The Carolina Hurricanes hosted the Nashville Predators for their first of two meetings during the 2025-26 season. The Hurricanes were looking to get back in the win column after their 5-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night (Dec. 4). The Predators entered the game on a two-game winning streak after defeating the Calgary Flames and the Florida Panthers. As the final horn sounded, the Hurricanes defeated the Predators 6-3.
Game Recap
The first period was all Hurricanes as they dominated the Predators. Not only did they outshoot them 19-4, but they scored three goals in the process. The first two goals came on the power play, the first from Taylor Hall as he took three tries to get it past Juuse Saros. It finally went in for his sixth goal of the season. Almost two minutes later, during a Hurricanes’ 5-on-3 power play, Seth Jarvis sold a shot, fooling everyone. He then passed the puck to Nikolaj Ehlers, who blasted a one-timer past Saros.
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Jarvis put it right in Ehlers’ wheelhouse to make it a 2-0 game, giving “Fly” his sixth goal of the season. The Hurricanes were the 31st-ranked power-play unit entering the game, and they went 2-for-4 in the first period alone. The final goal of the period came with 15 seconds left as William Carrier went from behind the net and came out front to stuff it shortside on Saros. After one period, it was 3-0 Hurricanes, who were all over the Predators.
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Nikolaj Ehlers celebrates his goal with center Sebastian Aho (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
The second period saw only one goal, compared to the three in the first period. Jackson Blake made it a 4-0 game after a goal that was highlight-reel worthy. After getting a pass from Ehlers, he went forehand to backhand to forehand and just slotted it past Saros for his seventh of the season. He dangled the Predators in a London phone booth for a goal that can only be described as nasty. After two periods, the Hurricanes led 4-0 and outshot the Predators 14-8 (33-12 after 40 minutes).
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The third period saw five goals, two from the Hurricanes and three from the Predators. Sebastian Aho made it a 5-0 game after he created his own breakaway attempt and beat Saros. Blake scored his second of the game as he collected a third-chance opportunity to make it a 6-1 Hurricanes lead. The Predators snapped Bussi’s shutout run as Michael Bunting scored on the power play after a defensive breakdown gave him a look by the crease unmarked.
Matthew Wood and Filip Forsberg scored two unanswered goals to bring the game back within three, making it 6-3 at the 11:36 mark of the third period. Both goals came when both players were left alone in front of the Hurricanes’ net. The defensive breakdowns were not on Bussi, as there was not much he could do to not being scored on there. Overall, Bussi had a great night for the Hurricanes, while Saros was pulled after giving up the sixth goal of the game.
The Hurricanes improve to 17-8-2 after the win over the Predators. Blake had the second three-point game of his career, following his two-goal and one-assist performance. Bussi is now 8-1-0 on the season and has won his last six starts. He is the first goalie in Hurricanes history to win eight of his first nine games. The Predators saw their two-game winning streak snapped, following the loss. Their next game is on Tuesday, Dec. 9, against the Colorado Avalanche, while the Hurricanes will face the San Jose Sharks tomorrow.
