The Carolina Hurricanes got off to a good, albeit rocky, start to their weekend with a hard-earned 4-3 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night. Andrei Svechnikov scored twice and added an assist, Shayne Gostisbehere notched three helpers, and Sebastian Aho picked up two points, including the overtime winner, as the Canes secured two points.
While the Canes won the game, they couldn't escape the injury bug. Seth Jarvis (eye) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (ankle) each exited early, leaving some question marks about the team's forward group. Mark Jankowski feels almost certain to step in for Kotkaniemi if he can't go. Jarvis's prognosis after the game seemed positive, though we probably won't know his status until closer to warm-ups.
On the Other Side: Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers always seem to turn it on at the right time, especially once April rolls around. For the second season in a row, the Oilers traversed the tough terrain in the Western Conference, knocking off Los Angeles, Vegas, and Dallas to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Just like in 2024, the Oilers fell short of their ultimate goal, losing to the Panthers in six games.
Their offseason was focused on one story. Connor McDavid was entering the last year of his deal, with extension talks taking up all of the headlines. Eventually, he inked a two-year, $25 million contract, keeping him in Edmonton short-term as they chase the Stanley Cup. Jake Walman, Mattias Ekholm, and Evan Bouchard also earned extensions, while the Oilers made a few smaller changes.
It's the usual suspects driving the bus for the Oilers this season. McDavid leads the charge with a league-best 20 assists and 27 points. Leon Draisaitl has 12 goals and 20 points. Their power play is clicking at 30 percent. However, they're tied for the second-most goals allowed this season (65). With Calvin Pickard playing on Thursday, I'd bet that Stuart Skinner draws the assignment tonight.
Last season: The Canes and the Oilers split their two battles, with the road team emerging victorious on both occasions. The Canes visited Edmonton during their State Fair journey in October, erasing a 2-0 deficit in the third period to claim a 3-2 overtime victory. The Oilers returned serve in March behind a 35-save gem by Calvin Pickard in a 3-1 Edmonton win.
Oilers to Watch
Zach Hyman: Right as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hits the shelf, Hyman is set to make his season debut on Saturday night. The winger was injured early in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against Dallas. With another weapon back in their lineup, it should ease the blow of losing Nugent-Hopkins. Hyman has 15 points in 18 career meetings against the Canes, including a hat trick in 2023.
Jack Roslovic: After tying his career-high in goals (22) with the Canes last season, Roslovic took his time deciding on a new team this offseason. He waited so long that he missed a few games by signing after the season began. Since signing, Roslovic has fit in nicely, entering play on a three-game point streak and finding the scoresheet in eight of Edmonton's last ten games.
Hurricanes to Watch
Frederik Andersen: With Kochetkov earning the victory on Friday night, logic would seem to dictate that Andersen will draw the unenviable task of slowing down the Oilers during the second half of this back-to-back. Andersen played well on Tuesday despite suffering the loss. Behind a team only getting more hurt by the day, Andersen will have his work cut out for him, should he be in the net.
Sean Walker: It has been a tale of two weeks for Walker. Last week, he was all over the scoresheet and finding ways to be a positive contributor. This week has been the exact opposite. He had a bad game last night, including a laughably bad turnover leading to a short-handed goal. The big question will be what Walker does to get back on the right track against a tough offense to stop.