After defeating the New Jersey Devils 6-3 on Thursday night (Oct. 9) in their home opener, the Carolina Hurricanes start the 2025-26 season 1-0. Their next game is on Saturday night (Oct. 11) against another Metropolitan Division foe, the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers come into town after losing 2-1 to the Florida Panthers on Thursday in Sunrise, Florida.
Flyers vs. Hurricanes Preview
Before the Hurricanes take to their two-week road trip during the North Carolina State Fair, they will host the Flyers in the final Metropolitan Division matchup of the two-game homestand. Here is where you can watch or listen to the game:
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South (Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy)
Listen: 99.9 The Fan
Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. Eastern
The Hurricanes look to continue the momentum from a wild opening night after seeing nine goals scored between them and the Devils. Five Hurricanes players had multiple points in the win, led by Seth Jarvis and K’Andre Miller, who scored two goals each. Taylor Hall scored the first goal of the season for the team on Thursday night, a nice reward after securing a three-year deal during the playoffs last season. Alexander Nikishin notched his first NHL point in his regular-season debut, followed by having a plus-3 on the night alongside defense partner Shayne Gostisbehere.
Miller and Nikishin looked good in their first regular-season games with the Hurricanes. Some were wondering how the pair would do in their debuts. As the game went along, they only seemed more comfortable, especially Miller, who felt like he fit in right away. Logan Stankoven had a decent night for his first true test as the second-line center with Andrei Svechnikov and Jackson Blake on his wings. Blake got an assist and led the team in shots with five. The second-year player looks poised to get the scoring going early into the 2025-26 season.
Related: Jarvis & Miller’s 2 Goal Nights Lead Hurricanes to 6-3 Win Over Devils
Frederik Andersen secured the win during the home opener, saving 19 of 22 shots. While his .864 save percentage (SV%) and 3.00 goals-against average (GAA) seem high, it’s only one game against a Devils team that looks to battle with the Hurricanes for the Metropolitan Division title this season. There is no word on whether Pyotr Kochetkov will be ready for the game on Saturday. If he is not, expect Brandon Bussi to be dressed again, and possibly backing up Andersen.
On the opposite side, the Flyers lost in their first game of the season in South Florida. The lone goal came from Noah Cates, with Tyson Foerster getting the assist. Not the greatest of starts for Rick Tocchet in his first game as the head coach. However, the Hurricanes will still need to shut down Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, and Travis Konecny if they want to start the season 2-0.
Konecny finished last season with 24 goals and 76 points in 82 games for the Flyers. His career high in assists (52) and 76 points made him one of the formidable forwards for them last season. The hope for Tocchet and his staff is for Konecny to replicate that again on the second line with Zegras. This is Zegras’ first season with the Flyers after being traded to them during the offseason. During the 2024-25 season with the Anaheim Ducks, he tallied 12 goals and 32 points in 57 games. It’ll be interesting to see how he does in his first season in Philadelphia after having a turbulent past couple of seasons with the Ducks.
Out of those three forwards, all eyes are on the Russian forward Michkov, who had 26 goals and 63 points in 80 games during his rookie season. He was considered one of the players to win the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year, but ultimately lost to Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson. Michkov looks to take another step in his second season with the Flyers as they hope to make the 2026 Playoffs.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes Gameday Preview: Hosting the New Jersey Devils in Season Opener
One of the big question marks for the Flyers is their goaltending. While Dan Vladar posted a 2.04 GAA and a .941 SV%, it was not enough in the 2-1 loss to the Panthers. It’s his first season with the team after playing the last four with the Calgary Flames. He went 12-11-6 in 29 starts for the Flames last season, posting a 2.80 GAA and a .898 SV% with two shutouts. It is not clear whether he will start or if Sam Ersson, who went 22-17-5 with a .883 SV% and a 3.14 GAA, will start the game against the Hurricanes.
Either way, as long as the Hurricanes can shut down Konecny and Michkov, they could be in a good spot to secure the win. It’ll be interesting to see what the goalie matchups will be on Saturday night. Will the Hurricanes turn to Andersen again after the day off on Friday? If Kochetkov is healthy, will he get the start, or will he back up Andersen? Regarding the Flyers, they’re in the same situation with the day off on Friday. Could they go back to Vladar or see how Ersson does in his first start of the season? Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern between the Flyers and Hurricanes in a Metropolitan Division showdown.
