Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour had some harsh words for officials after his team’s 6-3 defeat to the Las Vegas Golden Knights on October 28. The Canes managed to be on the power play for a total of two seconds in the matchup. Andrei Svechnikov scored his first goal of the season on the lone man advantage for Carolina.
On the flip side, Vegas had four power plays on the road in Raleigh. Pavel Dorofeyev put the away team ahead late in the first period with his league-leading fifth power play goal of the 2025-26 campaign. Carolina’s coach, as well as the home crowd, seemed upset at several refereeing decisions on the night. This particularly included a weak cross-check call on captain Jordan Staal and multiple non-calls against Vegas players.
After the loss, Brind’Amour vented frustrations about his team’s lack of power play opportunities, not only on the night, but so far early in the season. “The more disturbing thing is just the disparity now,” claimed Brind’Amour, as reported by Cory Lavalette. “And it’s been pretty much all year. We’re just constantly in the box, and it’s not a lot of equal time. Usually it evens itself out, but it hasn’t.”
Power Play Opportunities Lopsided in Recent Carolina Hurricanes Games
GettyThe Hurricanes faced eight penalty kills in a recent game against the Avalanche.
Looking at the season overall, the Canes have had 30 total power play opportunities so far. On the other hand, Carolina’s opponents have been on the man advantage 35 times during the first nine games of the campaign. While this is not necessarily a massive difference, the penalty disparity is significantly more noticeable in recent games.
Carolina’s opponents have been on the power play 16 times in their last three matchups alone. This includes the Colorado Avalanche collecting eight power plays against the Canes on October 23. In comparison, the Canes have been on the man advantage just nine times during this same timeframe. Overall, Brind’Amour’s team has had more power play opportunities than their opponents just once in their last seven games.
The penalty disparity has taken a toll on an already depleted Carolina defense. Typically known as one of the top penalty killers in the NHL, the Canes currently rank 11th in the league’s penalty kill rate at 82.9%. At the moment, Brind’Amour is without multiple defenders, including Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller, and Shayne Gostisbehere.
Carolina’s Power Play Woes Continue Without Quarterback
The lack of man advantage chances for the Canes only compounds their dismal power play success rate. Carolina’s 10% power play percentage and three total goals on the man advantage are both currently worst in the league. This comes although star winger Nikolaj Ehlers was added to the fray in the offseason. The former Winnipeg Jet, however, has yet to find his feet in Carolina.
The loss of Gostisbehere has also undoubtedly hindered the team’s ability on the man advantage. When healthy, the defender typically quarterbacks Carolina’s top power play unit. The veteran previously led the team in power play assists a season ago with 23. Prior to picking up multiple injuries this campaign, Gostisbehere racked up seven points, including six assists in as many games.
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