Home › Game previews › NHL › October 2026 › Carolina Hurricanes at Calgary Flames
NHL · October 18, 2026

Carolina Hurricanes vs Calgary Flames Final — October 18, 2026

Carolina Hurricanes logo
7-1-1
2
Goalie Brandon Bussi Confirmed
FINAL
Calgary Flames logo
1-6-0
3
Goalie Devin Cooley Confirmed
Sunday, October 18 · 8:10 PM ET
CARStarting goaliesCGY
This season
4
Starts
2
.871
Sv%
.818
.750
HDSv%
1.000
−2.7
GSAx
−4.7
Last season
39
Starts
26
.895
Sv%
.909
.822
HDSv%
.854
+0.9
GSAx
+15.0
CAROffenseFull 2025-26 regular season (last season)CGY
2nd3.61
GF/G
2.5932nd
4th9.11
PP GF/60
5.7531st
CARDefenseCGY
4th2.93
GA/G
3.1621st
13th7.23
PK GA/60
7.1312th
CARTeamCGY
2nd68.9%
Pts%
47.0%29th
2nd56.4%
xGF%
47.2%27th
1st59.8%
CF%
49.2%17th
8th53.7%
HDCF%
46.9%23rd
CAR5-on-5CGY
1st3.06
xGF/60
2.3524th
7th2.37
xGA/60
2.6324th
24th8.9%
Sh%
7.8%31st
26th89.5%
Sv%
90.6%13th
13th116.5
CF/60 (both)
118.25th
21st−0.08
GAx/G
−0.2429th
19th−0.06
GSAx/G
+0.149th
17th10.5%
Sh%
8.5%32nd
26th88.6%
Sv%
90.3%6th
1st57.9%
xGF% (L20)
42.4%30th
CARSpecial teamsCGY
9th8.18
PP xG/60
6.6830th
4th83.8
PP FF/60
71.628th
18th4.7
PP min/G
4.621st
3rd6.47
PK xGA/60
7.8118th
13th4.6
PK min/G
4.716th
CARRecent formCGY
Wvs VAN 7-2W@ CHI 5-2W@ PHI 4-1Wvs WSH 4-2W@ WPG 3-2
Resultsoldest to newest
L@ SEA 1-6Lvs COL 3-7Lvs ANA 2-4W@ ANA 4-2L@ VGK 2-6
below 50%below 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%
Game by game
below 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%above 50%
7-1-1
Record
1-6-0
5-0-0
Last 5
1-4-0
4-5
Over–under
4-3
CARHome and roadseason to dateCGY
2-1-1
Home record
0-3-0
5-0-0
Road record
1-3-0
2-2
Home O/U
2-1
2-3
Road O/U
2-2
Top third of the leagueMiddle thirdBottom thirdBar = league rank (full = 1st)
Injuries & restkey injuries · rest and travel
CARRest & travelCGY
1 dayback-to-back
Days of rest
3 days
746 mi1,201 km
Travel to the game
Home
−1 hclock change vs home
Time-zone change
Home
CARKey injuriesCGY
Seth Jarvis CIRJordan Staal CIR
Players out or limited
Jonathan Huberdeau LWIR
About these numbers

Goalie status from the G&W goalie tracker (Confirmed, Expected, Likely or Not confirmed); teams confirm starters close to puck drop. Season lines come from the NHL Lab goalie tables. GSAx = goals saved above expected (Gridiron & Wine expected goals). HD Sv% = save rate on high-danger shots.

Full 2025-26 regular season (last season), captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (32 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.

2025-26 regular season, public NHL Lab tables; ranks out of 32 teams. Expected goals are Gridiron & Wine's own expected-goals numbers.

2025-26 regular season. Rates are per 60 minutes of power-play or penalty-kill time.

Regular-season results this season, oldest to newest (OTL = overtime or shootout loss). Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Over–under uses the consensus closing total.

Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.

Key players only. Injury report as of October 18, 12:40 p.m. ET.

The pre-game matchup

The Hurricanes (7-1-1) visited the Flames (1-6-0) on Sunday, October 18 at 8:10 PM ET.

Last season (2025-26), the Hurricanes scored 3.61 goals per game (2nd of 32) and allowed 2.93 (4th). The Flames scored 2.59 goals per game (32nd of 32) and allowed 3.16 (21st). The Hurricanes earned 68.9% of available standings points (2nd) and the Flames 47.0% (29th).

Expected-goals share (5-on-5), the share of 5-on-5 expected goals created: Hurricanes 56.4% (2nd), Flames 47.2% (27th). Shot-attempt share (5-on-5), the share of all 5-on-5 shot attempts: Hurricanes 59.8% (1st), Flames 49.2% (17th). High-danger chance share, the share of 5-on-5 high-danger chances: Hurricanes 53.7% (8th), Flames 46.9% (23rd). These are last season's full-season numbers because the new season's sample is still small; rosters change over the offseason.

The total closed 6.5, unchanged from the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Hurricanes -205, Flames +170) prices the Hurricanes at 64% and the Flames at 36%.

Written from the numbers available before kickoff.

Result

Final score and result vs the closing line

Carolina Hurricanes 2, Calgary Flames 3

Calgary Flames won by 1.

  • Against the closing spread (Calgary Flames +1.5): Calgary Flames covered.
  • Combined score 5 vs the closing total of 6.5: Under.
  • Calgary Flames closed at +170 on the moneyline (a 36% no-vig market-implied chance).

Actual result

Final
Carolina Hurricanes 2
Calgary Flames 3
Decided
In regulation
Calgary Flames won
Lead changes
1

Before the game: market and G&W

64%Market at the close36%
Carolina HurricanesCalgary Flames
65%Market at the open35%

The market barely moved from open to close.

The G&W pregame win probability for this game is available to Analytics members. See plans

Market numbers are the consensus moneyline with the bookmaker margin removed.

Win probability

Each team's chance of winning through the game, starting from the market's closing price (Carolina Hurricanes 64%, Calgary Flames 36%) and moving with every goal, penalty and the clock until the final.

100%75%50%75%100%1st2nd3rdOTMarket start12nd 19:39: Calgary Flames 43% to 69%22nd 19:56: Carolina Hurricanes 33% to 59%33rd 15:32: Calgary Flames 44% to 86%■ Flames■ Hurricanes
 

Biggest swings

  1. 2nd 19:39 — Calgary Flames goal (1-2)Calgary Flames 43% → 69% (+26 pts)
  2. 2nd 19:56 — Carolina Hurricanes goal (2-2)Carolina Hurricanes 33% → 59% (+26 pts)
  3. 3rd 15:32 — Calgary Flames goal (2-3)Calgary Flames 44% → 86% (+42 pts)

Calgary Flames won after falling as low as 19% (2nd 18:30).

Analytics members also see this chart starting from the G&W pregame win probability. See plans

Chance Quality Result

64%CAR
Share of G&W replays won
36%CGY
3.8
Expected goals
2.7
2
Final score
3

Based on the quality of chances each team created, Carolina Hurricanes won 64% of G&W replays (Calgary Flames 36%). The result went the other way from the chances each team created.

The Chance Quality Result describes the chances each team created. It is not the official result and never changes it or any record. Expected goals count regulation chances with both goalies in net; empty-net goals are not included. Season xG tables count every game state, empty nets included, so their totals differ.

Game DNA

The Chance Quality Result above favoured Carolina Hurricanes. Here is where that came from.

HurricanesGoalsFlames
2.85-on-5 chancesexpected goals
1.8
0.6Power-play chancesexpected goals
0.8
0.4Other situations4-on-4, 3-on-3, short-handed
0.1
3.8Chance Quality Result chancesthe three rows above, as in the result
2.7
0.2Overtime and pulled-goalie chancesnot part of the Chance Quality Result
0.0
1.1Second chancesrebounds and flurries, part of the above
0.5
-2.0Finishinggoals vs expected on own shots
+0.3
-0.3Goaltendingsaves vs expected · Brandon Bussi 31/34 · Devin Cooley 34/36
+2.0
Bar left: Hurricanes gainedBar right: Flames gained

How the margin was built, from Calgary Flames's side:

Chances -1.3Finishing & goaltending +2.3Calgary Flames by 1

The first three rows add up to the Chance Quality Result's expected goals. Overtime chances and chances with a goalie pulled are listed on their own, and empty-net goals are not in expected goals. A team's finishing and the other team's goaltending are the same goals seen from each end.

The official play, graded

The official play on this game, at the price it was sent, graded against the final score.

Official playUnder 6.5 -1202.00uWIN +2.00u

Every official play is logged and graded, wins and losses alike. Full track record.

Line review

Carolina Hurricanes closed as the market favourite at 64% and lost.

How the G&W pregame number compared with the close, and whether the line moved toward it, is available to Analytics members. See plans

Market

Closing line and line movement

Puck lineno move
OpenFlames +1.5 (-145)
Hurricanes -1.5 (+118)
CloseFlames +1.5 (-145)
Hurricanes -1.5 (+117)
Totalno move
Open6.5 (o +106 / u -130)
Close6.5 (o +100 / u -125)
Moneyline
OpenHurricanes -210 65%
Flames +172 35%
CloseHurricanes -205 64%
Flames +170 36%

Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.

Members

G&W Line

G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics

Projected score
Spread
Total
Win %

Matchup

Head-to-head

The teams have met 14 times since 2018-19: the Hurricanes won 9 and the Flames 5.

DateScoreLineTotal
Mar 7, 2026Hurricanes 4, Flames 5
Flames won
Hurricanes -215
underdog won
5.5
over
Nov 30, 2025Flames 0, Hurricanes 1 OT
Hurricanes won
Hurricanes -250
favorite won
6
under
Mar 2, 2025Flames 1, Hurricanes 2 OT
Hurricanes won
Hurricanes -320
favorite won
6
under
Oct 24, 2024Hurricanes 4, Flames 2
Hurricanes won
Hurricanes -199
favorite won
6
push
Mar 10, 2024Flames 2, Hurricanes 7
Hurricanes won
Hurricanes -227
favorite won
6.5
over

Regular-season meetings since 2018-19, most recent first. Line = consensus closing moneyline favorite and total where line history is available.

Teams

Carolina Hurricanes

Calgary Flames

Gridiron & Wine graded a pick on this game: see the archived pick.

More NHL games on October 18, 2026

All NHL games in October 2026

Follow the market every day

See every game's current line on the odds board, or check our fully tracked results.

Odds boardTracked results