Hurricanes Sweep Global Series with 5-1 Win Over Kraken

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: the Carolina Hurricanes won another game. After defeating the Seattle Kraken 4-1 Thursday night, they swept the Global Series Saturday night, winning 5-1. In total, the Hurricanes outscored the Kraken 9-2 and played 120 minutes of dominant hockey. Whether it’s in North America or Finland, “The Machine” doesn’t slow down for anyone. That said, they became the first team in NHL history to win their first four games outside of North America.

Staying Perfect in Finland

The Hurricanes delivered another dominant game, continuing their perfect run in Finland after beating the Kraken Saturday night. They swept the Minnesota Wild back in 2010 and now add the Kraken to their list of Western Conference teams that travel to Scandinavia and lose both games. Jackson Blake opened the scoring, putting head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s side up in the first period. His sixth of the season pushed his point streak to 11 games, and he now has 21 points in 21 games. He’s currently on pace for 84 points in 2026-27; can he keep his underrated start alive and push the envelope to reach 90?

Mark Jankowski added two more goals in the win against the Kraken to an already impressive season. He’s up to 10 goals in 18 games, and is two away from setting a new high in Raleigh. That said, his career high in goals is 17, which he set in 2017-18 with the Calgary Flames. Is it possible for “Janks” to have at least 25 goals this season?

After the win, Jankowski stated, when asked about winning both games for the three Finnish players on the roster: “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.”

Like Jankowski, Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals as well, with both of his coming on the power play. “Svech” has been on a roll this season, as he’s up to 21 points in 21 games. After a slow start last season, it’s been good to see him have a better start to 2026-27. He had 31 goals in 79 games in 2025-26 and is now up to 11 in 21 games this season. Could he surpass that number with the hot start he’s been on?

Pyotr Kochetkov picked up his 12th win of the season, stopping 12 of 13 shots (.923 save percentage, SV%). In 13 starts, he’s 12-1-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average (GAA) and a .920 SV%. His wins are second in the NHL, along with his GAA. Furthermore, his two shutouts are tied for second in the league, while his SV% is ranked seventh. “The Nyetminder” continues his impressive run to begin the 2026-27 season. Nikolaj Ehlers had three assists in the game Saturday night, giving him five points over the two games in Helsinki.

For the Finnish players, what a two-game set for them back home in Finland. Sebastian Aho had the primary assist on the Blake power-play goal, giving him three points in two games. He continues to add to his legacy, especially after how he played in the two games in Helsinki. Jesperi Kotkaniemi had the primary assist on the Jankowski goal, giving him a point during the Global Series. After Kotkaniemi’s assist, all three Finnish players, including Juuso Valimaki, tallied at least a point in Helsinki. Out of the nine goals the Hurricanes scored, a European player contributed to eight. Not a bad couple of games from the three Finns and Ehlers.

When asked about another great game from Aho, Brind’Amour stated: “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.”

All in all, it was 120 minutes of dominant Hurricanes hockey. They’re on a four-game winning streak and are 16-3-2 in 2026-27. They’ll return to North America after collecting four out of a possible four points and another regular-season sweep of a Western Conference team. They will return to the Lenovo Center Thursday night (Nov. 19) to take on the Montreal Canadiens for a quick two-game homestand. What a busy but productive week for the Hurricanes as they won both games, experienced Finnish culture, and picked up two wins in the process.