After being crowned the Metropolitan Division Champions, the Carolina Hurricanes showed their dominance in a four-goal frenzy on Saturday night.
With only a week left before the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, the Canes (52-22-6) played one of their final games away from home against the Utah Mammoth (42-31-6). Skating away with a 4-1 win, the Canes look to be in good shape as they’re set to take on a wildcard opponent in the first round.
Winger Andrei Svechnikov opened the scoresheet early on the powerplay. The Mammoth’s four skaters were huddled in a cluster of black jerseys around their net, but Svechnikov found an opening and chipped the puck past goaltender Karel Vejmelka.
Almost 10 minutes later, center Jordan Staal gave the Canes a two goal lead after he received the puck from Ehlers and winger Jordan Martinook from behind the net. With a wrist shot to the back of the net, Staal’s goal wrapped up the first period and marked his 20th goal of the season. That’s the first time the team’s captain has reached 20 goals since the 2015-2016 season.
In contrast to the first period, the second period was goalless. However, three minutes into the final period, Utah started to answer back. Winger Dylan Guenther scored the first and only puck to reach the back of goaltender Frederik Andersen’s net. Assisted by winger Clayton Keller and defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, Guenther obtained the loose puck after a scramble near the Canes’ net, but Carolina couldn’t recover in time and cut the deficit in half.
Mirroring the first period, Carolina went on to score twice more. Center Sebastian Aho scored the Canes first goal of the period with five minutes left in regulation. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin and Gostisbehere sent the puck to Aho from middle ice who then tipped the puck into the net to give the Canes a 3-1 lead. To close out the game, defenseman Sean Walker put up the final goal after he guided the puck for nearly three quarters of the ice to tuck the puck into an empty net.
With only two games left in the regular season, the Canes are keeping their foot on the gas rather than using the last few games to take a step back and save their energy for the playoffs.
The Hurricanes will continue their travels away from home as they’re set to take on the Philadelphia Flyers on April 13. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
