COLUMBUS, Ohio — Kirill Marchenko recorded his first career hat trick and scored in a shootout to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Saturday in a matchup of the Metropolitan Division’s best and worst teams.
Carolina, which sits atop the division, has now lost three straight.
Patrik Laine scored in the shootout, and Kent Johnson added the shootout game-winner and two assists for the Blue Jackets, who won for just the second time in their last 11 games. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 39 shots.
Max Pacioretty had two goals and Brady Skjei scored on the power play for Carolina. Antti Raanta stopped 15 shots in his first loss since Nov. 17.
“We had a pretty solid game in some areas, especially if it wasn’t great,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Even though we got two power-play goals, we got fortunate really on those. That’s an area that wasn’t great tonight. That’s probably the difference in the game.”
After a scoreless first, Marchenko put Columbus up 1-0 with the second power-play goal of his career at 7:26 of the second period, and he made it 2-0 just 1:36 later.
“He’s so coachable,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said of Marchenko. “He wants to learn and it’s not just the offensive side.
“He’s always working. He’s a really neat personality to have around. You love to see him, and I like that because the smile just gets bigger. It’s great.”
Carolina then roared back.
Pacioretty scored his first goal with the Hurricanes, with a lucky bounce off a Blue Jackets’ leg that pinballed past Korpisalo at 11:20, before Skjei made it 2-2 with a power-play goal at 17:18. Pacioretty scored again at 18:56 on the power play.
Marchenko pulled Columbus back even at 5:23 of the third with his third goal of the night.
“I just shoot it,” he said. “I know the net’s there and just shoot. It’s working. I don’t know how.”
Carolina hosts New Jersey on Tuesday night.
