Recap: Power Play Propels Canes To Sweep In Helsinki

HELSINKI - Driven by a trio of tallies from their man advantage, the Carolina Hurricanes earned a dominant 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken at Veikkaus Arena on Saturday.

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Once again dominating the early going, Carolina exited the first period with a 2-0 lead and a 10-3 shot advantage. Jackson Blake grabbed the first power play goal of the contest, capitalizing on a full-line passing play with a one-timer into the top corner. Another quick strike from Mark Jankowski doubled the score, and the Canes were off and running.

Andrei Svechnikov then turned up the heat in the middle frame. Rifling home a one-timer on the man advantage 2:03 in, he stretched his club's advantage to three. And after Matty Beniers pulled the Kraken within a pair, Svechnikov pulled off a near-carbon-copy of his first goal, beating Joey Daccord again with another one-timer from the glove-side circle.

Headed to the final frame of regulation up 4-1, Jankowski then doubled back to join Svechnikov in the multi-goal department, tapping home a Taylor Hall setup for his 10th goal of the season.

Behind it all, Pyotr Kochetkov improved to 12-1, making 12 saves.

Stats & Standouts

• Jackson Blake now boasts points in 11 straight games following today's goal. Netting five goals and eight assists in that span, Blake owns the second-longest point streak in the NHL this season, behind Connor McDavid’s active 20-game run.
• Nikolaj Ehlers pitched in with an assist on three of the five goals, recording his second three-point showing in the last calendar month (10/20 @ Vancouver).
• Mark Jankowski now boasts 10 goals in 17 games this season. He had 11 in 68 games last year.
• With Jankowski and Svechnikov joining the group today, the Canes are the first time in the league this season to have four players with 10 or more goals.
• Carolina outscored Seattle 9-2 during the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland, tied for the highest goal differential by a team during one overseas trip – Colorado also was plus-7 during the 2022 Global Series in Tampere (11-4 vs. CBJ). Both the Hurricanes and Avalanche were reigning Stanley Cup champions.
• The Canes became the first NHL team to win each of its first four games played outside of North America and the fourth with at least four victories overall in those contests, following the Senators (5-0-1), Predators (4-2-0) and Panthers (4-2-0).
• Carolina improved to 5-0-0 in NHL tentpole events, with a 4-0-0 mark outside of North America and a victory in their lone outdoor appearance. The only other club to play in at least five such contests that still maintains a perfect record is St. Louis (2-0-0 outside North America and 3-0-0 outdoors). 
• The team heads back to Raleigh maintaining their hold on first place in the league's standings. They have occupied the NHL’s No. 1 seed through nearly two-thirds of all gamedays with this season (29 of 47; 61.7%).
• Now 16-3-2, the group is tied with the 2020-21 Lightning (16-4-1) for the second most wins by a reigning Stanley Cup champion through 21 games of a season, behind only the 1929-30 Bruins (19-2-0). The Lightning went on to repeat that season, while the Bruins reached the Final. 
• The victory is Carolina's seventh straight as the home team, tied for the second-longest run this season behind Tampa Bay’s active 8-0-0 stretch entering Nov. 14.

They Said It...

Mark Jankowski following the second victory of the set...

“It was just two great games by our team overall. It was awesome to come over here and get two wins.”

Mark Jankowski on the importance of getting the two victories for the Finns on the team...

“It was so cool. We knew it was going to be special for all three of those guys. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — to play in the NHL back in their home country. It was awesome that we were able to play well, get two wins for them, and for all three of those guys to (make) huge contributions in those wins as well.”

Rod Brind'Amour discussing another quality performance from Sebastian Aho...

“He was happy to be here and at this event. We knew the importance of it for him, but I thought he really took it to another level. He wanted to perform, and he did. I thought he was one of the best players out there every night, every shift. He was noticeable. I think, again, he’s going to remember this. He came home and showed well in front of his people. I’m really happy for him.”

Rod Brind'Amour when asked if these games mean more than other wins during the regular season...

“I don’t know if they’re more important; they all count the same. But there’s more to it than just a regular win because of the event - so I think yes. You would hope that this is a memory for all of our group, but especially for some of the players we talked about that this [was] their coming home party. I think the guys took it really seriously to make sure we played well for those guys, and I think that’s where you get that little extra bonding.”

Sebastian Aho reflecting on the trip as a whole...

"Just so much happened this week, right? It was almost at times a bit overwhelming, but it was so much fun. I wouldn't change it for anything. Hockey-wise, we played unbelievable. The guys, you could feel the energy and that they wanted to play well for us. It's something you can't fake, really, and I really appreciate how the guys showed up for the whole team, but you could feel there was a little extra and that everyone wanted us Finns to do good. Off the ice, having the kids come in from my hometown and all that stuff. A lot of hopefully future NHLers in that building and on top of that, you had your own family and friends. Just so much cool stuff. It's tough to unpack, really, but I'll definitely remember this week."

What's Next?

The Canes will fly back to Raleigh on Sunday. They are scheduled to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to game action on Thursday.

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