Hurricanes Score Six Goals to Extend Canucks Losing Streak

Carolina scored three times in the third period to defeat Vancouver 6-3 at Rogers Arena on Tuesday, extending the Canucks' losing streak to eight games. Nicolas Deslauriers, Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven each scored twice for the Hurricanes, who improved to 8-2-1 and secured their eighth victory in nine games.

Vancouver fell to 2-8-1 despite scoring three goals and receiving 38 saves from Leevi Merilainen. According to NHL.com, the Canucks have now lost four consecutive games in which they entered the third period tied or ahead, surrendering a combined nine goals in the third period and overtime across those contests.

Deslauriers put Carolina ahead 4-3 at 4:07 of the third period after receiving a pass from Bradly Nadeau near the crease. Ehlers extended the advantage at 10:22 with a breakaway finish, while Stankoven completed the scoring at 17:57 by converting an empty-net opportunity set up by Ehlers.

Deslauriers had not scored since April 13, 2025, before finding the net twice against Vancouver. The performance marked his first multigoal game since February 19, 2022, and the fifth of his NHL career across 714 games.

Reflecting on his scoring success against Vancouver, Deslauriers said, "We should play them more often. I should play here more often."

The forward added that his scoring output was unusual for his role. He had also recorded his first goal for Carolina since joining the team in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers on March 6.

Deslauriers explained his approach to contributing beyond scoring, saying, "I don't know (why), just guess it happens, but don't get used to it. That's for sure."

He also described the goals as an unexpected bonus rather than his primary responsibility.

"I said it often that I don't expect to score goals. It's fun when it happens, but I know what my job is. I'm not going to deviate into me scoring two goals, I know I have to score goals now.

It's not my job, but it's fun. It keeps the guys loose a little bit," Deslauriers said.

Ehlers also emphasized the importance of scoring contributions throughout the Carolina lineup. The forward recorded two goals and an assist, while Stankoven added an assist and Jackson Blake supplied three assists.

"It's obviously huge," Ehlers said of the team's depth scoring. "It was there all of last year, and that took us all the way and in this League, you got to have every single guy contributing. This year we've done a really good job of that as well, so seeing a guy like him, who's always in a great mood, works hard, it is incredible."

Ehlers, Stankoven and Blake played together on the same line for the first time this season. The trio combined for nine points, including four goals and five assists, while generating sustained offensive pressure.

Discussing the line's chemistry, Ehlers said, "We played a little together last year, where I thought we created some chemistry, and those two guys, they're pretty easy to play with. They got incredible work ethic, they're on the opponents, they got great sticks, made some great plays, obviously. Our speed and our quickness creates a lot of good stuff. We’ve got to clean up defensively and not give up some of the big chances we gave up, but overall, good first game."

Carolina goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 14 shots and made a key save on Drew O'Connor during a breakaway late in the second period, when the score was tied. Kochetkov improved his season record to 6-0-0.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour credited the save with helping his team maintain its position in the game.

"He made one big save that we needed," Brind'Amour said of Kochetkov. "That might have been all we needed, but we needed it, and that's what goaltending is about: When we need a big save, he gave it to us."

Vancouver received goals from Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Max Sasson, while Jake DeBrusk recorded two assists. Lekkerimaki scored on the power play with 1.1 seconds remaining in the first period, and Sasson tied the game 3-3 at 13:07 of the second.

The Canucks also successfully killed all three Carolina power plays, according to CanucksArmy's game analysis. However, their defensive difficulties resurfaced in the final period, continuing a pattern that has undermined otherwise competitive performances.

Vancouver coach Manny Malhotra said the team's inability to maintain its defensive discipline late in games had become a costly problem.

"It's a really good lesson for our group that when your game lacks details in the third, or when you open up the door against teams that we've been playing, they make you pay," Malhotra said. "To be in the games, obviously, a lot of good things, to be able to claw and scratch our way to stay in these games. But it's a valuable lesson to us that 40 (minutes) is not good enough, 45 is not good enough, 50 is not good enough in this League. We have to stay with the process."

The defeat followed Vancouver's 7-2 loss to Carolina on October 8. The Canucks have now gone eight consecutive games without a victory, while the Hurricanes recovered from a 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Sunday.