Jackson Blake of the Carolina Hurricanes skates during the third period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on March 2, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.
Steph Chambers
Getty Images
RALEIGH
Jackson Blake stayed face down on the ice, six feet in front of New Jersey goalie Jacob Markstrom. He was there courtesy a forearm shove to the back from Devils forward Paul Cotter, a shove he earned by beating Cotter to that spot and firing the puck past Markstrom for the Carolina Hurricanes’ second goal of the second period.
As the arena lights dimmed, the goal horn blared and New Jersey players skated dejectedly away from the scene of the crime, Blake’s Canes teammates helped him to his feet.
No injuries. Good goal. Smiles all around.
Blake’s goal, his 21st of the season, helped the Hurricanes to a 5-2 win over the Devils at Lenovo Center on Saturday, Carolina’s 46th victory of the season. That he skated away from the fracas in front unscathed was perhaps better cause for celebration though.
With the Hurricanes in the driver’s seat in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division standings, all but officially assured a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs – barring an epic late-season collapse – perhaps the only external factors that could otherwise derail that push are injuries.
So, a fair question, then: Is it April yet?
Better yet, is it April 17 yet? Assuming the Canes remain in a position to host a first-round series in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, that’s just about when that would start.
You could hardly blame the players and coaching staff if that thought is starting to creep into their minds as the regular season grinds to a close over the next two-and-a-half weeks.
The Hurricanes remain atop the Metro after Saturday’s win — Shayne Gostisbehere, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jordan Staal and Seth Jarvis joined Blake on the scoresheet and Brandon Bussi made 18 saves — and in control of their own destiny for the top spot in both the division and Eastern Conference.
The Canes are coming off their last regular-season break of more than one day — they were off for three days prior to the game against New Jersey — and they play 10 games over the next 17 days, four at home, six on the road, beginning with the second of back-to-back home games Sunday afternoon against Montreal.
And, for the first time in nearly a month, Carolina’s lineup most closely resembled its potential playoff lineup — goaltender notwithstanding — with the return of Gostisbehere, who’d been out since March 6.
Gostisbehere, by the way, had his goal and also an assist on Blake’s goal, his 44th and 45th points in 46 games played this season. He’s the linchpin to the Canes’ top power play unit and a steadying influence on partner, rookie Alexander Nikishin.
Since its run of seven — soon to be eight — consecutive playoff appearances began, Carolina has constructed its roster whereby the sum of the team’s parts is greater than any one individual. But that also means each player has a symbiotic relationship with other players. While no one player is the single key cog in the Canes’ machine, a missing gear tooth or two can cause some unneeded friction.
One could hardly blame the Hurricanes for wishing the next 10 games on the schedule would fly by uneventfully.
Saturday’s early speed bump
Things didn’t start smoothly in that endeavor Saturday.
Two penalties nearly back to back in the middle part of the first period tempered the Hurricanes’ offensive efforts. They escaped those situations unscathed, but could not escape the frame with an even slate. Timo Meier made sure of that when he finished a 2-on-1 down low on a feed from Dawson Mercer with 2:54 to play.
The Canes’ best scoring chance of the first period came off a heady play from Andrei Svechnikov, who entered the zone up the right side, absorbed a shoulder check as he spun back up the wall and zipped a pass across to Seth Jarvis alone in the far faceoff circle. Jarvis one-timed the feed on net, forcing Markstrom to make a good sliding stop from his left to right.
Nikolaj Ehlers (27) of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his goal during the second period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on March 2, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. Steph Chambers Getty Images Second helpings
An improved Carolina power play put the home team on the board midway through the second when Ehlers pounded the puck past Markstrom at 10:10, evening the score at 1-1. The goal was Ehlers’ 23rd of the season.
Blake’s tally followed 3:38 later, and Staal inched closer to the 20-goal mark at age 38 with his 19th marker of the season at 15:13 of the second period on a tip in front with help from Ehlers and Jordan Martinook. There wasn’t a moment in the second period during which the Hurricanes were truly threatened on the scoreboard, and they allowed just five shots on Bussi.
The exclamation point
Gostisbehere scored his goal after another lockdown third period during which the Canes allowed just eight shots, when he rifled a shot past Markstrom at 15:25.
Seth Jarvis completed the Carolina scoring with 2:20 remaining into an empty net while shorthanded, pushing his season total to 30 goals for the third consecutive season.
Evgenii Dadonov added a late score for New Jersey, long after it made a difference on the outcome.
The takeaway from Saturday’s game: The better team won — emphatically — and did so without accruing or aggravating injuries. That in itself is a win.
So … is it April yet?
The News & Observer
Justin is a 25-year veteran sports journalist with stops in Lewiston, Maine (Sun Journal), and Boston (Boston Herald). A proud husband, and father of twin girls, Pelletier is a Boston University graduate and member of the esteemed Jack Falla sportswriting mafia. He has earned dozens of state and national sportswriting and editing awards covering preps, colleges and professional leagues.