The Carolina Hurricanes were putting on quite an encore presentation early in 2026-27. That encore hit a speed bump on Tuesday.
Walt Ruff and Peter Dewar of Hurricanes.com shared that, in Tuesday night’s loss to the Nashville Predators, “Carolina trailed by a pair of goals for the first time since Oct. 2 and could never recover, despite a second-period strike from Jackson Blake.”
That is one of just a few blemishes on Carolina’s otherwise remarkable 2026-27 season that has seen them start the campaign 12-3-2. While the Hurricanes would have ideally seen that streak continue, they have an opportunity to start a new one.
That could very well be the case on Thursday night as they gear up to face the New York Islanders.
Hurricanes’ Epic Goals For vs. Goals Against Ratio Fueled Their 14-Game Streak
If Carolina bounces back in a big way, the odds are in their favor to stifle the Islanders. Despite playing in three more games than New York this season, the Hurricanes have allowed just 39 goals (40 when counting their lone shootout loss).
That gives them an average of 2.29 goals allowed per game early in the season. With 64 goals scored, the Hurricanes have also averaged 3.76 goals per game.
That also gives them a plus-25 goal differential (plus-24 when counting shootouts) compared to plus-1 for the Islanders. Shannon Bickert of the Islanders Team Site acknowledged this, writing, “The Hurricanes have recorded a plus-24 goal differential this season, the best margin in the league.”
Currently, New York is second in the league in goals allowed, with 38 in 14 games. That is an average of 2.71 per game. But New York has also struggled to find the net, ranking 27th with 39 goals scored, or 2.78 per game.
Should the Hurricanes strike first and then enjoy another monster second period, they will put themselves in a prime position to reignite that 14-game streak.
Carolina Can Make A Statement Win In Matchup Against Islanders
Picking up where they left off in their dominant 7-0 win vs. the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday is what the Hurricanes will be after. That dominant play slipped on Tuesday, and Carolina’s 14-game streak without falling behind too far went with it.
Streaks like those will end across an 84-game landscape, no matter how good a team is. That said, several identical streaks can ignite. The Hurricanes have an opportunity to make that kind of statement on Thursday night.
As with the Predators (45 goals allowed in 15 games/9th in the league), the Islanders own one of the most defensively sound teams. That gives the Hurricanes a prime opportunity to make some noise on the road and redeem their play from Tuesday’s loss.
Carolina has also shown that it can bounce back after difficult games. They started 0-1-1 and let opponents outscore them 6-2. Then their 14-game streak of dominance started with a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
This time around, the preferred situation is for the Hurricanes to bounce back after just one slip-up. If they do, they should have momentum heading into next week’s trip to Finland.
Hurricanes Saw Incredible 14-Game Feat End Before Isles Matchup