Recap: Canes Blast Blackhawks Behind Historic Offensive Onslaught

RALEIGH, N.C. - Rolling to their second straight seven-goal margin of victory at Lenovo Center, the Carolina Hurricanes hammered the Chicago Blackhawks 9-2 on Saturday.

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As was the case in New York two nights earlier, the Canes were up by two before the contest was four minutes old. Seth Jarvis got the party started just 94 seconds in, capitalizing on a friendly ricochet that wound up on his stick. Shortly afterward, it was Jackson Blake's turn, getting on the end of a perfectly placed Nikolaj Ehlers feed at the back post.

Pouring on the pressure, Jordan Martinook slotted home two more tallies to make it 4-0. Set up by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Eric Robinson on both occasions, the Canes' alternate captain put the game out of reach before the end of the first period.

More of the same ensued after the break; Andrei Svechnikov put home his own rebound after some slick moves in the slot, then Sebastian Aho capitalized on a 2-on-1 with Sean Walker. Chicago elected to swap netminders at that point, but the hosts weren't done, as Alexander Nikishin marked his return to action with a goal to make it 7-0 through 40 minutes.

The Blackhawks ultimately broke Pyotr Kochetkov's shutout bid with back-to-back markers in the third period, but the Hurricanes answered with another pair of their own from Shayne Gostisbehere and Svechnikov in the final five minutes.

Kochetkov moved to 11-1-0 on the year with 18 saves on 20 shots.

Stats & Standouts

• Sebastian Aho paced the effort with three points, moving his team-leading total to 26 on the year. His 57th career three-point game tied Aleksander Barkov for the fourth-most by a Finnish player in NHL history. The list is topped by Jari Kurri (164 GP), Teemu Selanne (126 GP) and Mikko Rantanen (78 GP).
• With his goal, Aho reached the 10-goal milestone in 19 games or fewer for the second time in his career, joining the 2021-22 campaign. His 26 points are the most he has recorded in the first 19 games of a season, surpassing the 23 he notched in 2018-19.
• Jordan Martinook recorded the seventh multi-goal game of his career, four of which have come with the Hurricanes.
• Andrei Svechnikov also struck twice for his team-leading third multi-goal game this season, and has tucked three goals in his last two outings. Since his debut in 2018-19, only Sebastian Aho (39) has more games with two or more tallies than Svechnikov (27) among Hurricanes skaters.
• Shayne Gostisbehere potted a pair of points for the fifth time this year, matching Andrei Svechnikov for the second-most multi-point efforts by a Hurricanes skater in 2026-27.
• Jesperi Kotkaniemi set up both of Jordan Martinook's goals to hit the scoresheet multiple times in one game for the first time in nearly one calendar year. His last such showing came on Nov. 8, 2025.
• Jackson Blake lit the lamp to push his career-best point streak to nine games (4G, 7A).
• Alexander Nikishin didn't miss a beat in his 2026-27 debut, logging a goal and an assist while skating 20:21 TOI.
• Pyotr Kochetkov became the 11th goaltender in NHL history to win 11 of his first 12 appearances in a season, joining a list that includes teammate Brandon Bussi, who achieved the feat last season.
• Tying a team record (since relocation) for goals scored in one game, the Hurricanes put up nine goals for the second time this calendar year (also: Jan. 16 vs. FLA). Carolina has achieved that feat four total times since relocating, and the franchise record stands at 11, achieved four times as Hartford.
• Tonight’s contest marks the second time in team history the Canes have had at least 15 players record a point in the same game, joining a 6-3 win over Edmonton on Nov. 22, 2023.

They Said It...

Jordan Martinook giving his assessment of the win…

“It was good. The start was incredible. What did we give up, one or two shots for the first 15 minutes? Then, obviously, we were pouring it on. That’s a good one to send us off with.”

Jordan Martinook continuing on the first period…

“As an opposing team coming in here, it’s a hard place to play. Especially when (we) can get it going quick. It’s hard. It’s fun to be on the side where you’re just kind of running downhill. It was a great start.”

Rod Brind’Amour on what impressed him most tonight...

“I thought the second period. We had the big lead after the first, and we didn’t really let off of it. I think they had two or three shots in the second period, so that’s a good number. It means we’re doing things right. Then it really gets out of hand… It’s tough to stay with it the whole time, and for the most part, I thought we were able to do that.”

Jesperi Kotkaniemi giving rave review of Alexander Nikishin’s season debut…

“He was great. He’s always been great. He always has a great mindset too. He works hard like everyone here. He’s always positive when he comes in here, and I’m not surprised he’s playing that well already.”

Jordan Martinook on Jesperi Kotkaniemi getting rewarded as of late…

“This probably hasn’t been said, but even if you go back to last year, the way that it’s gone for him, and the way that he shows up every single day — when you talk about unbelievable teammates, he is that. He comes in, and he’s happy. He’s one of the best guys ever. He’s always making the guys laugh. It’s a testament to who he is. The way that last year ended, he didn’t play much, and for him to come in and to play as well as he has, you want to say about mental toughness or whatever it is, I have so much respect for the way that he’s went with his business.”

Rod Brind'Amour discussing the importance of going into a four-day break between games and heading to Finland with a win...

"That's a good point. I mean, it's a lot of distractions with (the trip to Finland). Everyone has to pack. We were just on the road. So, they come home, and then you're all talking about is Finland, and yet we've got a game to play. In all of this, that's probably the most impressive thing that I take away from the group is that we came ready to play. It was about business, and now we can focus on this trip."

What's Next?

The Canes are scheduled to fly to Finland on Sunday ahead of the 2026 NHL Global Series games against the Seattle Kraken. The team will practice there during the week, with games set to take place Thursday and Saturday.

Next Game: Thursday, Nov. 12 vs. Seattle | 12:00 p.m. ET| Helsinki, Finland | Hurricanes Hockey Network

Next Home Game: Thursday, Nov. 19 vs. Montreal | 7:00 p.m. ET | Hurricanes Hockey Network | Tickets | Parking