Hurricanes Secure 4-2 Victory Over Blue Jackets in Regular Season Finale

Teuvo Teravainen scores twice as the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2, finishing the season with 111 points.

The Carolina Hurricanes concluded their 82-game regular season schedule with a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Teuvo Teravainen opened the scoring at the 7:11 mark of the first period, capitalizing on a primary assist from Jesperi Kotkaniemi. This initial tally set the tone for a contest where Carolina outshot their opponents 11-5 in the opening frame. The Hurricanes finished the campaign with a 52-23-7 record, accumulating 111 points in the standings. This point total secured the second seed in the Metropolitan Division, trailing only the New York Rangers.

Columbus responded in the second period when Zach Werenski notched his 11th goal of the season at 12:44. Werenski’s strike was assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Alex Nylander, momentarily evening the score during a period where the Blue Jackets increased their offensive pressure. However, the deadlock lasted only three minutes and 11 seconds. Sebastian Aho regained the lead for the visitors at 15:55, firing a wrist shot past goaltender Jet Greaves. Aho’s goal was his 36th of the season, marking a career-high for the Finnish center. The Hurricanes entered the second intermission with a 2-1 advantage and a 24-14 lead in total shots on goal.

Special teams played a decisive role in the final twenty minutes of play. Teuvo Teravainen recorded his second goal of the evening at 3:42 of the third period during a power-play opportunity. Brent Burns and Seth Jarvis provided the helpers on the play, which extended the Carolina lead to two goals. Teravainen’s multi-goal performance brought his season total to 25 markers. Despite the deficit, Columbus narrowed the margin to 3-2 when James Malatesta scored his second career NHL goal at 14:12. Malatesta’s unassisted effort came during a scramble in front of the crease, beating Frederik Andersen on the glove side.

Seth Jarvis solidified the result with an empty-net goal at 19:01, marking his 33rd tally of the year. This final point ensured Carolina’s fifth consecutive win heading into the postseason. Goaltender Frederik Andersen stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced, earning his 13th victory of the season. On the opposite end, Jet Greaves made 36 saves on 39 shots, finishing the night with a .923 save percentage despite the loss. The Blue Jackets ended their season with a 27-43-12 record, placing them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 66 points.

Statistical analysis of the matchup reveals Carolina’s dominance in the faceoff circle, winning 58% of the draws. Jordan Staal led all skaters with 12 faceoff wins on 16 attempts. Defensively, Jaccob Slavin logged a team-high 23:14 of ice time, while Columbus defenseman Ivan Provorov led all players with 24:45. The Hurricanes successfully killed off both penalties they surrendered, maintaining their status as one of the league's top-ranked shorthanded units. Conversely, the Blue Jackets failed to convert on their lone power-play chance of the night. This victory officially sets the stage for Carolina’s first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders.