For the final time this preseason, the Carolina Hurricanes hit the ice for an exhibition tilt, concluding their training camp schedule against the Nashville Predators on the road. Entering the game with a 1-3-1 record, the Canes' lone victory came last weekend when they defeated the Predators in Raleigh behind a pair of goals by Bradly Nadeau.
Both sides iced most of their projected Opening Night rosters for the contest, giving us a look at what to expect next week when things start going for real. Pyotr Kochetkov saw his first action of camp after nursing an injury for the majority of the preseason. He battled Juuse Saros between the pipes.
With an almost healthy lineup on the ice, you love to see the pre-established chemistry lead to results. Early in the opening period, the Jordans connected, as they've done numerous times. Staal fed Martinook on a 2-on-1, leading to the opening goal. Kochetkov did a great job of starting the play, earning the secondary assist.
While the start was good, penalties by Charles-Alexis Legault and Sebastian Aho a minute apart gave Nashville a chance to operate on a 5-on-3. They wasted little time executing as Jonathan Marchessault buried a one-timer. To add insult to injury, the Predators scored the next one, too. Tyson Jost, who was waived by the Canes and claimed this week, was on the spot to score on a rebound.
Entering the third tied, it started to feel like both teams were playing to get through the game. The Canes' top line made it a little more interesting. Capitalizing on a turnover, Aho found Seth Jarvis alone at the front of the net. Jarvis undressed Saros and scored the equalizer, sending the preseason finale to overtime. Joakim Kemell would get the winner, ending the preseason with a 3-2 OT loss.
Let's talk about that overtime sequence
I noted earlier that both teams felt like they were just trying to get through the third period. There was hardly anything going on after the whistle, hits were few and far between, and, at times, everyone looked like they were going through the motions. However, Joakim Kemell took it upon himself to add a talking point to the overtime session.
Midway through, Kemell laid a violent hit on Andrei Svechnikov in the neutral zone. I'm not questioning the hit's legality, but why he needed to lay it in a meaningless game. If this were the regular season, I wouldn't have a problem with it. We just want everyone to be healthy. Thankfully, Svechnikov appears fine. Aho takes a retaliatory penalty, and Kemell rubs salt on the wound with the winner.
The Canes' second line is going to be so much fun
While the Aho and Staal lines were responsible for the offense, the trio of Svechnikov, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake felt like the Canes' best line all afternoon. Some of the team's most dangerous chances came off their sticks. Unfortunately, they couldn't find the back of the net. Stankoven and Svechnikov, in particular, had a few golden breakaway chances.
Rod Brind'Amour loves to tinker with his lines when the offense goes stagnant, so I'm not expecting this to become a permanent group through the end of the season, but there's a ton of firepower in this unit. Blake was phenomenal throughout the preseason, as was Stankoven. Svechnikov didn't get as much ice time, but he certainly looked good, too.
Additional Thoughts
This was exactly the type of game I wanted to see from Pyotr Kochetkov. While he took the loss in overtime, he looked engaged and made a few massive stops with his team trailing by a goal. He was beaten by two one-timers from the left dot on the power play, but nothing else stood out as a definitive weak point. He earned an assist as well, making good use of his puck handling.
With Givani Smith signing on Friday and clearing waivers on Saturday, it doesn't feel like there's much mystery left regarding the team's Opening Night roster. Charles-Alexis Legault and Cayden Primeau will likely be sent to Chicago on Sunday before the team finalizes its roster on Monday. Now, we wait anxiously until the season officially begins.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes begin the 2025-26 season on Thursday night, opening with a postseason rematch against the New Jersey Devils at the Lenovo Center. The last time the Devils visited Raleigh, Sebastian Aho ended their season in double overtime. The Canes' second game is also at home, one week from tonight, against the Philadelphia Flyers.