RALEIGH — The Hurricanes finally got Jaccob Slavin back on Sunday.
Oh, how things have changed in the 29 games he’s missed — especially in goal.
Brandon Bussi improved to 11-1-0 by stopping all three shots in the shootout, and Andrei Svechnikov was the difference in Carolina getting the extra point against the Flyers for the second straight night in a 3-2 win at Lenovo Center.
Even coach Rod Brind’Amour seemed lost for words in describing the impact of Bussi, who made his first career start at age 27 after being claimed off waivers by the Hurricanes and has steered the team to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
“I thought in the third period, especially, he made countless really timely saves,” Brind’Amour said. “And obviously in the shootout — I dunno, that’s pretty impressive.”
Svechnikov, who lifted a backhand over Dan Vladar (30 saves) for the lone goal of the shootout, perhaps described Bussi’s impact best.
“The No. 1 thing, once you feel confident in the goalie, the game comes easy,” Svechnikov said. “And I feel like that’s what we feel as a group. Obviously he’s playing unbelievable hockey here, and he’s just going to keep doing that.”
The Flyers couldn’t dent Bussi at 5-on-5 or on the power play, but a goal with just under 2 minutes left in regulation with Vladar on the bench for an extra attacker — Philadelphia scored both its goals at 6-on-5 — sent the game to overtime.
Carolina drew a penalty in OT, but the Hurricanes managed just one shot on goal and had to settle for going to a shootout for the third consecutive game.
Bussi didn’t allow a goal by any of the three Philadelphia shooters, making a save on Christian Dvorak on the Flyers’ second attempt by using every inch of his 6-foot-4 frame to extend his leg to the post.
Svechnikov, Carolina’s second shooter, beat Vladar with a backhanded flip, extending his franchise record to 12 shootout goals in his career.
“I didn’t score for probably the last 10 shootouts, so I had to score this one,” he said. “I just went from the left side and tried to make him make a move first, and thank God I scored that one.”
The Flyers earned a point by tying the game in the third period for the second straight night.
After three goals were scored in the first period, no more pucks found the back of the net until the end of regulation.
With Vladar on the bench for an extra attacker, Travis Konecny found Trevor Zegras on the back door for the tying goal with 1:52 remaining.
“We gave that late one up, a pulled goalie situation,” Brind’Amour said. “Really, that’s the two goals we gave up tonight. So gotta do better job there, for sure.”
The Hurricanes did break a streak of allowing the first goal in four consecutive games by taking the lead at 5:44 of the first.
After a Sean Walker pass to William Carrier in the high slot was deflected, Carrier located it and shot through a screen by Jordan Martinook and past Vladar to make it 1-0. The goal was Carrier’s third of the season.
Carolina doubled its lead on the power play when the team’s second unit converted. Jackson Blake set up Alexander Nikishin for a one-timer that Taylor Hall redirected in front at 15:53 for his seventh goal of the season to bump the lead to 2-0.
“I know it’s sometimes hard to find him the ice time because we’ve got a lot of good wingers here to fit in, but he’s dynamic, right?” Brind’Amour said of Hall. “And he knows and all the situations. So he’s definitely a threat when he’s on the ice.”
The Flyers got one back with 53 seconds remaining in the period when, on a delayed penalty, Philadelphia defenseman Jamie Drysdale’s shot hit Carrier’s stick and got past Bussi (24 saves) to cut the lead to 2-1.
But the Hurricanes otherwise limited the Flyers, including going 4 for 4 on the penalty kill. Slavin, who played nearly three minutes of his monitored 14:31 on the PK, played a role in that.
“You could see just that calmness he brings,” Bussi said of his first game playing with Carolina’s top defenseman. “He’s a reliable stick and we’ve missed him, and it’s great to have him back.”
Slavin, meanwhile, appreciated that the team managed to stay atop the conference while he recovered..
“The guys did a great job while I was out, and, obviously, The Bus has been holding down the fort big time back there,” Slavin said. “And everyone else has just been working. All the young guys that came up and played, the team’s just done a great job.”
Notes: Joel Nystrom was reassigned to AHL Chicago after Slavin was activated off IR. … Slavin played with Alexander Nikishin, who moved to the right side and played 20:01. Nikishin, who assisted on Hall’s goal, has points in consecutive games. … Slavin had a team-high three blocks. Zegras had two points.
