When the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes meet on Tuesday night in Raleigh, it'll be an early-season showdown of the two top teams in the Eastern Conference in terms of points early in the 2026-27 campaign.
Not many people had that on their bingo card when the season started. Carolina has had one player, 25-year-old defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who was a key part of their run to the championship last spring, out to begin the season with a contract dispute. There were even some thoughts that maybe a trade was going to happen, and maybe, just maybe, the Bruins would get involved to shore up their backend. However, that didn't end up being the case, and he recently signed a one-year, $3 million deal to play for the Hurricanes this season.
It just so happens that it was signed right before the matchup with the Black and Gold, and there was some thought that he might make his season debut against Carolina. That won't be the case, according to head coach Rod Brind'Amour.
Bruins avoid seeing Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin on Tuesday night
According to Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News, Brind'Amour said that he'll likely need a "mini training camp" before slotting into the Carolina lineup after not practicing on Monday. However, the veteran coach didn't miss taking a subtle shot at his agent.
"These guys hire agents to tell them what to do,'' Brind'Amour said, per Henkel. "Sometimes it's good advice, sometimes it's not so good. But at the end of the day, it doesn't affect us when we get them in the locker room and those guys are out of it."
This is a massive test for the Bruins, who are 9-2-1 to begin the season. Carolina is 9-2-2 and coming off a West Coast road trip, but they are still the King of the East until someone knocks them off in the playoffs. The Bruins have points in eight straight games, and if they are going to get any on Tuesday night, they will have to put together their best 60 minutes of the season, and maybe even more, to secure at least one.
Carolina has had their number in recent years, and former Bruins forward Taylor Hall is expected in the lineup after practicing on Monday. After this game, Boston will head to St. Louis to meet former coach Jim Montgomery and the Blues on Thursday night. Two games away from TD Garden, with an opportunity to make an even bigger statement on Tuesday night against the defending champs.
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