Game Preview: Wild versus Hurricanes

Carolina Hurricanes’ Home Stand

The Carolina Hurricanes return home for a two-game series at the Lenovo Center, hosting Minnesota and Buffalo after a northeast road trip. On Tuesday, the Hurricanes secured an important victory against the struggling New York Rangers.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored his first goal as a Hurricane on the power play. Carolina controlled the second and third periods, limiting New York to only one shot in the final frame. Pyotr Kochetkov made 26 saves to earn a shutout in his season debut, despite Carolina’s depleted defense.

Minnesota Wild’s Season Struggles and Strengths

The Minnesota Wild were expected to be a bubble playoff team but have had a difficult start. After winning two of their first three games, they managed only one win in nine games through October. Minnesota snapped a five-game losing streak with an overtime victory against Nashville on November 1, followed by another win on Tuesday.

Wild’s Power Play

Power play is the Wild’s standout strength. Led by Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota ranks third in the NHL, converting on 31.5% of their power-play chances. Kaprizov ranks ninth in league scoring with eight goals and 10 assists, second overall in power-play goals (five) and points (nine).

Other key contributors with double-digit points include Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi, and Marcus Johansson.

"Nikolaj Ehlers netted his first goal as a Hurricane, and did so on the power play."

"The Wild have the third-best power play in the NHL, converting on 31.5 percent of their opportunities."

Author’s summary: The Hurricanes aim to build on their recent victory at home while facing a Minnesota Wild team showing power-play prowess despite an early-season slump.

Canes Country — 2025-11-06