Preseason Recap: Canes Stun Preds In Greensboro

GREENSBORO, N.C. - After trailing by four goals near the midway mark of the contest, the Carolina Hurricanes rattled off five consecutive goals to stun the Nashville Predators 6-5 at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

GAME SUMMARY | BOX SCORE | PRESEASON STATS | BUY TICKETS

The Greensboro crowd was lively from the get-go, but it was the Predators pouncing first as Vitali Pinchuk whacked home a rebound in front at 1:48. Riding the early momentum, the Tennesseeans tucked in two more tallies to take a 3-0 lead into the second period.

Carolina seemingly calmed the waters early in the middle frame when Logan Stankoven capitalized on some trademark forechecking work with his linemates, but just two minutes later, Nashville struck back to widen the gap back to three. Jack Drury, now sporting yellow, then found twine against his former club to make it 5-1 at 8:24.

Rather than serving as a fatal blow, though, Drury's goal marked a turning of the tide in favor of the Hurricanes as they mounted a late-period pushback. Jesperi Kotkaniemi was at the forefront, hammering home a shot from the slot, then setting up Juha Jääskä for a breakaway beauty before the break.

Now trailing by just two, Carolina's push produced a power-play goal from Juuso Välimäki at 8:26 to get within one for the first time since the game's opening minutes. Still, the tying tally remained elusive until the clock ticked down to 84 seconds remaining; with the goaltender pulled in favor of an extra attacker, Stankoven finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play to knot things up with his second of the night.

Overtime loomed on the horizon, but before it could arrive, Felix Unger Sörum completed the improbable comeback in the game's dying seconds. After some heroics from Pyotr Kochetkov and Dominik Badinka kept the puck out of the net in the defensive zone, Bradly Nadeau dashed into the offensive zone with no time to spare. Taking a dish from his linemate just inside the blue line, Unger Sörum drifted to the top of the right circle before wiring a shot past the glove of Nashville's netminder as the clock hit two seconds and the crowd of 13,863 erupted around him.

Kochetkov finished with an unofficial 23 saves on 28 shots, saving some of his best work for last to backstop the team in front of him to a furious comeback victory.

Stats & Standouts

• While the competition for the spot available at forward has been the main topic of discussion to this point in training camp, with just one preseason game remaining after tonight, the battle on the blue line deserves just as much chatter. Juuso Välimäki had himself a standout night, including a power-play goal amid the comeback. As long as Alexander Nikishin remains out of the mix, there are presumably two spots available on the team’s opening night roster, with Valimaki, Pierre-Olivier Joseph (1A), Charles Alexis Legault, Joel Nyström, and Mike Reilly as the most likely candidates for the spots.
• Making their first appearance of the preseason, the line of Jackson Blake (1A), Taylor Hall (3A), and Logan Stankoven (2G, 1A), picked up right where they had left off in June. Serving as the only combination of NHL roster mainstays tonight, the trio "drove the bus" offensively for the team when it mattered most.
• Among others deserving praise tonight was 18-year-old Zach Lansard. The 2026 third-round pick drew a massive assignment tonight, skating alongside two players with NHL experience - Juha Jääskä and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. In addition to that duo chipping in with Carolina's second and third goals of the evening, Lansard also drew a high-sticking penalty in the third period, aiding in his team's momentum that ultimately culminated in victory.
• Carolina has twice erased a four-goal deficit in the regular season or playoffs in franchise history (Jan. 1, 2022 at CBJ & Jan. 19, 1989 vs. MTL).

They Said It...

Felix Unger Sörum giving his perspective on the comeback…

“We tried to stick with it and just keep on playing the game, and it worked out… I thought (the mood on the bench) was good. I didn’t feel like there was any panic at all, and that’s probably why we won it too.”

Logan Stankoven chiming in on the thrilling evening…

“That’s what it’s about. You’re never out until the final horn. It was great to see the guys battle. It was an exciting game. Even though it’s only preseason, I think it’s great just to get the juices flowing again, and it was a great turnout from the people in Greensboro.”

Rod Brind’Amour giving praise to the Greensboro crowd…

“It was a nice night. They were loud, they were cheering, and thankfully we gave them something to cheer about. It didn’t look so good there for a lot of the game, but everyone went home happy, so that’s good.”

Taylor Hall following his first preseason appearance…

“I don’t think it was perfect, but it was fun to get playing, and it was a good atmosphere. The crowd was into it all game. For our line, we work hard. That’s kind of our recipe. If we manage the puck well, then we usually have chances just from our work ethic and our skills. That kind of paid off in the end.”

What's Next?

The Canes are scheduled to practice on Friday. They'll wrap up their four-game exhibition schedule on Saturday afternoon in the Music City.

Next Preseason Game: Saturday, Sept. 26 at Nashville | 7:00 p.m. ET | WATCH: Hurricanes.com (In-Market), ESPN+ (Out of Market)