The Carolina Hurricanes keep finding ways to pile up points, and Tuesday night’s 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals gave them their sixth straight victory. Just 11 days after Washington handed them a 5-2 loss on Oct. 2, Carolina answered back on home ice and kept several impressive runs alive in the process.
Andrei Svechnikov was the loudest difference-maker on the night. He finished with two goals and an assist, giving him three points and pushing his season total to 11.
It was his fourth multi-point game in the last six, and he’s making a striking turnaround after being blanked over the first eight games of the 2025-26 season. Through eight games in 2026-27, he already has six goals and 11 points.
With Seth Jarvis out, the Hurricanes needed someone to pick up the scoring load early, and Svechnikov has done exactly that.
Sebastian Aho kept right pace alongside him. He also posted a multi-point night for the fourth time in six games, collecting two assists against the Capitals.
That bumped him to seven assists and 13 points on the season, while extending his point streak to seven games. Aho had four goals through the first eight games last season; this time around, he already has six goals and 13 points through eight games.
Between him and Svechnikov, Carolina’s top-end offense has been carrying the team through the opening stretch.
Pyotr Kochetkov added another sharp outing in goal and kept his perfect start intact. He’s now 4-0-0 through four starts with a 1.73 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
Those four wins tie him for second in the NHL, his goals-against average ranks seventh, and his save percentage sits 18th. After missing most of the 2025-26 season because of hip surgery, this has been a major bounce-back.
In his four wins, he has posted save percentages of .889, .900, .947, and .909, and he’s allowed just seven goals in those starts. With Frederik Andersen out, Kochetkov and Brandon Bussi have given Carolina strong work in net across the first eight games.
Mark Jankowski kept his own heater rolling too. He scored for the fifth time in five games, extending his goal streak and bringing his season total to five goals and six points.
His latest came after Svechnikov kept the puck alive on an icing call and fed him with a one-handed pass, and Jankowski finished into the empty net to seal the 4-2 result. He’s now producing the best scoring run of his career while holding down the third-line center role with Jordan Staal out for the next month or two.
Carolina is now 6-1-1, sitting atop the Metropolitan Division as it heads into a Western Canada road trip. The Hurricanes’ last loss came against the Capitals, and since then the wins have kept stacking up. Right now, they look like a team that’s very hard to slow down.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Suddenly Have A Bigger Taylor Hall Concern
Taylor Halls night ended early against the Capitals, with the Hurricanes announcing he left during the second period because of an upper-body injury. It was a notable turn for a player who has settled into a prominent role on Carolinas top line this season, giving the club another layer of scoring and helping drive play early in the year.
Now the focus shifts to how long Hall might be out and what Carolina does if the absence stretches beyond one game. With the schedule moving quickly, the Hurricanes could be forced to look down the organizational depth chart, where prospects Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum are among the names that would be in the conversation if the team needs another forward in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Made A Statement Against Washington Fans Will Love
The Hurricanes followed up a previous loss to Washington with a response they needed in Raleigh, putting together a 4-2 win that had the kind of edge Carolina wants to carry forward. Andrei Svechnikov was at the center of it, piling up three points and scoring the go-ahead power-play goal, while Pyotr Kochetkov made key saves to help steady things when the game tightened up.
For Carolina, it was more than just another regular-season result. Beating the Capitals after the earlier setback gave the Hurricanes a cleaner read on where their game stands, and it stretched their winning streak at a time when consistency matters more than style points. With Svechnikov producing and Kochetkov handling the pressure in net, the bigger question is whether this can become the kind of night the Hurricanes start replicating. [Read more 🡒]