RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes secured a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, fueled by defenseman Jaccob Slavin's milestone achievement. Slavin, in just his sixth game of the season, tallied his 300th NHL point with an assist on William Carrier's game-winning goal. The Hurricanes have now won their fourth straight game, improving their season record to 28-14-3.
Slavin's return to the lineup after recovering from an upper-body injury sustained on December 19, marked a significant boost for Carolina. He had previously missed 29 games due to a lower-body injury earlier in the season. This game was only the sixth time the Hurricanes had their top defenseman available, and they improved to 5-0-1 in those contests.
The game unfolded with Logan Stankoven giving the Hurricanes an early 1-0 lead in the first period. However, Matty Beniers responded for the Kraken, tying the game at 1-1. Beniers made a notable move around Slavin before beating Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi.
In the third period, Berkly Catton capitalized on a misplay by Bussi, giving Seattle a 2-1 advantage. Jordan Martinook then evened the score at 2-2, setting the stage for Carrier's decisive goal, assisted by Slavin, with 6:10 remaining in the game. Jordan Staal contributed with assists on the final two Hurricanes goals.
Bussi, making his 19th start of the season, recorded 10 saves to earn his 16th win. Joey Daccord stopped 31 shots for the Kraken. The Kraken suffered their first regulation loss in 11 games, ending an 8-1-2 run.
Slavin, who was selected by Carolina in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, has accumulated 55 goals and 244 assists in his NHL career. He was also named to the 2026 United States' Olympic team.
"I've never had to deal with injuries like that before," Slavin said following the morning skate. "We're good to go. Ready to be back out there".
The Hurricanes will travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings on Monday night. The Kraken will continue their road trip against the New York Rangers on Monday night.
