The Carolina Hurricanes’ winning streak came to an abrupt end in Calgary on Sunday night, and it happened in a way that had to sting. They were in control for long stretches, had a lead entering the final minutes of the second period, and still walked out of the Saddledome with a 3-2 loss to the Flames.
That result came in Carolina’s final visit to the building, after the Canes had opened their trip with a win over the Jets in Winnipeg on Saturday. The back-to-back sweep never materialized, though the Hurricanes had to shuffle the lineup before puck drop.
Mark Jankowski was ruled out with a lower-body injury after Rod Brind'Amour had hinted at a game-time decision, while Nicolas Deslauriers returned. Jordan Martinook moved into the third-line center spot, with Felix Unger Sorum elevated next to him, and Brandon Bussi got the start opposite Devin Cooley.
The Hurricanes actually started this one cleaner than they did in Winnipeg. The opening period stayed scoreless, but it wasn’t for lack of chances. Sebastian Aho rang one off the post, Eric Robinson came up with three quality short-handed looks, and both goaltenders settled in early.
Carolina then got the kind of start to the second period it was looking for. Jesperi Kotkaniemi finished a rebound at the side of the net to put the Canes on top.
For a while after that, they looked like the better team by a fair margin. Then the game flipped in a hurry.
With about four minutes left in the period, the Hurricanes were still ahead 1-0 and pressing hard. They had the Flames stuck in their own end and were cycling the puck well, but they couldn’t put away a second goal before the horn.
Once Calgary finally escaped, the momentum turned. Matvei Gridin tied it, Morgan Forst scored 69 seconds later, and before Carolina could fully settle back in, Mike Reilly’s puck over the glass handed the Flames a power play.
Calgary cashed in on that, too, and suddenly a game that looked under control had become a 2-1 deficit. Jalen Chatfield’s goal with three seconds left in the period pulled the Hurricanes even at 2-2, but the damage had already been done.
The third period belonged to Calgary. The Flames spent much of it pushing Carolina back on its heels, and Bussi had to keep bailing his team out just to give it a chance.
He faced 34 shots overall, the first time the Hurricanes have allowed more than 30 in a game this season, and 14 of those came in the third. Eventually, the pressure broke through.
Yegor Sharangovich finished a one-timer with 4:28 remaining, and that was the difference in the 3-2 final.
Bussi did what he could to keep the Hurricanes alive. He was tested more than in any of his other starts this season, and the game got messy around him at times, especially early.
But he settled in, moved well through traffic, and turned aside enough dangerous looks to keep the score tied deep into the final period. The lone one he couldn’t reach was the well-placed transition one-timer that ended the night.
Carolina didn’t do itself many favors away from the puck, either. The chances it did create were often unfinished or blocked by iron, with Nikolaj Ehlers unable to settle a rebound into a yawning net and Logan Stankoven also coming up empty on a similar look. The support in front of Bussi just wasn’t there often enough.
Even with the loss, the Hurricanes are still in solid shape after 10 games. This was their first defeat since their second game of the season against Washington, and their first on the road, dropping them to 7-2-1. The injuries matter - especially with two centers and two of their better wingers out - but the group on the ice didn’t close the door when it had the chance.
That’s the part that will linger. If Carolina had carried a 1-0 lead into the intermission, the night might have played out differently.
Instead, Calgary got life at the right time, and the Flames made the Hurricanes pay. The next chance to reset comes Tuesday in Vancouver, where Carolina will try to start a new streak.
In Other News...
Hurricanes See Two Worrying Streaks End As Lineup Concern Grows
The Hurricanes finally ran into a night that looked a little more like the rest of the league, falling 3-2 to the Flames and seeing both their seven-game winning streak and their perfect road mark come to an end. It was the kind of loss that stings a little more because it came with the team still trying to sort out its lineup, and the details around one forwards availability added an extra layer of concern to an already frustrating result.
Carolina had chances to extend the run, but Calgary found the late answer it needed to pull it out in the third period. For a club that has spent the start of the season building momentum, the bigger question now is how it comes out of this one physically and whether the roster remains intact as the schedule keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Injury Problems Just Got Worse With Another Forward Down
Mark Jankowski was scratched from Carolinas game against the Calgary Flames with a lower-body injury, adding another forward to a list the Hurricanes would rather not keep updating. Rod BrindAmour said Jankowski is heading back to Raleigh for further evaluation, a sign the team is moving beyond short-term day-to-day caution and into a closer look at what comes next.
The injury comes at an awkward time for a club already coping with absences up front, including Seth Jarvis, Jordan Staal and Taylor Hall. Those losses have forced Carolina to dip into its AHL depth, and Nicolas Deslauriers stepped in against Calgary as the Hurricanes tried to piece together their lineup for a 3-2 loss. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Forward Depth Suddenly Looks Like A Real Problem
Taylor Hall landing on injured reserve is the latest reminder that Carolinas forward group is suddenly getting stretched thin. The veteran left winger had already been unavailable for a key matchup with Washington, and now his absence adds to a lineup that has been forced to absorb more injury news than anyone around the team would like at this point in the season.
The bigger concern for the Hurricanes is that Hall is not the only name in limbo. Seth Jarvis, Jordan Staal and Mark Jankowski are also dealing with injuries or being evaluated, which leaves Carolina trying to piece together its depth on the fly while waiting for answers on a handful of regulars. [Read more 🡒]