The Carolina Hurricanes carry a seven-game winning streak into Calgary on Sunday, Oct. 18, when they face a Flames team still searching for its first stretch of consistent hockey this season. Carolina sits at 7-1-1 and leads the NHL in points, while Calgary enters at 1-6-0 after opening the season 0-5-0 for the first time in franchise history. The matchup pits the league’s hottest team against one of its coldest, with the Hurricanes looking to extend a run that started well before they landed in Alberta.
Hurricanes Vs Flames Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, CARNHL
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season
By The Numbers
- Points: Carolina 87, Calgary 38
- Goals: Carolina 31, Calgary 14
- Goals Against: Carolina 19, Calgary 35
- Save Percentage: Carolina .890, Calgary .830
- Shooting Percentage: Carolina 12.0%, Calgary 6.8%
- Power-Play Goals: Carolina 8, Calgary 3
- Shots Total: Carolina 258, Calgary 206
- Faceoff Percentage: Carolina 50.6%, Calgary 50.1%
Hurricanes Look To Keep Rolling
Carolina beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Saturday to push its winning streak to seven games, a result that came courtesy of former Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored the game-winning goal on the power play at 6:43 of the third period for his first goal of the season, according to TSN. Mark Jankowski and Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored, and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 22 shots to improve to 5-0 on the season. Shayne Gostisbehere added two assists, and the Hurricanes finished 2-for-2 on the power play.
Sebastian Aho leads Carolina in all three major offensive categories with six goals, seven assists and 13 points. The Hurricanes have outscored opponents 31-19 and own a league-best .890 save percentage, numbers that reflect a team getting contributions up and down the lineup while playing on consecutive nights after facing Winnipeg. Brandon Bussi is listed as the probable starting goalie for Sunday’s game, a projection that would give Kochetkov a rest after Saturday’s win.
Carolina is without center Jordan Staal, who will miss at least a month after tearing a calf during pregame warmups before a Sunday game in Philadelphia, a notable loss for a player who posted 12 points in 19 playoff games during Carolina’s title run, according to Bleacher Report. Left wing Taylor Hall is also out with an upper-body injury, and center Seth Jarvis remains on injured reserve following shoulder surgery. The Taylor Hall injury situation and Staal’s absence have forced Carolina to lean more heavily on its depth scoring, something the Hurricanes showed in their recent 4-1 win over the Flyers and their 7-2 rout of the Canucks.
Flames Still Searching For Footing
Calgary has managed just 14 goals in eight games and sits last in the Pacific Division at 1-6-0. The Flames’ lone win in their last five came Oct. 14 against Anaheim, 4-2, sandwiched between losses to Seattle, Colorado, Anaheim and Vegas. Calgary’s .830 team save percentage and 5.00 goals-against average rank among the league’s worst marks through the early season.
Flames coach Ryan Huska pointed to incremental progress despite the record. “We’ve slowly been getting better, and that’s the most important thing,” Huska said, per Bleacher Report. Matt Coronato leads Calgary with two goals and four points, while Joel Farabee paces the team with four assists. Dustin Wolf is listed as the probable starting goalie for Calgary.
The Flames are also missing forward Samuel Honzek, out with a lower-body injury, and Jonathan Huberdeau, who remains on injured reserve recovering from hip surgery. Both absences thin an already limited forward group trying to generate offense against a Carolina defense that has allowed the fewest goals in the league.
Key Matchup
Carolina’s power play, which has converted eight goals already this season and went 2-for-2 against Winnipeg, lines up against a Calgary penalty-kill unit that has allowed 35 goals in eight games. The Hurricanes have scored 31 goals on 258 shots for a 12.0% shooting rate, nearly double Calgary’s 6.8% clip on 206 shots. If Carolina’s special teams perform the way they did against the Jets, the Flames’ struggling goals-against numbers could be tested again.
What To Watch
Carolina arrives atop the Metropolitan Division standings with 15 points and a 7-1-1 record, while Calgary sits at the bottom of the Pacific with two points. A ninth straight loss would mark new territory for a Flames team already dealing with a franchise-worst start, while an eighth straight win would keep Carolina’s early-season pace among the best in the league. The Hurricanes’ next test after Calgary will shape how long that streak can continue.
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