Sunday’s two-game NHL slate brings a red-hot Carolina club into Calgary and a special-teams test for Minnesota as the Wild host Columbus. Mark Jankowski is chasing another chapter of Hurricanes history, while Kirill Kaprizov has a chance to reach double-digit goals before anyone else in the League.
Key takeaways
- Carolina has won seven in a row and takes a 5-0-0 road record into its meeting with Calgary.
- Jankowski has scored in six straight games, matching one of the longest goal streaks in Hurricanes/Whalers franchise history.
- Kaprizov enters Sunday with nine goals, one more than Winnipeg forward Kyle Connor.
- Minnesota’s power play is operating at 33.3 percent, while Columbus has killed penalties at only 66.7 percent.
- Calgary is searching for offense at 1-6-0, with Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost and rookie Aydar Suniev skating together.
Hurricanes bring a rolling road game to Calgary
Mark Jankowski will be the center of attention when the Carolina Hurricanes visit the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome at 8 p.m. ET. He scored in Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, extending his scoring streak to six consecutive games.
One more goal would move Jankowski into a tie for second place in the combined Hurricanes and Hartford Whalers record book. Pierre Larouche scored in nine straight games in 1981-82, and Ray Ferraro put together a seven-game run in 1988-89.
The defending Stanley Cup champions arrive with a 7-1-1 record, a seven-game winning streak and a plus-13 goal differential. Carolina has yet to lose away from home, going 5-0-0 to begin the season. Over the past five seasons, only two other NHL teams have opened with at least five straight road wins: Winnipeg won its first seven away games in 2024-25, while Los Angeles started 11-0-0 on the road in 2023-24.
Calgary, meanwhile, is trying to turn a 1-6-0 start into something more stable. The Flames are averaging 2.00 goals per game, putting added pressure on a young group that is being given meaningful offensive minutes.
Matt Coronato, who led Calgary last season with 45 points in 80 games, has two goals and two assists so far. He is playing alongside Morgan Frost and Aydar Suniev, with Frost posting two goals and an assist and the rookie Suniev recording the same totals. Coronato and 20-year-old defenseman Zayne Parekh are also working on the top power-play unit.
Simon Nemec has been another notable piece on the Calgary blue line. Acquired from the New Jersey Devils on June 23, Nemec has three assists and 13 shots in seven games while averaging 21:01 per night.
Minnesota’s stars meet a workhorse Blue Jackets blue liner
The earlier game has Columbus visiting the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena at 6 p.m. ET. Kaprizov can become the first NHL skater this season to reach 10 goals, either outright or in a tie. The 29-year-old has nine after producing a goal and two assists in Minnesota’s 5-4 victory against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
That performance pushed Kaprizov’s point streak to five games, a stretch in which he has six goals and five assists. The Wild are 5-2-1 and have taken three of their past four games.
Minnesota has several players capable of tilting a shift. Matt Boldy has five goals and two assists, while defenseman Quinn Hughes has piled up 12 points on two goals and 10 assists. Their skill becomes especially dangerous with an extra attacker on the ice.
The Wild have converted eight times on 24 power-play opportunities, good for 33.3 percent, and their penalty kill has stopped 23 of 26 chances for an 88.5 percent rate. Kaprizov, Boldy and Hughes lead the threat on the power play, while Jonas Brodin, Blake Coleman and Michael McCarron have taken on key shorthanded work in front of goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.
Columbus comes in at 3-3-0 after blanking the New York Rangers 1-0 on Saturday. The Blue Jackets will lean heavily again on reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski, who has five assists, 13 shots and a team-leading 19 blocked shots through six games.
Werenski is averaging 29:29 per game, including 3:15 with the man advantage and 2:48 while shorthanded. His ability to control the puck, defend lanes and drive play from the back end will be central against Minnesota’s high-end forwards.
Discipline could decide the matchup. Columbus has gone 2-for-15 on the power play, a 13.3 percent clip, and its penalty kill is 14-for-21 at 66.7 percent. Giving Minnesota repeated chances with Kaprizov, Boldy and Hughes could quickly swing the game.
Sunday schedule
- Columbus Blue Jackets at Minnesota Wild, 6 p.m. ET — Wild+, CBJHN, MINNHL, CBJNHL, SN+, TVAS
- Carolina Hurricanes at Calgary Flames, 8 p.m. ET — TVAS, SNW, CARNHL, HHN
