WINNIPEG — Nikolaj Ehlers made his return to Canada Life Centre count, snapping a third-period tie with a power-play blast as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Saturday for their seventh consecutive victory.
Ehlers, who spent 10 seasons in Winnipeg from 2015-25, put Carolina ahead for good at 6:43 of the third period. Stationed high in the slot, he drove a slap shot through Clay Stevenson for his first goal of the season and a 3-2 Hurricanes lead.
The moment carried extra weight for Ehlers in the building he long called home. He said Winnipeg still feels familiar, even down to the bus ride from the airport to the hotel, and called the reception he received during his previous return one of the memories he will always keep. He spoke warmly of his years with the Jets and the people in the city.
Carolina improved to 7-1-1, with Pyotr Kochetkov turning aside 21 shots. Shayne Gostisbehere supplied two assists, including the point shot that Jesperi Kotkaniemi redirected for the tying goal late in the second period.
Mark Jankowski continued to carry a scoring load for a Hurricanes group missing injured forwards Seth Jarvis, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal. His power-play finish from the low slot at 8:19 of the second erased Winnipeg’s opening goal and extended his personal scoring streak to six games.
Jankowski has six goals through nine games after scoring 11 times in 68 appearances last season. Acquired by Carolina in a March 2025 trade, he has earned more opportunity this season and has converted it into production. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Jankowski can be used in every situation and has become particularly important with several regular forwards unavailable.
Jets cannot hold second-period lead
Winnipeg opened the scoring at 4:23 of the second when Mark Scheifele forced a turnover in the Carolina end and beat Kochetkov on a backhand. The Jets restored their lead after Jankowski’s equalizer when Adam Lowry stripped Kochetkov as the goalie came out to play the puck. Lowry fed Alex Iafallo for a tap-in at 10:59.
But the Hurricanes got back even at 16:50. Gostisbehere’s shot from the blue line found Kotkaniemi in front, and the forward got enough of a touch to direct it past Stevenson. Ehlers then delivered the deciding goal after Carolina’s power play went back to work in the third.
Stevenson made 34 saves for Winnipeg, which has gone 1-2-1 over its past four games and now stands at 4-2-2. The Jets allowed two goals while shorthanded after their penalty kill had been one of their stronger early-season units.
Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said the game offered an early lesson against a club the Jets will meet again in early November. He felt his team had Carolina under pressure when it played the right way, but said the challenge is sustaining that game for a full 60 minutes.
Jets captain Lowry credited Carolina’s structure and transition game, noting that the defending Stanley Cup champions punish turnovers by turning them into extended offensive-zone time. Kyle Connor echoed that assessment, saying the Hurricanes’ players read off one another quickly and stay aggressive throughout the rink.
Brind’Amour was less pleased with the two Winnipeg goals, calling them avoidable gifts, but liked the response after his club fell behind. He said contributions came from throughout the lineup as the Hurricanes tightened up over the back half of the night.
The win also pushed Carolina into franchise-record territory on the road. The Hurricanes have opened a season with five straight road victories for the first time. Kochetkov is now 5-0-0 and became only the second goalie in team history to start a season with five wins in a row; Frederik Andersen began 2021-22 at 8-0-0.
Jankowski’s six-game goal streak is tied for the third longest in Hurricanes history, behind Pierre Larouche’s nine-game run in 1981-82 and Ray Ferraro’s seven-game stretch in 1988-89. Ehlers’ goal also meant he has now scored against each of the NHL’s 32 teams. Scheifele extended his point streak to five games and has two goals and six assists during that span.
