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Former Blackhawks Top Prospect Clears Waivers

On Dec. 13, former Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick Lukas Reichel was placed on waivers by the Vancouver Canucks. This was after the Canucks traded defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster move. 

Now, instead of getting claimed by another team, Reichel has cleared waivers and can officially be assigned to the Canucks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. 

When noting that Reichel is a young forward and a former top prospect, it seemed possible that another club could have claimed him off waivers. However, that did not come to fruition, and he will remain with the Canucks organization for now. 

The Blackhawks traded Reichel to the Canucks back in October in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. The fresh start has not benefited Reichel yet, as he has recorded zero goals, one assist, and a minus-5 rating in 14 games with the Canucks since being traded by Chicago. 

Reichel was selected by the Blackhawks with the 17th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. In 174 games as a member of the Blackhawks, he posted 22 goals, 36 assists, and 58 points. 

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Report: Oilers Had Interest In Sabres Goalie Before Jarry Trade

The Edmonton Oilers made a major move earlier this week, acquiring goaltender Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was after the Oilers were heavily linked to Jarry in the days leading up to the move. 

While the Oilers ended up acquiring Jarry, they also reportedly kicked tires on another goaltender before they made their big trade with the Penguins.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Sabres had interest in Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon. 

"In addition to Tristan Jarry, I believe the Oilers poked around Alex Lyon. Not as seriously as Jarry, but it was there," Friedman wrote. 

Lyon has been creating some chatter as a trade candidate due to the Sabres' goaltending situation right now. The Sabres currently have three goaltenders on their roster, with Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Colten Ellis. They also have prospect Devon Levi in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. Thus, there naturally has been some wondering if Buffalo could part ways with a goaltender before the trade deadline passes. 

Yet, in the end, the Oilers got their big fish with Jarry. Had the Oilers landed Lyon instead of Jarry, he likely would have served as a 1B or backup goalie for Edmonton. 

Lyon has had a solid season on a struggling Sabres team. In 16 games on the year with the Sabres, he has recorded a 5-6-3 record, a .902 save percentage, a 3.13 goals-against average, and one shutout. 

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Kristaps Porzingis out next two weeks due to an illness, will be further evaluated

Kristaps Porzingis, who missed much of last season in Boston due to what was eventually diagnosed as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), is now going to miss the next two weeks due to an illness, at which point he will be re-evaluated, the team announced Sunday.

Porzingis has missed six of the last seven games for Atlanta. The team has not yet shared whether this latest illness is tied to POTS (a condition that can cause a spike in a person's heart rate). However, after a recent game in Denver, Porzingis told reporters he did not think this latest illness was related.

Porzingis is averaging 19.2 points and 5.6 rebounds a game but has only taken the court for 13 games this season. He is making $30.7 million this season and will be a free agent next summer (unless he and the Hawks reach an extension).

Atlanta brought in Porzingis this summer to be the rim protector and pick-and-pop partner the front office thought would thrive next to Trae Young, but due to injuries to both men, they have played just 51 minutes together across three games (the team is -13 in those minutes). Porzingis' status for the season is why Atlanta has been rumored to be interested in trading for the Mavericks' Anthony Davis.

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York returns, but Flyers again fall to Hurricanes in shootout

York returns, but Flyers again fall to Hurricanes in shootout originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers didn’t have their shootout magic this weekend against the first-place Hurricanes.

They lost to Carolina in the skills competition again, this one a 3-2 decision Sunday night at Lenovo Center.

Andrei Svechnikov was the lone scorer in the shootout.

Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak and Matvei Michkov came up empty for the Flyers.

Rick Tocchet’s club fell to the Hurricanes, 4-3, in a shootout Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena after it relinquished a 2-0 lead.

Prior to these losses, the Flyers were 5-0 in the shootout. They still lead the NHL with 11 shootout wins over the last two seasons.

The Flyers will probably be much happier with Sunday night’s point considering they had to claw their way to overtime. Zegras and Jamie Drysdale provided the Flyers’ goals. With 1:52 minutes left in the third period and the Flyers’ net emptied, Zegras tied the game off a feed from Travis Konecny.

For the second time in the last three games, Michkov didn’t get an overtime shift. Bobby Brink was called for a questionable tripping penalty in OT, which hurt Michkov’s chances of seeing the ice.

The Flyers (16-9-6) have dropped three straight for the first time this season, all after regulation. Their last four losses have been decided by one goal.

Since last season, the Flyers have gone just 2-12-3 in the second game of back-to-back sets.

The Flyers are 0-0-3 in their four-game regular-season series with the Hurricanes (21-9-2). Going back to the start of the 2021-22 season, the Flyers have lost 16 of their last 18 games against Carolina (2-9-7).

The clubs don’t see each other again until April 13 when they meet in Philadelphia.

• Dan Vladar was his reliable self.

The 28-year-old made 30 saves on 32 shots. He was a big reason why the Flyers had a chance to tie it.

In the second period, he turned away Jackson Blake on a 2-on-1 rush for Carolina to keep the Flyers down just 2-1. Later in the period, he was at it again, denying K’Andre Miller on a breakaway after Zegras was stripped.

William Carrier and Taylor Hall handed the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead before Drysdale scored to help the Flyers salvage a really uneven first period. They were outshot 14-4 and committed three penalties.

Hall’s goal came on the power play after Nikita Grebenkin was whistled for roughing.

Carolina netminder Brandon Bussi stopped 24 of the Flyers’ 26 shots on the night.

• After missing the last four games with an upper-body injury, Cam York returned to the lineup in place of Ty Murchison.

Back in his normal top-pair role, York drew two first-period penalties, but the Flyers’ power play was out of sorts. It finished the game 0 for 4 and has gone 5 for 42 over the last 18 games.

Two of their power plays were shortened by penalties.

• In just 31 games with the Flyers, Zegras has already matched his point total from all of last season.

He’s at 32 points, which is what he had in 57 games with the Ducks.

• The Flyers are back in action Tuesday when they visit the Canadiens (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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What we learned as Warriors waste another Steph Curry flurry in loss to Blazers

What we learned as Warriors waste another Steph Curry flurry in loss to Blazers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry scored 48 points and made 12 3-pointers against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night at the Moda Center, yet the Warriors found themselves on the wrong side of an incredibly disappointing 136-131 loss. 

The Warriors now are 0-3 against the Blazers this season and fell below .500 (13-14) with the loss. 

An abundance of heroics ended in frustration for Curry. He missed a layup with 29.6 seconds left that would have put the Warriors ahead by one point and then turned the ball over while double teamed on their next possession. Curry has combined to score 87 points with 18 threes in the Warriors’ last two games. 

And the Warriors have lost both of them.

Jimmy Butler was the Warriors’ second-leading scorer with 16 points. Every starter scored in double figures and Brandin Podziemski dropped 12 off the bench, but the Warriors for the second straight game couldn’t find a second 20-point scorer on a night where the Blazers had three of them. 

Draymond Green, playing his first game in 10 days, had 14 points with a team-high eight rebounds and seven assists, but also turned the ball over eight times and was a team-worst minus-12.

Poor defense and too many turnovers again crushed the Warriors. The Blazers shot 50.6 percent from the field and made 20 threes at a 51.3-percent clip. They also scored 24 second-chance points off 10 offensive rebounds, as well as another 24 off 18 Warriors turnovers. 

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ second straight loss.

Dray’s Day

The combination of a right foot sprain and excused personal reasons held Green out for each of the Warriors’ last three games. His impact on the Warriors’ offense was felt immediately Sunday night in Portland. Whether it was assisting or making one himself, Green had his hand in each of the Warriors’ first four made shots, which all were 3-pointers. 

But Green, knocking some rust off, also was responsible for the Warriors’ first three turnovers from a handful of errant passes and had two quick fouls in the first quarter.

As the Blazers put little attention on Green’s offense, he kept making them pay in the first half. Green was the Warriors’ second-leading scorer at halftime with 14 points, just one behind Curry, on 5-of-6 shooting with two threes, six rebounds and four assists. He also didn’t commit any turnovers and wasn’t whistled for any fouls in the second quarter.

A little under halfway through the third quarter, Green picked up a technical foul for loudly disagreeing with the referees while Curry was in the middle of his flurry. Green was scoreless in the third quarter while losing the ball and his composure far too much with four turnovers in just under seven minutes.

He again failed to score in the fourth quarter and was whistled for three fouls. Green in the second half was a minus-7 in 16 and a half minutes. The bad, unfortunately for him and the Warriors, outweighed the good.

Batman and Robin Antidote Not Enough

Coming into Sunday night, the Blazers were the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, shooting a lowly 32.1 percent. Their 13.8 threes per game ranked 13th in the NBA, but in terms of accuracy, no team has been worse than the Blazers. So of course they couldn’t miss against the Warriors. 

But the dynamic duo of Curry and Butler had the perfect answers to counter the Blazers’ blows in their own unique ways. For Curry, the answers were at the 3-point line. For Butler, the answers were at the free-throw line.

Curry’s 15 points in the first half were a warmup for him. The curtains opened and the show really began once the Warriors returned from halftime. Fans of both teams ooh’d and ahh’d every time Curry threw up a three and didn’t even need to watch the ball trickle through the net with four threes in the third quarter. He then scored 10 points within the first three and half minutes of the fourth quarter and dropped an absurd 21 in a little under 11 minutes. 

He passed Michael Jordan for the most career 40-point games for a player after turning 30 years old.

Shooting wasn’t as easy for Butler. In the first half he took five shots and missed each one. But the crafty veteran knows how to get the free-throw line and was a perfect 8 of 8 at the charity stripe in the first half. 

Butler wound up going 10 of 11 on free throws in a game where he made only three of his 11 shot attempts. His body control is second to none. Butler now has attempted 10 or more free throws in eight games this season, joining five others to reach the mark that many times in the NBA in 2025-26.

Will Kerr Find Consistent Starting Five? 

Finally, the Warriors are the healthiest they have been this season. Perhaps that can give them a consistent starting lineup. Steve Kerr on the Warriors’ 27th game of the season used his 15th different starting five, including the ninth unique one in as many games. 

What we do know is Curry, Butler and Green are guaranteed to take up three of the five spots. What we don’t know is who will earn the other two. Moses Moody and Quinten Post did so in Portland. It was Moody’s 14th start of the season, and Post’s 13th. 

Having a 7-footer next to Green that can stretch the floor makes the most sense. That leaves Post as the only option to check those boxes while 39-year-old Al Horford continues to struggle with both his health and play. Miscommunication between Green and Post led to two bad turnovers on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter. 

Post was the lone Warriors starter to have a positive plus/minus and scored 11 points in a game where he was 3 of 6 behind the 3-point line.

For Moody to remain in the starting five, he has to make threes – especially when they’re wide open. He had four of them in the first half and missed all four without really being contested. Moody ended up scoring 12 points and was 2 of 4 on threes in the second half.

The starting five played nine minutes together and were outscored 29-28. To answer a frequently asked question, De’Anthony Melton will not start for the time being. Melton’s minutes are capped around 20 per game right now, and the Warriors want him to be able to close games, hence why he’s not starting.

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Observations after Sixers lose to Hawks despite George's 35-point performance

Observations after Sixers lose to Hawks despite George's 35-point performance  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers couldn’t turn Paul George’s biggest scoring night of the season into a victory in Atlanta.

Despite George’s 35 points, the Sixers fell to a 120-117 loss to the Hawks on Sunday at State Farm Arena. 

Joel Embiid posted his first double-double of the season with 22 points and 14 rebounds. VJ Edgecombe had 26 points and six boards.

The 15-12 Hawks got 27 points and 10 rebounds from Dyson Daniels. Onyeka Okongwu recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds. Jalen Johnson had a triple-double with 12 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

The 14-11 Sixers were without Tyrese Maxey (illness), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).

Atlanta’s absences included Trae Young (right knee MCL sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness). 

The Sixers will next play on Friday night when they visit the Knicks. Here are observations on their loss to the Hawks:

Unorthodox off the bench 

The Sixers were forced to make an early sub after Edgecombe committed two fouls as the last man back on defense following live-ball Sixers turnovers. 

Jared McCain checked in with 7:28 left in the first quarter. Soon after entering, he fouled Vit Krejci on a three-point attempt. Krejci burned the Sixers in the first period, scoring 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting. The Sixers fell behind 35-26 on a Krejci three.

On the Sixers’ side, the team posted zero bench points in the first.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse shifted to a very veteran guard option about four minutes into the second quarter. Kyle Lowry replaced McCain, appearing for his fourth game of the year. Nurse used perhaps his most unconventional lineup yet this season for a couple of minutes in the second quarter, playing an Embiid-Andre Drummond frontcourt with Lowry on the back line of the Sixers’ zone defense. 

Nurse returned to McCain in the second half and Lowry stayed on the bench. McCain continued to come up empty as a shooter. He finished with no points on 0-for-5 shooting, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes. Justin Edwards also had an 0-for-5 night.

George still trending up 

George was happy to take charge with Embiid on the bench at the start of the second quarter.

He drained consecutive three-pointers, converted an and-one leaner, and ran the offense in smooth, confident fashion.

The 35-year-old forward has talked often about the value of stringing games together and gaining rhythm. He’s certainly trending up as a scorer. After posting a season-best 23 points Friday in a win over the Pacers, he stormed past that number in Atlanta and scored his most points as a Sixer.

Led by George, the Sixers made a second-quarter run and went up on 42-41 on an Edgecombe driving layup. 

Hawks hold on

The Hawks double teamed Embiid after just about every one of his catches inside the arc.

He frequently tried to attack from the middle of the floor before Atlanta could bring help defense. The idea was sound, but Embiid’s execution was uneven. He fell to 4 for 15 from the floor early in the third quarter when he missed a contested lefty attempt inside. 

On a positive note, Embiid had his best rebounding game of the season, exceeding his prior high of nine boards Friday vs. Indiana. He had good instincts and activity on the offensive glass.

Edgecombe carried the Sixers’ offense in the third quarter.

The 20-year-old hit his second straight 20-point performance with an and-one layup that cut Atlanta’s lead to 89-86. He took available jumpers without hesitation, drove hard and piled up 17 points in the third period.

Zaccharie Risacher’s three early in the fourth quarter extended the Hawks’ advantage to 106-96. George then scored five points in a row, including a long-range jumper from the left wing. He sunk a season-high seven three-pointers and only missed three. George even banked one in and swished a tightly guarded fourth-quarter jumper just before the shot clock expired.

Through 10 games, he’s at 43.3 percent beyond the arc on the season, which is 7.5 percent better than last year.

The game remained tight down the stretch. With an Edgecombe layup and a Quentin Grimes three, the Sixers pulled within one point.

They had a late chance to grab the lead. George missed a corner three over Krejci, but Edgecombe leapt high for the offensive rebound. Nurse elected not to use a timeout and Grimes eventually tried a three from the right wing. It bounced off the back rim.

Grimes wound up getting one more clutch three-point shot, but his game-tying corner attempt at the final buzzer didn’t drop.

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Observations after Sixers lose to Hawks despite George's 35-point performance

Observations after Sixers lose to Hawks despite George's 35-point performance  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers couldn’t turn Paul George’s biggest scoring night of the season into a victory in Atlanta.

Despite George’s 35 points, the Sixers fell to a 120-117 loss to the Hawks on Sunday at State Farm Arena. 

Joel Embiid posted his first double-double of the season with 22 points and 14 rebounds. VJ Edgecombe had 26 points and six boards.

The 15-12 Hawks got 27 points and 10 rebounds from Dyson Daniels. Onyeka Okongwu recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds. Jalen Johnson had a triple-double with 12 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

The 14-11 Sixers were without Tyrese Maxey (illness), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).

Atlanta’s absences included Trae Young (right knee MCL sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness). 

The Sixers will next play on Friday night when they visit the Knicks. Here are observations on their loss to the Hawks:

Unorthodox off the bench 

The Sixers were forced to make an early sub after Edgecombe committed two fouls as the last man back on defense following live-ball Sixers turnovers. 

Jared McCain checked in with 7:28 left in the first quarter. Soon after entering, he fouled Vit Krejci on a three-point attempt. Krejci burned the Sixers in the first period, scoring 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting. The Sixers fell behind 35-26 on a Krejci three.

On the Sixers’ side, the team posted zero bench points in the first.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse shifted to a very veteran guard option about four minutes into the second quarter. Kyle Lowry replaced McCain, appearing for his fourth game of the year. Nurse used perhaps his most unconventional lineup yet this season for a couple of minutes in the second quarter, playing an Embiid-Andre Drummond frontcourt with Lowry on the back line of the Sixers’ zone defense. 

Nurse returned to McCain in the second half and Lowry stayed on the bench. McCain continued to come up empty as a shooter. He finished with no points on 0-for-5 shooting, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes. Justin Edwards also had an 0-for-5 night.

George still trending up 

George was happy to take charge with Embiid on the bench at the start of the second quarter.

He drained consecutive three-pointers, converted an and-one leaner, and ran the offense in smooth, confident fashion.

The 35-year-old forward has talked often about the value of stringing games together and gaining rhythm. He’s certainly trending up as a scorer. After posting a season-best 23 points Friday in a win over the Pacers, he stormed past that number in Atlanta and scored his most points as a Sixer.

Led by George, the Sixers made a second-quarter run and went up on 42-41 on an Edgecombe driving layup. 

Hawks hold on

The Hawks double teamed Embiid after just about every one of his catches inside the arc.

He frequently tried to attack from the middle of the floor before Atlanta could bring help defense. The idea was sound, but Embiid’s execution was uneven. He fell to 4 for 15 from the floor early in the third quarter when he missed a contested lefty attempt inside. 

On a positive note, Embiid had his best rebounding game of the season, exceeding his prior high of nine boards Friday vs. Indiana. He had good instincts and activity on the offensive glass.

Edgecombe carried the Sixers’ offense in the third quarter.

The 20-year-old hit his second straight 20-point performance with an and-one layup that cut Atlanta’s lead to 89-86. He took available jumpers without hesitation, drove hard and piled up 17 points in the third period.

Zaccharie Risacher’s three early in the fourth quarter extended the Hawks’ advantage to 106-96. George then scored five points in a row, including a long-range jumper from the left wing. He sunk a season-high seven three-pointers and only missed three. George even banked one in and swished a tightly guarded fourth-quarter jumper just before the shot clock expired.

Through 10 games, he’s at 43.3 percent beyond the arc on the season, which is 7.5 percent better than last year.

The game remained tight down the stretch. With an Edgecombe layup and a Quentin Grimes three, the Sixers pulled within one point.

They had a late chance to grab the lead. George missed a corner three over Krejci, but Edgecombe leapt high for the offensive rebound. Nurse elected not to use a timeout and Grimes eventually tried a three from the right wing. It bounced off the back rim.

Grimes wound up getting one more clutch three-point shot, but his game-tying corner attempt at the final buzzer didn’t drop.

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Milan Momcilovic scores 18 points to help lift No. 4 Iowa State over Eastern Illinois 78-53

Milan Momcilovic scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures, and No. 4 Iowa State opened a season 11-0 for the third time in program history with a 78-53 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sunday. Blake Buchanan had three dunks while scoring all 14 of his points in the first half, and Joshua Jefferson had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Cyclones. Iowa State has won 11 straight games to open a season for the first time since 2021-22.

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Blackhawks Forward Nick Lardis Looked Like He Belonged In His NHL Debut

On Saturday night, the Chicago Blackhawks took on the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center. It was a 4-0 loss for the Blackhawks, but the story was the NHL debut of Nick Lardis. 

Lardis had a wonderful 2024-25 season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL. He scored 71 goals and had 117 points, making his turning pro have extra hype. 

Lardis has been excellent with the Rockford IceHogs so far this year. He has 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 24 games played before being called up by the Blackhawks on Saturday. 

In his debut, Lardis didn’t score and was -2, but he had 5 hits, and put 2 shots on goal in 15:32 of ice time. He led the team with 8 shot attempts, as well. It was clear that he belonged on an NHL sheet of ice with his play.

Some of Chicago’s best scoring chances, in a game that they were shut out, came off the stick of Nick Lardis. He brought a sense of energy to his game as well, which could help the team while Connor Bedard is out.

"It was pretty special,” Lardis said of his NHL debut. “Obviously, playing against Detroit, Patty Kane in the building, it was a lot of fun. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night, but it was pretty special." 

Lardis confirmed that the Rockford IceHogs had to turn their bus around because of his call-up. They were on their way to Grand Rapids for a game. Now, he has his first NHL game in the books. 

“I thought Lardis played good,” said head coach Jeff Blashill. “He played good on the power play. He’s a talented young player.” 

Blashill put Lardis on the third line with Ryan Greene and Oliver Moore. The idea behind it, according to the head coach, is that Lardis was able to play with other young players with whom he’s comfortable. The line did not look out of place.

“They seem like they had a lot of jump,” Blashill said of the line. “They created opportunities and had good young legs.”

Up next for Lardis and the Blackhawks is a three-game road trip through eastern Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs are up first on Tuesday night.

If he plays the way he did against the Red Wings, his first goal and point, and many more after that, will come for him. Jeff Blashill talks about process a lot, and Lardis has a great process. 

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7 Takeaways: Hurricanes Win Consecutive Shootouts On Short Road Trip

The Carolina Hurricanes picked up back-to-back shootout wins this week over Metropolitan opponents to move back into first place in the Eastern Conference.

The Canes came back to win each game, first picking up a 3-2 win in Washington and then a 4-3 victory in Philadelphia.

Here are seven takeaways from the wins:

1. You Only Need One

Both games came down to the wire for Carolina and things couldn't really be any tighter than they were, especially since one shot determined both outcomes.

Against Washington, it was Seth Jarvis in the one slot who scored the game's lone shootout tally and against Philadelphia, Jackson Blake sealed the victory in the four slot.

Both were fairly unlikely heroes as Jarvis entered Thursday's game 1-for-6 in his career and Blake entered Saturday's game 0-for-3.

But as two of Carolina's best offensive players, you need to just put them in a position to deliver.

"In these situations, you have to make moves," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "Goalies are too good. So you need guys that have that courage to be able to make moves."

2. But Seven Saves Combined

Goaltending was a big part of the conversation in these two wins, especially when it came down to the shootout and both Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov went a perfect 7-for-7 combined on the shots they faced.

Kochetkov especially had a great showing as his unorthodox poke checks disrupted the Flyers skaters so much.

That was also both the first shootout loss for the Flyers this year in six tries and the first time Trevor Zegras had been stopped.

3. Comeback Canes

The Hurricanes had to overcome hurdles in both of the games, as they trailed at multiple points in each.

They gave up the first goal to Washington after a great start and then folded a bit in the third period to concede the lead again.

However, the team fought back with goals from both Ehlers and Stankoven to force the extra frames.

Against Philly, a bad start saw the Hurricanes go down 2-0, but a strong bounce back period saw the game tied again.

"We stuck with it and I think that's just a great win to get, knowing that if you stick with your game, good things are gonna happen," said Jordan Martinook.

4. But Probably Should Have Won Each In Regulation

It's a tale as old as time.

Carolina dominates a game, but find themselves tied or trailing regardless.

They dominated that game against the Capitals, but then got a bit on their heels in the third period and as such found themselves trailing.

Against the Flyers though, the Hurricanes had a bad first period.

At some point, the team needs to have a better 60-minute showing, but it's clear that this team is good enough to overcome poor starts or tough stretches.

5. Power Play Struggles 

The Canes' power play is like a box of chocolates. 

You never know what you're going to get.

After a really strong stretch and even back-to-back power play goals from Jordan Staal of all people, it went 0-for-4 on the road trip and honestly didn't look that impressive at all.

Every penalty kill is going to look and play differently, so varied results are going to happen, but it's kind of crazy to see how much variance there are for the Hurricanes on the man advantage.

6. Alexander Nikishin Benching

On Saturday, after the Hurricanes took the lead thanks to a Seth Jarvis breakaway, the team immediately gave it right back after the Flyers got loose on a 2-on-1.

The main culprit of that breakdown was rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin.

After a regroup by the Flyers in their defensive end, the Russian blueliner made a halfhearted effort to pinch along the board with no support back, giving up an easy odd-man rush.

It's one thing to make a wrong decision, but he also didn't give nearly enough effort on his attempt to hold the zone either.

If you're going to go, which is the wrong decision there in a game where you just took the lead, you have to commit and he sort of just found himself in no-man's land.

And thanks to that, he watched the rest of the game from the bench.

Those mistakes are the biggest things Nikishin still has to work on.

Knowing game situations, when and where to be aggressive, but also just effort overall.

The Hurricanes know how talented he is offensively, and his heads-up play in the second period gave the team a 2-2 tie. But as a defenseman, you have to be able to be trusted to protect a lead.

That's where Nikishin is still learning and developing and I see no problem with the decision to sit him there, especially being that the team was still in a tight contest.

7. Joel Nystrom Proving His Mettle

Fresh off becoming a million dollar man, the rookie blueliner is continuing to impress.

The Swede led all Hurricanes skaters in chance share over the past two games, with a 30-12 edge, and also had the highest expected goals percentage at 76.81%.

His on-ice results were also the best as he led all defensemen in goals for in his 5v5 ice time (3) and he conceded only three high-danger chances in over 25 minutes of 5v5 ice time.

There's no guarantee that he'll stick around with the Hurricanes when Jaccob Slavin returns from injury, but he's proved that he can be a successful NHLer.

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