Petr Mrazek needed to make only 19 saves to help the Carolina Hurricanes break a two-game losing streak by defeating the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C.
Mrazek is 3-0-1 since returning from a layoff of more than two months because of a thumb injury.
Warren Foegele, Andrei Svechnikov, Vincent Trocheck and Sebastian Aho had the goals for Carolina, and Svechnikov and Trocheck each supplied an assist. The Hurricanes are tied with the Tampa Bay Lighting for the top spot in the Central Division, with the Florida Panthers just one point back.
Erik Haula scored a short-handed goal in the third period for the Predators, who had only 12 shots on goal through two periods.
Goalie Juuse Saros made 25 saves for Nashville.
The Predators lost for just the fourth time in their last 17 games.
The Hurricanes, who improved to 4-2-1 on their eight-game homestand, led 3-0 entering the third period.
In what was shaping up as a rather dull opening period, the Hurricanes went ahead with a nifty transition goal, as Foegele finished near the net off an assist from Jordan Staal. Mrazek started the end-to-end play, which ended with Foegele's first goal of the homestand.
The Hurricanes added another transition goal just 14 seconds into the second period. Svechnikov took a pass from Dougie Hamilton in stride going down the slot and beat Saros for the tally. It was Svechnikov's first goal in eight games.
Trocheck scored following a Nashville turnover in the neutral zone. He knocked in a rebound off his own shot at 5:34 of the middle period.
Nashville got on the board with 10:30 remaining in the game when Haula, a former Carolina player, skated in alone and beat Mrazek with a shot for a short-handed goal.
Aho's goal clinched the outcome with 2:38 to play on a power play.
The game marked the Carolina debut for defenseman Jani Hakanpaa, who was acquired earlier in the week from the Anaheim Ducks. He had a plus-1 rating in nearly 15 minutes of ice time.
--Field Level Media
Nashville | Carolina | |
Erik Haula 1 | Points | Andrei Svechnikov 2 |
Erik Haula 1 | Goals | Andrei Svechnikov 1 |
Ben Harpur 1 | Assists | Andrei Svechnikov 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Sebastian Aho 1 |
Erik Haula 1 | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Juuse Saros .862 | Save Percentage | Petr Mrazek .950 |
Juuse Saros 25 | Saves | Petr Mrazek 19 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Nashville | 20 | 1 | 0-4 | 2-3 | 10 | 31 |
Carolina | 29 | 4 | 1-3 | 4-4 | 12 | 29 |