Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena in a game framed as blue jackets vs hurricanes on the ice, driven by a dominant special teams display. The Hurricanes scored three power-play goals — Shayne Gostisbehere, Logan Stankoven and Andrei Svechnikov — and netminder Brandon Bussi stopped 23 of 25 shots. The victory pushed Carolina past last season’s point total and into triple-digit territory for the season.
Game recap: special teams and goaltending decide
The decisive factor was Carolina’s power play, which produced three goals on five opportunities in Columbus. Shayne Gostisbehere, Logan Stankoven and Andrei Svechnikov each scored with the man advantage, contributing to a power-play run that has the Hurricanes sitting at 24. 6% on the season and 29. 8% since December 1. Carolina has now recorded a power-play goal in seven straight games, converting 11 times on 23 opportunities in that stretch.
Brandon Bussi, who has assembled a run of strong performances in recent starts, stopped 23 of 25 shots in the win, delivering a second consecutive quality outing after earlier successes against New Jersey. The result gave the Carolina Hurricanes their fifth triple-digit point season in franchise history and represented the fourth 100-plus point campaign in five years under head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
Blue Jackets Vs Hurricanes Projected Lineups
The matchup that produced Tuesday’s result also carried a set of projected and active lineups that shaped how both teams attacked the game. Columbus deployed forward groupings that featured Mason Marchment, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko on one line; Boone Jenner, Sean Monahan and Conor Garland on another; Cole Sillinger, Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood together; and a fourth set of Kent Johnson, Isac Lundestrom and Miles Wood listed in projection notes. Columbus listed scratches and injuries including Damon Severson (upper body) and Dmitri Voronkov (hand).
Carolina’s forward rows included Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis; Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake; Nikolaj Ehlers, Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook; and William Carrier, Mark Jankowski and Eric Robinson. Defensive pairings featured Shayne Gostisbehere with Alexander Nikishin, and goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi were both listed in the Carolina tandem. Projections noted scratches and an injury list including Mike Reilly, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nicolas Deslauriers for the Hurricanes group.
What’s next: a quick look forward
The teams are scheduled to meet again in Raleigh; a preview listing shows the next faceoff set for 7: 00 p. m. ET at the Lenovo Center. With the win in Columbus already delivering triple-digit points for Carolina, the Hurricanes can clinch an eighth consecutive playoff berth with another win while Columbus remains in a tight fight for a wild-card slot. Expect lineups and availability to be confirmed closer to puck drop as teams respond to the latest injuries and scratches in the blue jackets vs hurricanes matchup.
