Canes survive Wild night: 7 goals, an ejection, another injured defender — and a win
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Injury on defense deepens as Jalen Chatfield exits after Pitlick blindside hit.
- Brind’Amour cites blue-line instability as Slavin and Gostisbehere stay sidelined.
- Young defenders Nikishin and Walker shoulder larger minutes; AHL recalls fill gaps.
The Carolina Hurricanes’ injury situation with defensemen took another troublesome turn Thursday in a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
On a night when K’Andre Miller returned to the Canes’ lineup, Jalen Chatfield went down. The defenseman took a nasty hit from the Wild’s Tyler Pitlick in the first period and had to be helped off the ice.
Pitlick laid a blindside shot on Chatfield, his shoulder smacking Chatfield in the chest and chin. Chatfield also landed on the knee of the Wild’s Yakov Trenin as he fell.
Canes captain Jordan Staal, who set the career record Thursday for games played for the Hurricanes, quickly responded. Staal dropped the gloves and went after Pitlick — Staal’s first fight since a February 2017 bout with Jamie Oleksiak of the Dallas Stars.
As Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour put it, “That why he wears the ‘C.’”
With Canes fans at the Lenovo Center chanting “Kick him out!” officials assessed Pitlick a match penalty and sent off the ice, his nose bloodied. Of more concern for Carolina: Chatfield did not return to the game.
“Obviously it wasn’t a great hit,” Staal said after his 910th game for Carolina. “I didn’t like it. It’s about protecting your teammates and being there for each other.”
After missing six games with a lower-body injury, Miller was activated off injury reserve Thursday and was paired with Chatfield. That changed with 8:14 left in the first period.
Brind’Amour said he did not know how long Chatfield might be out after what he called a “tough hit”
“It’s just the way this year has gone. We can’t get healthy and keep losing key pieces,” Brind’Amour said.
Defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Shayne Gostisbehere continue to be sidelined with injuries, their return uncertain. The Canes (9-4-0) have been giving rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin more and more minutes — Nikishin and Sean Walker each had almost 25 minutes in ice time Thursday.
Joel Nystrom and Charles Legault, both recalled from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, have stepped in and made the most of their chances. Nystrom played his seventh game and Legault, a healthy scratch Thursday, has played six.
“The blue line has been tough,” Staal said. “We’ve been fighting and working hard and finding ways. Resilience is a key word for those guys. As forwards, we’re trying to help as much as we can.”
The game Thursday had some crazy twists and turns, although all the scoring was confined to the first 21 minutes of the game.
Forward Jackson Blake and Walker — named the first star of the game — each had a goal and assist for the Canes. Forward Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the second straight game and Andrei Svechnikov, moved to the top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, whipped a shot past goalie Filip Gustavsson.
Svechnikov’s goal in the first came 20 seconds after Brock Faber scored for the Wild, and Ehlers ripped a shot off the rush nine seconds after Matt Boldy’s second goal for Minnesota early in the second period. Ehlers’ goal was the game-winner for the second straight game.
Staal, who was given a 10-minute misconduct penalty and fighting major, watched from the penalty box as six goals were scored, three in four-on-four play. Blake and Svechnikov both had snipes to twice tie the score.
“The guys answered the bell quickly and found ways to use their skill,” Staal said.
Canes goalie Frederik Andersen faced three shots in the first period — the Wild scoring twice — and eight in the second. Pressured more as the game moved along, he made timely stops over the last 40 minutes and got some help — Walker with hustling stickwork at the post denied the Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov a tying goal in the third.
Staal was tied with his older brother, Eric, for most games played with the Hurricanes at 909. He now stands alone, and one day could have his jersey retired — No. 11, hanging in the rafters next to Eric’s No. 12.
“It’s great. I appreciate the boys battling it out for me there and getting a good memory out of a good milestone game,” Staal said. “It’s been a fun ride.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Canes survive Wild night: 7 goals, an ejection, another injured defender — and a win."
