WASHINGTON -- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin made his NHL debut in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Thursday.
Nikishin had two shots on goal in 10:33 of ice time for the Hurricanes, who eliminated the Capitals with a 3-1 victory and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.
"I don’t know that there’s a tougher spot to throw a kid in, especially when there’s such a language barrier," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "I thought he did all right. We got a little fortunate on the [Washington goal] that was offside because he turned that one over and had it on his tape, but he hung in there. And you can see he's going to be a good player for us, and he's got a bright future."
Nikishin replaced Jalen Chatfield and was on the Hurricanes' third defense pair with Shayne Gostisbehere in pregame warmups.
Chatfield sustained an injury in Game 4 on Monday and didn't practice Wednesday, when the Hurricanes had a full team practice.
The Hurricanes didn't have a morning skate Thursday, but Brind'Amour said Chatfield was at the arena skating and he was hopeful that he would be able to play. Chatfield, though, did not take warmups.
Chatfield had played in all nine of Carolina's previous games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, recording one goal and a plus-6 rating in 20:24 of ice time per game.
Nikishin had been practicing with the Hurricanes since agreeing to terms with the team on a two-year entry-level contract on April 11. The 23-year-old, who is 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, was selected by the Hurricanes in the third round (No. 69) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Nikishin signed with the Hurricanes after completing his season with SKA St. Petersburg in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. He had 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) in 61 KHL regular-season games, serving as SKA's captain.
The defenseman finished his KHL career as SKA's all-time leader in scoring by a defenseman with 177 points (54 goals, 123 assists) in 288 games. He was named KHL Defenseman of the Month seven times in three seasons.
"He has all the tools to be a very effective all-around defenseman," Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky said on April 11. "He can play a very physical game. He is a ferocious hitter. He has a good ability to manage and close gaps so he can be a really effective defender. Offensively, he sees the ice well. He can make plays. He has a strong shot. So he really has all the tools to do everything you want."
