The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Islanders 6-2 at Lenovo Center on Thursday, scoring three goals in both the first and third periods.
Bradly Nadeau opened the scoring with his first NHL goal early in the game. Mike Reilly followed with his first goal as a Hurricane, and Jordan Martinook added another before the end of the first period. The Islanders responded with a power-play goal from Matthew Schaefer.
After a scoreless second period, Jackson Blake scored early in the third to restore Carolina’s three-goal lead. Andrei Svechnikov and Logan Stankoven each contributed goals to secure the win for Carolina.
Goaltender Brandon Bussi made 26 saves on 28 shots and earned an assist on Blake’s goal, marking his third win in four career starts.
Nadeau’s goal came in his sixth NHL game. He was selected by Carolina 30th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft and is now one of only sixteen players in Hurricanes history to score for the club before turning 21. Svechnikov has recorded three points over his last two games after not registering any points in his first eight games this season. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin became just the third rookie defenseman in franchise history to record five or more points through their first ten NHL games.
Nikishin also improved his plus/minus rating to +11, tying him for the league lead with Colorado’s Cale Makar and Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey. Reilly’s shorthanded goal was only his third such tally of his career and his first regular-season goal since April 9, 2024. Bussi became just the second goalie in franchise history to register a point within his first four appearances.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour commented on the team’s performance: “The effort’s never the issue with our team. Sometimes it’s the execution and whatnot, but I thought tonight was a good effort. There were some really good energy plays and individual plays that got us some goals, and I liked the way we played in the third. I thought that was pretty solid… That, to me, (was what I was looking for). We didn’t need to get more goals, but we did because we were playing it right. You know the other team’s going to press, and that’s the way you have to do that. I thought the way we went about it, in terms of our mindset, was the right way tonight.”
Brandon Bussi spoke about facing his hometown team: “Anytime you get to play in the NHL, it’s a cool opportunity. It’s where I grew up, and a lot of my friends and people around me were Islanders fans growing up. I played hockey for the Junior Islanders for a bit. They’re a great organization, it’s great to beat them though.”
Mike Reilly praised Bussi’s work ethic: “He works his * off. In practice, he competes for every single puck. He’s a great kid, too. It’s good to see him rewarded, and obviously, it’s a great opportunity for him right now too. I know we’re all excited for him that he’s doing great.”
Bradly Nadeau described scoring his first NHL goal: “It felt unbelievable. KK and Jank had a good forecheck going; it popped in the slot, I got the shot off, and it went in. It’s an unbelievable feeling. You dream to score a goal in the NHL as a kid, and I was able to do that tonight.”
The Hurricanes will practice Friday before traveling to Boston for their next game against the Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
