After having nine goals and 31 points in 59 games between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Rangers in 2023-24, some questioned why the Carolina Hurricanes 27-year-old Columbus, Ohio native Jack Roslovic.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are scheduled and offers insight and analysis to help predict who will be victorious in head-to-head matchups.

Rod Brind'Amour and the Carolina Hurricanes continue to defy expectations and look to improve even more heading into 2025.

Taylor McCabe scored 17 points, Addison O'Grady netted 16 and Hannah Stuelke posted a double-double as No. 23 Iowa used a late 9-0 run to defeat Penn State 80-68 in the Big Ten matchup on Wednesday in University Park, Pa.

Since the Blue Jackets dealt him to the New York Rangers at last season’s trade deadline, Roslovic has become a revelation on the Hurricanes’ top line after signing with Carolina last summer. He’s on pace for 38 goals if he plays all 82 games, which is easily the best scoring pace of his NHL career.

Adam Fantilli scored in the fourth round of a shootout to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. After Fantilli beat Pyotr Kochetkov, Blue

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 32 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 114-111 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. Embiid went 11 of 13 from the free-throw line to rally the 76ers from a 14-point first-half deficit for their ninth victory in 12 games.

Jakub Dobes made 34 saves in his NHL debut, leading the visiting Montreal Canadiens to a 4-0 win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon in Sunrise, Fla. The 23-year-old Czech, who was selected by the Canadiens in the fifth round of 2020 NHL Draft,

Alex Ovechkin scored an empty-net goal in his return to action as the Washington Capitals upended the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday night. Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun, Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson also scored for the Capitals.

Alex Ovechkin scored an empty-net goal in his return to action as the Washington Capitals upended the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday night.

The Rangers beat a team by more than two goals for the first time in almost two months in a 6-2 rout of the Blackhawks.

Filip Chytil scored twice and Brett Berard, Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren each earned two assists to lift the visiting New York Rangers to a 6-2 rout of the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.