Hurricanes Edge Jets 4-3 as Staal Shines With Two Strong Goals

The Carolina Hurricanes earned a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night, with veteran forward Jordan Staal playing a major role. Staal scored twice and helped set the tone early for Carolina in a game that was filled with fast pace, strong defense, and several momentum swings. This win gave the Hurricanes an important boost on the road and showed their ability to stay composed even when the Jets pushed hard in the final minutes. The Jets entered the game already dealing with disappointing news as it was confirmed earlier in the day that their main goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, will miss four to six weeks due to knee surgery. This put extra pressure on Winnipeg, and the Hurricanes took advantage.

The Hurricanes wasted no time taking control of the match. Just 16 seconds after the puck drop, Jordan Staal surprised the home crowd with an impressive display of stickhandling before sending a clean wrist shot into the net. It was a sharp reminder of Staal’s skill and experience, giving Carolina a strong start against a team that was already shaken by earlier injury news. However, Winnipeg responded quickly. Defenseman Josh Morrissey tied the score at 16:23 of the first period after receiving a clean pass from Mark Scheifele. Morrissey’s goal also extended his remarkable point streak to seven games, showing how important he has been to the Jets’ performance in recent weeks.

The Jets managed to grab a 2-1 lead when Cole Perfetti created a breakaway opportunity and passed the puck to Gabriel Vilardi, who scored on the power play. This gave Winnipeg a temporary advantage and lifted the energy inside the arena. However, Carolina did not back down. Staal scored his second goal early in the second period after a smooth passing sequence from the Hurricanes' skaters. His second goal helped Carolina regain momentum and reminded the Jets that they were facing an experienced and well-organized team.

The Hurricanes continued to push forward. A short-handed breakaway attempt by Sebastian Aho did not result in a goal, but Seth Jarvis quickly followed up and scored on the rebound, giving Carolina a 3-2 lead midway through the second period. It was a key moment that shifted control back toward the Hurricanes. Early in the third period, the Hurricanes struck again when Nikolaj Ehlers delivered an excellent pass to Andrei Svechnikov, who fired a strong one-timer into the net. This extended Carolina’s lead to 4-2 and put additional pressure on Winnipeg.

Gabriel Vilardi responded quickly for the Jets, scoring his second goal of the game after his attempted pass deflected off a Carolina defender and slipped into the net. With more than fifteen minutes still left in the third period, the Jets had time to equalize and created several strong opportunities. However, Carolina’s defense held firm, and goaltender Brandon Bussi, who made 24 saves, helped secure the win. Despite Winnipeg’s late push, the Hurricanes stayed calm and protected their one-goal lead until the final buzzer.

The game showed Carolina’s ability to perform under pressure and highlighted key players like Staal, Jarvis, Svechnikov, and Bussi. For the Jets, the loss was disappointing, but strong performances from Morrissey and Vilardi provided positive signs moving forward.