 win, sending the Canes into 2026 losers.
Much like the Hurricanes, the changing of the calendar didn't do much to deter the Pittsburgh Penguins. They've kept winning. They dominated in January, going 11-2-2 in 15 games to maintain their footing in second place in the Metro. They've stumbled a little since the start of February, winning just four times in their last ten games.
Sidney Crosby's injury at the Olympics plays a small part in it. Crosby was hurt in Canada's quarterfinal win in Milan, and he hasn't played since. The Penguins' leading scorer was expected to miss four weeks. Adding insult to injury, Evgeni Malkin was suspended for five games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin, keeping him out for this meeting as well.
The Penguins weren't incredibly active at the deadline, bringing in Samuel Girard from Colorado in late February and Elmer Soderblom from Detroit on Friday. They're already a team with incredible depth on both sides of the puck, sitting in the Top 10 in goals and goals against. The Penguins are also excellent on special teams, with the second-best penalty kill and the sixth-best power play.
Penguins to Watch
Anthony Mantha: Betting on himself and signing with the Penguins this offseason, Mantha is putting together the best season of his career at 31 years old, sitting second in goals and tied for second in points. He's going to blow past all of his career highs. As he did against the Hurricanes in December, Mantha scored twice in the Penguins' win over Boston on Sunday.
Egor Chinakhov: Just days before facing the Canes the first time, the Penguins made a seemingly small trade to acquire Chinakhov from the Blue Jackets. In 25 games, Chinakhov has been phenomenal with his new team, scoring 11 goals and 17 points. He has three points over the last two games, including a goal against the Bruins.
Hurricanes to Watch
Jordan Staal: The former Penguin almost always finds a way to make a positive impact for the Canes against his former team. Despite a lackluster game for the team overall in Calgary, Staal finished the night with six hits and two blocks. With the team needing to get back on the winning side tonight, they'll lean on their captain for a big moment against his old squad.
Jalen Chatfield: It seems like just yesterday when Chatfield finally scored his first career goal against the Penguins. In fact, his three goals against Pittsburgh are his second-most against any team, while his seven points in 13 games are the most. It was a very busy weekend for Chatfield, who skated almost 26 minutes in Edmonton and almost 22 in Calgary.