Staal Nets Number 20 – Hurricanes 4, Mammoth 1
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 11: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates a first period goal during an NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Utah Mammoth on April 11, 2026 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. (Photo by Aaron Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Jordan Staal notched his 20th goal of the season and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Utah Mammoth, 4-1 on Saturday evening in Salt Lake City. It was Staal’s first 20 goal season in nine years.
The Canes have now won three games in a row and they look like they are certainly peaking at the right time of the season. They only need one point in their final two games to wrap up having the best record in the East. Once again, Carolina used a lineup with several non-starters as they rested many of their regulars.
Stankoven, Hall, Blake, Miller, Chatfield, Jankowski, and Carrier had the night off. Frederik Andersen earned the win with one of his best performances of the season. He made 26 saves on the 27 shots he faced.
Andrei Svechnikov opened the scoring with a powerplay tally in the first five minutes of the game. The powerplay has been red hot in recent games and has performed near the top of the league. It was Svechnikov’s 31st of the season.
Staal scored his goal later in the period off a very nice feed from Nikolaj Ehlers, who was behind the net. After a scoreless second period, the Mammoth made it 2-1 early in the third with a powerplay tally of their own but a bit later, Sebastian Aho tipped in a Shayne Gostisbehere shot to put the Canes back up by two. Near the end, Sean Walker skated in an empty net goal to wrap things up.