Andrei Svechnikov recorded two goals and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Friday night at Raleigh, N.C.

Defensemen Brady Skjei and Jaccob Slavin collected a goal and an assist apiece and Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored for the Hurricanes. Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas each registered two assists as Carolina reached the four-goal mark for just the second time in the past nine games and improved to 2-2-2 since the All-Star break.

Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen made 28 saves.

Luke Kunin, Filip Forsberg and Tanner Jeannot scored for the Predators, who fell to 0-4-0 since returning to action and allowing four or more goals in each -- matching their season-high streak. Roman Josi assisted on all three goals, and Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots for Nashville.

The two teams were in the same division in last season's makeshift alignments and then met in physical playoff series won Carolina won in six games. That in-your-face approach was evident again Friday, particularly in the first period.

Carolina lost center Vincent Trocheck after the first period because of an upper-body injury, and he didn't return.

The Hurricanes led 3-1 after two periods, then increased the margin to three when Svechnivkov scored on a power play at 6:43 of the third period.

Forsberg's tally with 5:23 to play cut the gap to 4-2. It came after the Predators opted to pull Saros for an extra skater with 5:47 left.

Jeannot's goal came with 2:11 remaining, also with an extra skater. Svechnikov clinched the outcome with an empty-net goal with 42 seconds to go.

Skjei opened the scoring when he took a pass after a faceoff and skated unchecked to in front of the net and fired the puck past Saros at 10:24 of the first period.

Kotkaniemi scored off his own rebound on a sequence that was set up by swift transition from the other end to provide Carolina with a 2-0 edge at 5:14 of the second period. It was his first goal in a month and 10th of the season.

Kunin's goal was his first in six games, coming with 1:22 to play in the second period. Ryan Johansen's assist on the play pushed his career points total to 500.

Slavin countered with one second remaining in the middle period.

--Field Level Media