Defending champion Hurricanes beat Canucks 6-3 to take NHL lead

Carolina Hurricanes' Nikolaj Ehlers, not seen, scores on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen (31) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press via AP)Carolina Hurricanes' Nicolas Deslauriers, center, celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks with his teammates during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen (31) stops Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov (37) as Vancouver's Elias Pettersson (25) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press via AP)Vancouver Canucks' Jonathan Lekkerimaki (88) scores on Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) as Sebastian Aho (20) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press via AP)Carolina Hurricanes' Nikolaj Ehlers (front left) scores on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen (31) as Tom Willander (5) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press via AP)1 / 5Hurricanes Canucks HockeyCarolina Hurricanes' Nikolaj Ehlers, not seen, scores on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen (31) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press via AP)2 / 5Hurricanes Canucks HockeyCarolina Hurricanes' Nicolas Deslauriers, center, celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks with his teammates during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)3 / 5Hurricanes Canucks HockeyVancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen (31) stops Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov (37) as Vancouver's Elias Pettersson (25) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press via AP)4 / 5Hurricanes Canucks HockeyVancouver Canucks' Jonathan Lekkerimaki (88) scores on Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) as Sebastian Aho (20) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press via AP)5 / 5Hurricanes Canucks HockeyCarolina Hurricanes' Nikolaj Ehlers (front left) scores on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen (31) as Tom Willander (5) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) (ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press via AP)