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Hurricanes Erupt Late to Pull Away from Blue Jackets
Carolina scores three unanswered goals in the third period to defeat Columbus
Apr. 1, 2026 at 6:31am
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The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Tuesday night, scoring three unanswered goals in the third period to pull away. Nikolaj Ehlers had a three-point night, and Andrei Svechnikov added a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, who are leading the Eastern Conference. Columbus had tied the game early in the third period before Carolina's late surge.
Why it matters
The win keeps the Hurricanes atop the Eastern Conference standings, while the Blue Jackets are clinging to the second wild-card spot in the East. This was an important divisional matchup with playoff implications, and Carolina's ability to respond after Columbus tied the game shows their resilience as a top team.
The details
The Hurricanes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with power-play goals from Shayne Gostisbehere and Logan Stankoven. But the Blue Jackets battled back, with Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli scoring to tie the game early in the third period. However, Carolina took over from there, with Nikolaj Ehlers regaining the lead, Andrei Svechnikov adding an insurance goal on the power play, and Jordan Martinook sealing it with an empty-netter.
- The Hurricanes scored two power-play goals in the first period, 13:29 and 16:12.
- Kirill Marchenko scored for Columbus at 15:14 of the second period.
- Adam Fantilli tied the game for Columbus 2:07 into the third period.
- Nikolaj Ehlers scored the go-ahead goal for Carolina at 12:42 of the third period.
- Andrei Svechnikov scored on the power play for Carolina at 13:55 of the third period.
The players
Nikolaj Ehlers
A forward for the Carolina Hurricanes who scored once and had three points in the game.
Andrei Svechnikov
A forward for the Carolina Hurricanes who scored a goal and had an assist in the game.
Kirill Marchenko
A forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets who scored a goal and had an assist in the game.
Adam Fantilli
A forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets who scored a goal in the game.
Brandon Bussi
The goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes who made 23 saves in the win.
What they’re saying
“We must continue to play with that desperation and intensity if we want to keep our spot in the standings.”
— Andrei Svechnikov, Forward, Carolina Hurricanes
“We let this one slip away, but we'll be ready to go on Thursday and even the score.”
— Kirill Marchenko, Forward, Columbus Blue Jackets
What’s next
The Hurricanes and Blue Jackets will meet again on Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina for the second half of their home-and-home series.
The takeaway
This game highlighted the Hurricanes' ability to respond to adversity and pull out a key divisional win, while the Blue Jackets were left ruing their inability to hold onto an early lead. The rematch on Thursday will be an important chance for Columbus to even the season series.
