The Carolina Hurricanes are back at home, and they've got a little win streak going. Time on the road was nice for the team, picking up their first win last Saturday in Philadelphia before turning in a nice effort against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. While far from the prettiest performance they could've put together, it still counts for two points and a regulation win.
The first period was chaotic, with Carolina and Montreal trading momentum and ending with the Habs ahead, 3-2. The final 40 minutes were all Carolina. Sebastian Aho had another three-point night. The fourth line came to life, with Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski recording a goal and an assist each. Taylor Hall scored twice. Brandon Bussi overcame a tough start to earn a 6-4 win.
Despite the Vancouver Canucks' placement at the bottom of the league, the Canes struggled to put them away. They needed an overtime goal from Aho in November to beat them, 4-3, in Raleigh. When they visited Vancouver in March, the Canucks led 2-1 after 20 minutes, and even after a four-goal outburst in the second, the Canes barely held on for a 6-4 win.
Behind Enemy Lines: Vancouver Canucks
After a little over a week, the Canucks are one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. They played two insanely high-scoring contests with the Edmonton Oilers to begin the season, winning 6-5 in overtime on Opening Night before losing 9-7 at home a few days later. They've also split their last two, beating Calgary and losing to Vegas. Their 19 goals are near the top of the NHL.
However, they're also near the bottom of the league defensively. Those 14 goals allowed to the Oilers play a big part in that. Kevin Lankinen enters the contest with a 6.50 GAA and an .824 save percentage, and I don't have to tell you that isn't ideal. While they have veterans in Filip Hronek, Jamie Oleksiak, and Luke Schenn, the Canucks' defense features a lot of young talent.
Many expect this to be another trying season for the Canucks, who've missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. They were the worst team in the league last year by a considerable margin, and they didn't get much better on paper this offseason. Still, there seems to be a scrappiness that could make playing them very difficult nightly.
Injury Report
Carolina: The Hurricanes didn't practice on Wednesday, so whether anyone joined Seth Jarvis on the injured list likely won't be known until the team's morning skate, but everyone seemingly made it out of Montreal in one piece.
Vancouver: The Canucks are still without goalie Thatcher Demko as he continues to deal with a nagging hip injury. The team is hopeful that he'll be back in action before Christmas. They're also without Filip Chytil, who suffered a shoulder injury during a preseason game. Chytil is another player whose injury troubles have been well-documented, struggling to stay healthy for much of his career.
Players to Watch
Elias Pettersson: Is the old Pettersson back? It certainly seems so. He has points in all four Vancouver games this year, including a three-point performance in their second meeting with the Oilers. He's tied for the team lead with six points, and he's hitting just about everything in sight, sitting near the top of the league with 19 hits. He has good numbers against Carolina, too (6-9-15 in 14 GP).
Paul Cotter: This isn't the first season that Cotter has gotten off to such a hot start. With the Devils in 2024, Cotter scored four goals in his first four games on his way to a career-high 16. This year, his first with the Canucks, Cotter has done the same. He scored the OT winner against the Oilers to begin the year and is tied with Pettersson for the team lead with 6 points.
Nikolaj Ehlers: It has been a quieter start to the season for the Staal line. Still, Ehlers has two power-play helpers in Philadelphia and Montreal. His pass against the Canadiens was especially pretty, setting up Aho with a backhand saucer pass through the killers. It took him a bit to get going last year, and facing Vancouver, a team he had a hat trick against last year, could expedite that process.
Taylor Hall: His two-goal performance in Montreal was much needed. Hall had been largely absent from the previous three games until one bounce against the Habs got him moving in the right direction. Now, the question is whether he can build on that and really get his season going. Most importantly, can he get his linemates going at 5-on-5, too?
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