VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The new year is starting off much better for Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat than the old one ended.

Horvat scored two goals, including the winner on a power play with 66 seconds left in the third period, and the Canucks defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 Wednesday night

Left winger Sven Baertschi also had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who are 4-2-0 in their last six games.

Horvat, a second-year player, recorded the first multi-goal game of his career. He now has five goals this season, but three of them came in the past two games after he went 27 games without one.

"Being able to score goals and take the puck to the net, you need confidence," said the 20-year-old, who had 13 goals and 25 points in his rookie season. "That's part of the game that was lacking a little bit during the course of that first half of the season.

"Now you have more confidence you can start to do those little things."

Vancouver (16-16-9) began the night 0-for-4 with the man advantage and gave up a short-handed goal, but it was awarded another power-play chance late in the game when Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin was sent off for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass.

Horvat scored after taking a pass from behind the net from Baertschi, snapping a shot past Carolina goaltender Eddie Lack to break a 2-2 tie. It was the Canucks' second power-play goal in 27 chances over the past 11 games.

"We talked about it before," Baertschi said. "We realized there was a lot of space down low. We tried to take advantage of it, and it worked out."

Horvat's other goal came on a pretty breakaway at 7:15 of the third. The center used his speed to sweep into the Carolina zone, then his strength to power past two defenders and tuck the puck into the corner of the net to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead.

The long scoring drought was difficult for Horvat.

"It was tough," he said. "Not being able to score, and not producing offensively, I'm not used to that kind of stuff.

"It was hard on me. At the same time, I knew if I kept plugging away, kept doing the little things, eventually it was going to happen. I'm glad it's starting to now."

The Hurricanes had killed 25 consecutive penalties before allowing Horvat's goal.

"It was a tough ending for sure," coach Bill Peters said. "It was a tough penalty to take and a tough way to end the game.

"It was too much time on the kill ... and they made us pay at the end."

Center Jordan Staal had a goal and an assist for Carolina. Defenseman John-Michael Liles scored short-handed for the Hurricanes (16-18-7).

Staal said some late mistakes cost the Hurricanes.

"We feel like we had a fairly solid game going, maybe not in the first (period), but the second and third we started getting our legs and started playing some good hockey," he said. "Give them credit. They made a great play on the goal."

It wasn't the ending Hurricanes goaltender Eddie Lack wanted in his first game back in Vancouver since being traded to Carolina by the Canucks during this year's draft.

"Obviously, when I came back like this, I wanted it," said Lack, who made 18 saves. "It's really tough losing it with a minute to go."

Lack had stopped Horvat on two breakaways in the first period.

"I didn't think it was ever going to go in for me, especially in the first period when he stoned me on a couple of breakaways," Horvat said. "He played well tonight."

Lack said Horvat showed both his strength and skill on the winning goal.

"It was a good shot," he said. "You've just got to take your hat off."

Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves for the win.

NOTES: LW Sven Baertschi, who missed two games with a neck injury, and LW Brandon Prust, out one game with a leg injury, returned to the Canucks' lineup. ... Vancouver LW Daniel Sedin was selected to play in the NHL All-Star game. ... Canucks D Andrey Pedan, LW Chris Higgins and RW Jake Virtanen, recently returned from the World Junior Championships, were scratches. ... Vancouver LW Ronald Kenins and RW Alexandre Grenier were returned to Utica of the AHL. ... Vancouver's homestand continues Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. ... Hurricanes LW Phil Di Giuseppe, who sustained a concussion in Saturday's loss to Nashville, did not make the trip to Vancouver. ... Carolina LW Brock McGinn and D Michal Jordan were scratches. ... Carolina last won in Vancouver on Oct. 15, 1999. ... Six of Carolina's next seven games are against clubs currently outside of the playoff picture. ... The Hurricanes return home to play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.