The power play comes through in big spots to earn the Hurricanes a win over New York

It felt like the Carolina Hurricanes figured some things out on Saturday night when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 5-2. Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbehere had three points each, and the Canes held onto their multi-goal lead without blowing it, as they had in their previous three losses. They hoped it might translate against the New York Rangers on Monday.

After news about Pyotr Kochetkov's season-ending surgery squashed impressions that he would be in the net tonight, Brandon Bussi made his 15th outing after beating the Red Wings. Gostisbehere missed the contest with a groin injury. Igor Shesterkin took the crease for the Rangers, who played without captain JT Miller and top defender Adam Fox.

Both teams broke through on the power play in the opening frame. Alexander Nikishin had a rough start, turning the puck over to give Will Cuylle a chance and taking a penalty. Vladislav Gavrikov made him pay, labeling a one-timer just 1:39 into the contest. He made up for it by setting up Sebastian Aho during a 5-on-3. Shesterkin never saw the shot as Aho knotted it late in the period.

At times, I'm convinced there are few goalies in the league with worse puck luck than Bussi. The Rangers scored the only goal of the frame with 7:00 left. Matthew Robertson's shot from the point hit half of the players on the ice before settling in Jonny Brodzinski's lap. Bussi was too far out to do anything about it as the Rangers took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.

The bounce finally went the Canes' way in the third. Jordan Martinook battled his tail off in front of the net. Jalen Chatfield's chance was stopped, but the rebound hit Martinook's skate and trickled through Shesterkin's five-hole to tie it again. Neither goalie conceded anything further, sending the Canes and the Rangers to overtime.

After controlling the puck for most of the overtime session, Taylor Hall drew a tripping penalty. On the power play, the Canes finished the job. Jackson Blake redirected Aho's shot through Shesterkin's pads to record his first overtime winner, securing the second point in a 3-2 victory.

The power play comes through when the Canes need it to

One of the major qualms about the Hurricanes' power play this season has been its timeliness and how it fails to capitalize in big moments. That was not the case tonight. Down a goal in the first and earning a 5-on-3 opportunity, there was no excuse for them not to score. Andrei Svechnikov was a major factor in front of the net, providing the screen for Sebastian Aho's silent snipe.

After two poor attempts throughout the remainder of regulation, they needed to come up big when awarded a chance in overtime. Opting for four forwards on the unit and helped by a New York timeout, Jackson Blake continued to be a force around the paint. He has become a great tipper, earning his third big deflection goal in his last four games.

Nikishin moved on from a tough start to build a big game

Without their top offensive defenseman tonight, this was going to be a big test for Alexander Nikishin. Based on his opening 69 seconds, it felt like it might be a long night. He fanned on a shot, allowing the Rangers to turn it the other way. Bussi bailed him out by denying Will Cuylle. Then, he took a slashing penalty, and the Rangers scored. It doesn't get much worse than that.

However, Nikishin turned his night around. Playing a team-high 24:17 tonight, Nikishin helped create the tying goal in the first on the power play, squashing his mistake that led to New York's opening goal. He was a lot more responsible defensively. Nikishin finished the night with two blocks and three hits, his biggest coming in the reverse variety on Vincent Trocheck.

Additional Thoughts

As is often the case, the Staal line was the heart and soul of the game, so it's only fitting that they would get the tying goal. They were on the ice for the bad bounce that went into their net in the second period, but they got that bounce back for Jordan Martinook's 101st goal. The captain was also a force, laying a game-high seven hits, while William Carrier was right behind him with five.

The bus keeps rolling down the street for Brandon Bussi and crew. He genuinely seems unflappable during this run. It's not about the quantity but the quality of the stops he's making, and Bussi is making a lot of quality saves. Every time his team needs a save, he's there for them. Bussi has earned points in 12 straight starts (11-0-1), putting him one off the franchise record (13; Antti Raanta).

Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes will take to the skies tonight to finish 2025 in Pittsburgh tomorrow night. Their start to 2026 is a doozy. It begins with the Montreal Canadiens at the Lenovo Center on New Year's Day before a weekend back-to-back at home against Colorado and on the road in New Jersey. To make it even tougher, the Dallas Stars await next Tuesday night.