Brind’Amour Pushes Hurricanes Through Physical Skate As Nhl Bracket 2026 Wait Continues
The Carolina Hurricanes kept working Wednesday morning while their Nhl Bracket 2026 path stayed unsettled. Rod Brind’Amour put them through game-like, physical drills as they waited to learn whether Philadelphia or Pittsburgh would come next. The delay has left Carolina preparing without a second-round opponent locked in.
Brind’Amour Sets the Pace
Brind’Amour said the team had to balance preparation with uncertainty. “It's a little bit of a guessing game on what's the best way to approach things,” he said, and he used the session to mimic playoff speed and physicality rather than easing off between series.
Seth Jarvis welcomed the workload. “It's nice to go out there and compete,” he said after practice. “We had a lot of battle drills, so it was good to kind of get that aspect. We sit for a few days, maybe you lose that. So it's nice just to go out there.”
Flyers Lead Penguins 3-2
Philadelphia held a 3-2 advantage in its first-round series against Pittsburgh heading into Wednesday night, when the Flyers were scheduled to try to close out the Penguins at home. If Pittsburgh forced a Game 7, Carolina’s next series would likely be pushed back again, stretching the wait for the Hurricanes.
The winner of that series will face Carolina in the second round. Until then, the Hurricanes are in a holding pattern shaped by one matchup they cannot control and one practice they can.
Nikishin Returns in Yellow
Alexander Nikishin was back on the ice Wednesday morning in a yellow, no-contact jersey after suffering a concussion on Saturday in Game 4 against Ottawa. Brind’Amour said, “I think he's feeling good,” and added, “Whatever he's got to do to get tested, it's all going along in the right direction.”
Taylor Hall offered a caution that matched the setup around Nikishin’s return. “Concussions are never a straight line to coming back,” he said. “There are good days and bad days, and as you progress and go harder and harder, you might feel differently.”
If Nikishin cannot play, Mike Reilly is ready to step in as the Hurricanes’ seventh defenseman at full health. Carolina also recalled Charles Alexis LeGault from the Chicago Wolves earlier this week, and the club will not practice Thursday morning.
