The Carolina Hurricanes looked like a team in dynasty mode following the first quarter of their title-defense season.
In Saturday’s win over the Seattle Kraken, Mark Jankowski ensured Carolina skated away from Finland with a specific scoring milestone.
The milestone in question?
Per Peter Dewar and Walt Ruff of Hurricanes.com, “…the Canes are the first [team] in the league this season to have four players with 10 or more goals.”
That is one heck of a milestone through 21 games, but one that isn’t unexpected, considering Carolina’s play this season. Through the first quarter of 2026-27, Carolina is first in the league with 87 goals scored.
That gives them an 84-game pace of 348 goals. They are also averaging 4.14 goals scored per game. Kraken captain Jordan Eberle also gave Carolina’s play recognition, so it shows how brutally effective the Hurricanes have been at the quarter-way mark.
So, who all received the honors of scoring double-digit goals so early in the season?
Besides Jankowski, Sebastian Aho (12 goals), Andrei Svechnikov (11), and Logan Stankoven (11) have all gotten there. Like Jankowski, Svechnikov’s two-goal performance on Saturday put him over the double-digit barrier.
Hurricanes Have Dangerous Scorers Up And Down The Lineup
It may not be long until a few more players join the list. Jackson Blake, who has been nothing short of incredible, has six goals this season. Give him another 21 games, and he should surpass the double-digit mark.
Nikolaj Ehlers and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each have five at the quarter-season mark. Should they keep up their high-octane play at their current pace, each will end the year with 20 goals. That would give them 10 by the halfway point at the same pace.
This doesn’t include supplementary scorers, or what things may have looked like if Seth Jarvis had not missed 11 games. Jarvis opted for shoulder surgery during the 2026 offseason after playing through the injury for two seasons, which is a testament to his toughness.
With Carolina back to full strength, thanks to Jarvis starting fast in his first 10 games back and captain Jordan Staal’s return on Saturday, the sky will be more of an obstacle as opposed to the limit for Carolina’s scoring as the season progresses.
Carolina Needs Its High-Octane Game To Show Up In Return To North America
The Montreal Canadiens will be looking to spoil Carolina’s welcome home party on Thursday, Nov. 19. Through 20 games, Montreal has scored 68 goals this season. That’s good enough for 3.4 goals per game, and 285 at their current pace.
The Canadiens, 12-4-4 (28 points), also had a 12-game point streak going on between Oct. 17 and Nov. 12 before the Colorado Avalanche spoiled it on Saturday. Still, Montreal has a game in hand over Carolina heading into Sunday. Their 28 points are six behind the Hurricanes, and they will play twice before Thursday’s matchup.
Should Montreal get back on track this week, they could head into Thursday night with 32 points, challenging the Hurricanes for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Therefore, Carolina’s double-digit scorers and their point producers must bring their respective A-Games.
Hurricanes Reach Major Scoring Milestone Following Finland Sweep