RALEIGH — If the universe is truly seeking balance, Monday’s Hurricanes-Rangers game provided it.
Each team scored an early power play goal. Carolina forward Jordan Martinook took the blame for New York’s go-ahead goal in the second period before scoring the tying goal in the third. And Hurricanes winger Jackson Blake, stung by a Nikolaj Ehlers shot on an overtime power play, got right back to the front of the net 31 seconds later and redirected in the game-winning goal in Carolina’s 3-2 win.
“The bounces weren’t going our way,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said, “and then they did, finally.”
The biggest bounce came in overtime. With Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson in the box for tripping, Carolina sent four forwards out for a 4-on-3 power play.
Ehlers fired one shot that hit Blake in the gut. The second-year winger, in visible pain, went back to the front of the net and got a piece of a Sebastian Aho shot. The puck fluttered past Igor Shesterkin (31 saves) to give the Hurricanes their second straight win.
“I was playing net front, so it stung, but I just had to go right back to the net front there,” Blake said.
Carolina had to force overtime first. Trailing entering the third period for the first time since Dec. 7, the Hurricanes got the equalizer at 9:11 of the final full frame.
After Carolina forward William Carrier won a pair of 50-50 battles in the neutral zone and just inside the Rangers’ blue line, defenseman K’Andre Miller got the puck and sent it to the opposite side boards to Jalen Chatfield.
Chatfield shot toward the net, where Shesterkin made the initial stop, but the rebound hit Jordan Martinook and slid in the net to knot the score 2-2.
“You look at all three goals we scored, it’s traffic in front of him because he’s one of the best in the league,” said Martinook, who said he didn’t even know the puck had hit him for his sixth goal of the year.
His equalizer came nearly a full period after the Rangers had taken the lead on a fortuitous bounce of their own.
A point shot by Robertson was deflected by Sam Carrick, and the puck went directly to Jonny Brodzinski, who quickly banged it in for his fourth goal of the year and a 2-1 Rangers lead at 12:59 of the middle frame.
“I felt like that second goal was on me,” Martinook said. “I just lose my guy, and he taps it in.”
The teams had exchanged power play goals in the first period as the opening 20 minutes ended 1-1.
The Rangers scored first when, with Alexander Nikishin in the box, New York winger Artemi Panarin set up Vladislav Gavrikov for a one-timer that sailed over the shoulder of Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi (17 saves) for a 1-0 lead 99 seconds into the game. It was Gavrikov’s first career power play point.
Carolina responded with just over four minutes left in the period when Aho’s shot through a screen on a 5-on-3 power play got past Shesterkin to knot the game 1-1.
“I’m trying to find a lane,” said Aho, whose goal was his 14th of the season. “And obviously their D, they kind of stepped on me, and I can’t shoot short side because of that. And then (Andrei Svechnikov), great job being in his eyes. He didn’t see much on that shot.”
That goal was the template for beating Shesterkin, who made the routine saves — and some spectacular ones — all night but couldn’t overcome the traffic the Hurricanes created.
Bussi, meanwhile, was challenged early but faced just five shots after the second period, improving to 13-1-1 on the season and his career.
“Pretty good, I’d say,” Aho said of the Cinderella season Bussi is having. “Yeah, he’s been great. He keeps giving us a chance to win hockey games, and that’s all you can ask from the goalie.”
Notes: Shayne Gostisbehere, Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin all missed the game with injuries. … Pyotr Kochetkov was placed on injured reserve before the game after having hip surgery. He is expected to miss the rest of the season. … Former Hurricanes draft pick Scott Morrow played his first game in Raleigh since being traded to the Rangers in the offseason. … Jordan Staal finished with a season-high seven hits, six of which came in the first period. … Jesperi Kotkaniemi won 11 of 14 faceoffs.
