The Carolina Hurricanes are coming off their worst game of the season and are looking to start a new winning streak tonight versus Vancouver.
Adam Foote, known for being a physical stay-at-home defenseman during his 20-year NHL career, is in his first full season as an NHL head coach after being promoted on May 14, 2025. Foote took over the head coaching duties following the departure of Rick Tocchet in April.
Foote is seen as a player’s coach. TSN reported on May 14, 2025, that “Foote is believed
to be the preferred candidate of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes,” with Hughes saying that Foote “was the best coach I’ve ever had.”
However, the early results do not match expectations. The Canucks were generally picked as a Western Conference wild card team in the preseason.
Vancouver is currently 28th in the NHL, two games under .500 with an 8-9-1 record.
Each phase of the Canucks’ game is having issues.
Most notably, goaltender Thatcher Demko is out with a lower-body injury. The two-time All-Star and 2023–24 Vezina Trophy finalist has been injury-prone since a lower-body injury sustained during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Demko has a 5-4-0 record with a 2.80 goals against average and a .903 save percentage. He sustained his injury on Tuesday versus Winnipeg after allowing three goals on 11 shots.
Goalie Kevin Lankinen has struggled recently. In the last four games, Lankinen has posted a 1-2-1 record with a 3.59 goals against average and a .884 save percentage. In October, Lankinen had a 2.85 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
The Canucks rank 28th in the league with 3.50 goals allowed per game, but the blame cannot lie squarely on the shoulders of their goaltenders.
Foote is a defensive-minded coach, but his blueliners have had a tough start to the season.
Last season, the Canucks finished with the third-best penalty kill in the NHL. Vancouver currently ranks last on the penalty kill. Why the dramatic fall off?
The team’s top penalty killer from last season, Pius Suter, signed with St. Louis in the offseason. However, the rest of the personnel is largely the same.
According to The Canadian Press, the Canucks are playing a passive, collapsing box style rather than an aggressive kill that attacked at the blue line to force turnovers.
The high slot is left open, and too many high-quality shots are generated from this area.
Perhaps, once again, an opportunity for the Carolina power play to build confidence and momentum.
Vancouver ranks 23rd in the NHL in high-danger chances allowed per 60 minutes, and at five-on-five, they rank 29th in the league in expected goals against (xGA).
Carson Soucy and Tyler Myers are currently allowing 3.85 xGA per 60 minutes over the last five games, which is the worst mark on the team.
Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek have a positive shot share, but their high-danger chances allowed per 60 minutes have spiked to 11.2 per 60.
Hughes is the workhorse for Vancouver. With a couple of injuries on the blueline, combined with his team lead in points and power play points, Hughes has averaged the most time on ice in the league.
His aggressive offensive style, early-season injury, and time on ice may be contributing factors to the defensive performance of that pair.
One of the biggest storylines on the Vancouver offense is Elias Pettersson. The former 100-point scorer is struggling to find the back of the net. Pettersson has just three goals this season and has not lit the lamp in eight games. Despite this lack of scoring, Pettersson’s 13 points are tied with Hughes for the team lead.
On the flip side, veteran Kiefer Sherwood is on pace for a career season. Sherwood is tied for fourth in the NHL with 11 goals. In his eighth season in the league, he needs just nine more goals to set a career high.
The Canucks are 22nd in the league with 2.83 goals scored per game and are 28th in expected goals (xGF).
Another game, another injury for the Hurricanes. Late in the third period, Frederik Andersen left the game after a collision with Jordan Staal.
After attempting to go back to the crease, the concussion spotter brought Andersen down the tunnel, and Pyotr Kochetkov took over for the remainder of the game.
Andersen practiced on Thursday, so it seems as though he is no worse for wear.
There were a few bright spots from the loss to Washington on Tuesday.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored the lone goal for Carolina, extending his point streak to five games. Since finally breaking through with his first point on October 20 against Vegas, Ehlers leads all Hurricanes with 10 points in 11 games.
Shayne Gostisbehere returned to the lineup after six games and earned an assist on Ehlers’s goal. He and Ehlers were the only Canes with a positive plus-minus on Tuesday.
Stick taps go to Logan Stankoven, who fought Martin Fehervary in the first period to earn his first career fighting major.
According to Walt Ruff, the following lines and pairs skated in Thursday’s practice:
Svechnikov – Aho – Jarvis
Ehlers – Stankoven – Blake
Carrier – Staal – Martinook
Hall – Kotkaniemi – Robinson
Jankowski
Gostisbehere – Walker
Nikishin – Reilly
Miller – Nystrom
Bayreuther
Andersen | Bussi | Kochetkov
Tonight is the Canes’ annual Hockey Fights Cancer awareness game, which is a special evening for many, especially Canes Country’s own Al Hood. Seth Jarvis, Sean Walker, and Charles Alexis Legault visited pediatric cancer patients at the N.C. Basnight Cancer Hospital at UNC Hospital last Friday.
Here are some great new initiatives from the Hurricanes this season:
New this year, the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation and The V Foundation for Cancer Research are teaming up to make a greater impact for families affected by cancer in North Carolina, with a goal to raise $100,000 to fund pediatric cancer research at UNC. Funds will come from local donors, fan contributions during the November 14 home game, and Hockey Fights Cancer activations such as auctions and limited-edition merchandise, with The V Foundation matching donations up to $50,000. A game-day auction on Friday will feature autographed items—fans can participate at Canes.GiveSmart.com or by texting “Canes” to 76278—and 250 limited-edition mystery pucks signed by Hurricanes players will be sold for $55 each on the South Plaza before the game, with all proceeds benefiting the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation.
Additionally, 288 limited edition jerseys with a V Foundation/Carolina Hurricanes Foundation patch and optional customizations will be sold online only beginning Friday, with proceeds benefiting the special campaign. Jerseys can be purchased here starting Friday. The Carolina Pro shop will also stock additional Hockey Fights Cancer merchandise both in-store and online here.
Here’s how to check out the action:
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
TV: FanDuel Sports Network with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Shane Willis, analyst; Hannah Yates, rinkside.
Radio: 99.9 The Fan FM
Line: ML: CAR -192; PL: CAR +1.5 +130
