Hurricanes vs. Canucks: Nicolas Deslauriers Scores Twice as Carolina Takes the NHL Points Lead

Nicolas Deslauriers carries 806 career penalty minutes and, coming into Tuesday, had not scored since April 13, 2025. Early in the third period at Rogers Arena, Bradly Nadeau found him from behind the net, and Deslauriers one-touched a shot under Leevi Merilainen's blocker. That was his second goal of the night, and it put the Carolina Hurricanes ahead for good.

The Hurricanes beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3, with Deslauriers, Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven each scoring twice, all three of them getting their second goal in the third period. Jackson Blake added three assists, Carolina outshot Vancouver 44-17, and the defending Stanley Cup champions moved into the NHL points lead while handing the Canucks their eighth straight loss.

Three Ties, Then a Breakaway

For two full periods, this one was far closer than the shot totals suggested. Stankoven opened it at 4:44, taking a drop pass from Blake in the high slot and snapping a quick wrister over Merilainen's glove. Juuso Valimaki, playing his first game of the season and his first for Carolina, picked up the second assist.

Vancouver answered at 10:10. Elias Pettersson was knocked down trying to cut to the middle, the puck slid off his stick in the right circle, and Linus Karlsson jumped on it and beat Pyotr Kochetkov under the blocker. Less than two minutes later, Blake whipped a cross-ice pass to Ehlers, who was alone at the back door with an open net. Then, with two seconds left in the first and Shayne Gostisbehere in the box, Brock Boeser threw a puck toward the net from the right boards and Jake DeBrusk chipped it across the crease for Jonathan Lekkerimaki. Tied 2-2.

Deslauriers struck first in the second. At 2:26, Jesperi Kotkaniemi picked off a Merilainen pass from behind the net and fed him at the bottom of the right circle, and Deslauriers went short side over the glove. Per NHL.com, it was his first goal for Carolina since he was acquired in a trade from Philadelphia on March 6.

Vancouver tied it again at 13:07 on a goal credited to Arshdeep Bains. Zeev Buium shot on a 3-on-2 from the bottom of the left circle and the puck deflected in off Bains as he slid into the net after Nadeau fell into him.

The rest of the second was a goalie duel. At 16:55, Sebastian Aho was awarded a penalty shot after Pettersson threw his stick at him, and Merilainen stopped it. Later in the period, with the game still tied, Kochetkov denied Drew O'Connor on a breakaway.

Then came the third. Deslauriers' tiebreaker at 4:07, Ehlers on a breakaway between Merilainen's legs at 10:22, and Stankoven finishing a 2-on-1 from Ehlers into an empty net at 17:57. Game over.

The Line, and the Guy Who Wasn't on It

The headline trio was Ehlers, Stankoven and Blake. NHL.com said it was the first time this season the three played together, and they combined for nine points (four goals, five assists) while spending long stretches in the offensive zone. Stankoven and Ehlers each finished with two goals and an assist.

"We played a little together last year, where I thought we created some chemistry, and those two guys, they're pretty easy to play with," Ehlers said.

Per NHL.com, Stankoven has scored five of his six goals this season against Vancouver, including his first NHL hat trick on Oct. 8.

But the night belonged to Deslauriers, who played 10:44 and turned it into two goals. According to NHL.com, it was his first multigoal game since Feb. 19, 2022, which also came against the Canucks, and only the fifth of his career across 714 NHL games. Three of those five have now come in Vancouver. He now has 109 career points (55 goals, 54 assists).

"We should play them more often. I should play here more often," Deslauriers said. "I don't know (why), just guess it happens, but don't get used to it. That's for sure."

Kochetkov only needed 14 saves on 17 shots, but he is now 6-0-0. NHL.com noted it is the second-longest season-opening win streak in franchise history, behind Frederik Andersen's eight games in 2021-22. "He made one big save that we needed," coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "When we need a big save, he gave it to us."

At the other end, Merilainen was the best thing Vancouver had going: 38 saves on 43 shots, plus the penalty-shot stop on Aho.

Turning Point: The Big Save Before the Big Goals

Brind'Amour pointed to Kochetkov's stop on O'Connor, and it is hard to argue. A Vancouver goal there sends the Canucks into the third with a lead for the first time all night. Instead, Deslauriers scored barely four minutes into the period, and the Canucks never caught up again.

Per NHL.com, this was the fourth straight game Vancouver went into the third period tied or leading, and it has lost all four (0-3-1) while getting outscored 9-0 in third periods and overtime.

Stats That Matter

• 44-17: Carolina's shot advantage. Merilainen kept it close for 40 minutes.
• 0-for-5: Carolina's power play. The Hurricanes scored six anyway.
• 9: Points from the Ehlers, Stankoven and Blake line in its first game together this season.
• 6-0-0: Kochetkov's record.
• 9-0: Vancouver's third-period and overtime goal deficit over its last four games.

What It Means

Carolina is 8-2-1 with 17 points, 6-1-0 on the road, and has won eight of its past nine after bouncing back from Sunday's 3-2 loss at Calgary. NHL.com noted the Hurricanes have now beaten Vancouver six straight times dating to Oct. 28, 2024, their longest active run against a single opponent. Next up is Edmonton on Thursday.

Vancouver is 2-8-1 with five points and has lost eight in a row (0-7-1), including a 7-2 loss in Carolina on Oct. 8. Coach Manny Malhotra framed it as a lesson. "But it's a valuable lesson to us that 40 (minutes) is not good enough, 45 is not good enough, 50 is not good enough in this League," he said. Detroit visits Thursday.

The Bass Player Takes a Solo

Every band has a bass player who keeps time in the back. Once in a while, he steps up and takes the solo, and the room loses its mind. Deslauriers knows exactly which role he usually plays.

"It's not my job, but it's fun. It keeps the guys loose a little bit," he said. On a night when the defending champs took over first place in the league, the loosest guy in the room was the one who scored twice.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details from the Associated Press and NHL.com; postgame quotes as reported by NHL.com.