The Carolina Hurricanes proved they were one of the NHL’s deepest forward groups last season. That trend has continued into 2026-27.
William Carrier’s goal was the difference-maker in the Hurricanes’ 5-3 win over the New York Islanders. Carrier set himself up perfectly, getting in front of Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov to put Carolina up 4-3, with 5:08 to go.
Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho, who set a couple of milestones, were credited with assists. Jalen Chatfield then pitched in an empty-netter with less than a minute to go to increase Carolina’s lead to two goals.
The goal carried a distinct milestone for Carrier, who put up his first of the season. Peter Dewar and Walt Ruff of Hurricanes.com shared that, “With his (Carrier’s) goal, every active forward on the Hurricanes’ roster has scored.”
That is one impressive mark, even for a team that fans have come to expect big things out of. It is a trend that will certainly continue when Jordan Staal, who is missing time with a calf injury, ultimately returns and puts one into the net.
Opponents Still Can’t Figure Out The Carolina Hurricanes
It looked like the Nashville Predators found a way to make life tough for Carolina. But the Hurricanes showed that wasn’t the case on Thursday night with their five-goal outburst.
With so many forwards pitching in and scoring, opponents will struggle to find an answer for the high-octane Hurricanes, a team that has 69 goals in 18 games and 3.83 per contest.
What’s more? Head coach Rod Brind’Amour expects even more from his Stanley Cup-winning club.
Per NHL.com’s Stefan Rosner, Brind’Amour said:
“I didn’t love our game in Nashville, and I didn’t love our game here. We’re not going to play great every night, but there’s a certain way that you got to play to win, and we eventually got to it tonight. It’s a tough, tough league. You got to be on your toes every night or you don’t win.”
Brind’Amour has a point, given the way Carolina allowed the Islanders to tie the game twice before Carrier put them away and solidified the Hurricanes’ 18-game milestone. Still, even if Carolina keeps reaching new heights offensively, why expect anything less?
Fans May Not Have Seen The Best Version Of Carolina Just Yet
The Hurricanes may have just passed the 20-percent mark of their 2026-27 season, but their high-octane scoring and Brind’Amour’s refusal to let the team get complacent make for a dangerous combo.
It will be incredibly interesting to watch as the Hurricanes inch closer to their midseason form. If players like Carrier — who has been an incredible playmaker with nine assists so far — get hot because of Brind’Amour demanding more, few teams would be a legitimate threat to the Hurricanes in most contests.
They will have off-nights, and that was likely the case on Tuesday against Nashville. But fans will see many more games in which they put up four goals or more, with their forward group leading the charge.
Carolina can build on their five-goal outburst on Saturday when they face the Chicago Blackhawks. The goal? Don’t play down to the competition.
Hurricanes Reach Remarkable Scoring Milestone After Win Over Islanders