Hurricanes clinch playoff spot with 5-1 win

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched their eighth consecutive playoff berth with a commanding 5-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 2, 2026. The win, which saw the Hurricanes outshoot Columbus 21-10, highlighted a dominant performance from Logan Stankoven, who scored two goals in the first period.

The scoring began just 2:27 into the game when Stankoven deftly tipped a K'Andre Miller shot. He followed up with a second goal, tapping in a rebound from Taylor Hall's initial shot. Alexander Nikishin added a short-handed goal shortly after, extending Carolina's lead to 3-0.

Despite a response from Columbus with a goal from Denton Mateychuk in the second period, Jordan Martinook quickly restored the three-goal advantage for Carolina. Andrei Svechnikov capped the scoring with a power-play goal in the third, marking the Hurricanes' eighth consecutive game with at least one power-play goal.

The victory improved Carolina's record to 48-21-6, placing them first in the Eastern Conference with 102 points, and they are now 6-2-0 in their last eight games. Frederik Andersen earned the win with nine saves, while Columbus's struggles continued, having been outscored 19-9 in their last five games.

Notably, the Hurricanes managed to hold the Blue Jackets to just 10 shots, tying the franchise record for fewest shots allowed. The Hurricanes will next face the New York Islanders at Lenovo Center on Saturday.