When you're the last team standing at the end of the season, the target on your back can't get much bigger. Everyone wants to be at the top. The Carolina Hurricanes knew all too well what chasing a championship and coming up short felt like. In June, they learned what it felt like to finish the job, winning the franchise's second Stanley Cup.
Of course, in doing so, it meant that the target was now on their backs. They were now the hunted. Beginning the 2026-27 season, the Hurricanes knew that not only was their summer shorter, but that everyone was going to put their best out there to be where they were on that summer night in Vegas. It meant there was little room for error as the season got underway in late September.
It wasn't quite a banner start for the defending champs...
In many ways, the Canes' first two games were going to be their toughest. The hoopla surrounding their banner raising on Opening Night against the Florida Panthers would be a massive distraction. Not to mention, the shortened summer made it a quicker turnaround. Then, they'd face a revamped Washington Capitals squad that many felt would be the Canes' biggest threats in the Metro.
Despite how some Panthers fans might make it seem, Opening Night wasn't an unmitigated disaster for the Canes. Yes, they lost the game, but it was a 1-0 overtime loss in the final seconds of the extra session. Neither team played particularly well. The Canes weren't dominated. The Panthers barely won the game. It wasn't anything to be upset with.
The same can't be said for the Washington loss. The Capitals came to the Lenovo Center and beat the Canes like they stole something. They scored early and often in the first period, and they cruised the rest of the way. It still wasn't enough to make it seem like the sky was falling, but it wasn't the start we expected from the champs.
...but the Canes recovered nicely, leading to a long winning streak
Those worries disappeared less than 24 hours later. The Canes flew to Philadelphia for their first road game, a second-round rematch with the Flyers, and picked up their first win. Shayne Gostisbehere scored on the power play in overtime to get the Canes in the win column. Like many victories in recent years, it got things moving in the right direction.
The division victory kickstarted a seven-game winning streak, featuring victories over Montreal, Vancouver, Chicago, Philadelphia again, Washington in another rematch, and Winnipeg. During their winning streak, the team outscored their opponents 32-15, converted on 36 percent of their power plays, and allowed just one power-play goal while scoring two short-handed goals.
Any concerns were flying out the window again. Logan Stankoven recorded his first NHL hat trick against the Canucks. Mark Janowski went on a six-game goal-scoring streak. Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov couldn't stop putting up points. Almost everyone on the team was looking good. The defending champions looked like they hadn't lost a step.
Injuries didn't slow them down on their journey during the State Fair
As has become customary in October, the Hurricanes went on a long road trip when the North Carolina State Fair rolled into town. This year's trip featured their visits to the Western Canadian barns in Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton, as well as their trip to St. Louis to bring the trip to a close. It didn't help that injuries were starting to become an issue.
The issues began well before the trip. Jordan Staal was ruled out for the second visit to Philadelphia after partially tearing his calf while warming up, taking him out for at least a month. In the final home game before the trip, Taylor Hall left in the first period against Washington, forcing the Canes to play with only 11 forwards for most of the night. Once on the road, it didn't get better.
The trip began with a win in Winnipeg, thanks to Nikolaj Ehlers' power-play goal in the third period. However, Jankowski, who also scored against the Jets, couldn't play against the Flames the following night. The Canes lost that game in Calgary, 3-2, bringing their seven-game win streak to an end against a surprising opponent.
The Canes rebounded in Vancouver, riding multi-goal nights from Stankoven, Ehlers, and Nicolas Deslauriers. They lost in a shootout to Edmonton in the most entertaining game of the month during their final Canadian stop, getting Seth Jarvis back for a bit of positive news. The team ended the trip on a high note, shutting out the Blues, 4-0, in St. Louis, going 3-1-1 over their eight-day journey.
Returning home from their long trip, the Canes closed out the month at home. They won a very tough battle against the Bruins on Tuesday night after Aho broke a late tie. Then, Pyotr Kochetkov made franchise history, winning his ninth straight start in a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jackets on Thursday. At 11-2-2 through 15 games, the Canes are looking like the favorites in the East once again.
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