The Carolina Hurricanes are rolling, and Monday night’s 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres was another testament to how this team is built to weather storms-literally and figuratively. That victory marked their third straight, pushing them to 31-15-4 on the season. But the story of the night wasn’t just the win-it was the emergence of Brandon Bussi, who turned in a performance that had the locker room buzzing and social media lighting up.
Bussi Steals the Show
Let’s start with the obvious: Bussi’s save on Tage Thompson might be the highlight of the season. It was the kind of stop that makes you hit rewind, then stand up and applaud.
In a game where every inch of ice mattered, Bussi’s poise and athleticism were the difference. Carolina’s defensive structure has always been one of their calling cards, but when your goaltender starts making that kind of noise, you know you’ve got something special brewing.
Svechnikov Heating Up at the Right Time
While Bussi may have stolen the spotlight, Andrei Svechnikov continues to quietly (or not-so-quietly) power up. With five goals and seven points in his last three games, he’s starting to look like the power forward Carolina has been waiting for since his ACL injury back in 2023. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour didn’t mince words postgame when asked about Svechnikov’s recent stretch.
“If he’s on the top line, he’s got to score,” Brind’Amour said. “At the end of the day, that’s what has to happen. Those guys have to connect.”
He’s not wrong. And Svechnikov is connecting.
Even with a slow start to the season-he didn’t record a point in his first eight games-he now sits at 17 goals and 42 points through 50 games. He’s just a few goals and assists away from matching last year’s totals and is tracking toward a 55-65 point season.
That’s a strong comeback trajectory for a player who missed significant time with injury and struggled to find his rhythm early on.
There was a hiccup late in Monday’s game-a roughing penalty that offset what would’ve been a Hurricanes power play-but Brind’Amour wasn’t overly concerned. “I didn’t love the penalty at the end… but we need him to be impactful, and he was certainly tonight,” he said.
That’s the bottom line for Carolina. They need Svechnikov to be a difference-maker, and right now, he’s delivering.
His current shooting percentage is up to 12.3%, and he’s a plus-1 on the season-a noticeable improvement from last year’s minus-8. With 32 games left, he’s just three goals shy of 20.
The 30-goal mark? Very much in play.
And if he gets there, it would be his first time hitting that milestone since the 2021-22 season.
Behind the Scenes: Brind’Amour’s Blueprint
One of the more underappreciated aspects of Carolina’s success is just how prepared they are-night in and night out. That’s not by accident. Brind’Amour and his staff have built a culture where consistency isn’t just expected, it’s demanded.
“I know I have the best staff in the league in terms of preparing guys,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s never really been a question in any game we’ve ever played.”
That preparation has been critical, especially with the injuries Carolina has had to navigate. From October through December, the Hurricanes were without key pieces on the blue line for extended stretches.
Jaccob Slavin missed 40 games, including a brutal 34-game stretch early in the season. They’ve also been without Shayne Gostisbehere, Jalen Chatfield, Seth Jarvis, and Charles Alexis Legault at various points.
Despite that, Carolina hasn’t just stayed afloat-they’ve surged. Sitting at 66 points, they’re seven clear of the second-place Islanders in the division and hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Only the Colorado Avalanche, with 76 points, are ahead of them league-wide.
It’s a testament to the depth of the roster and the strength of the system. The Hurricanes have been able to plug in players and keep the machine running, regardless of who’s in or out of the lineup. That’s the mark of a team that doesn’t just want to make noise in the playoffs-they want to go deep.
Looking Ahead
With the Winter Olympic break approaching and the trade deadline looming, the Hurricanes are in a prime position. They’ve got a roster that’s already proven it can handle adversity, and any additions they make between now and the deadline could be the final piece of a championship puzzle.
This group has already reached the Eastern Conference Final twice in the past three seasons. If they stay healthy and continue to get contributions from players like Svechnikov and Bussi, there’s no reason they can’t make it three out of four-and maybe even take it a step further.
Bottom line? The Hurricanes are built for the long haul. And right now, they’re playing like a team that knows exactly what it takes to win when it matters most.