Staal's goal lifts Hurricanes past Blue Jackets 5-3

By AP
Published

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Staal scored the go-ahead goal on a deflection with 16:10 to play, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Victor Rask had two assists and an empty-net goal, Jeff Skinner had a goal and two assists and Derek Ryan also had a goal and an assist. Brock McGinn added a goal for Carolina, which has earned points in 13 of 14 home games.

Cam Atkinson scored his 20th goal on the same day he was left off the All-Star team, and Josh Anderson and Brandon Saad also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have a league-best 60 points but have lost three of four.

Cam Ward made 24 saves while making his 17th straight start, his longest streak since 2011.

With All-Star pick Sergei Bobrovsky ill, backup Anton Forsberg stopped 23 shots in his season debut for the Blue Jackets.

Elias Lindholm — activated from injured reserve earlier in the day after missing five games with an upper-body injury — started the Hurricanes' go-ahead sequence with a shot from behind the circle that clicked off Staal on its way past Forsberg.

Ward stopped all 13 shots he faced in the third period, and Rask's empty-netter sealed Carolina's second straight victory.

Both teams have been tough to beat lately. While the Hurricanes have been strong on home ice, the Blue Jackets had been even better no matter where they played, with their 16-game winning streak — one shy of the NHL record — ending last week.

The teams combined to score five goals during a wild second period.

The Carolina line of Skinner, Ryan and Rask generated two goals in the first 5 minutes to erase a 1-0 deficit. Skinner tied it 2:01 into the second with a wrist shot from between the circles, and when his slap shot got past Forsberg about 3 minutes later, Ryan crashed the net and tapped in the rebound.

Then, after Anderson tied it at 2 when he chipped the puck over Ward's left shoulder with 11:59 left in the second, McGinn took a slick centering pass from Matt Tennyson and beat Forsberg to put Carolina back up by a goal with 6:02 before the break.

Saad then tied it at 3 with 54.5 seconds left in the second with a wrist shot.

NOTES: Hurricanes C Andrej Nestrasil cleared waivers and was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Charlotte. ... The Blue Jackets recalled G Joonas Korpisalo from their AHL affiliate in Cleveland. ... This was the first of three meetings between the teams in a 12-day span.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: Continue their three-game road swing Friday night at Tampa Bay.

Hurricanes: Play the second game of their three-game homestand Friday night against Buffalo.