Andrei Svechnikov scored three times, and Frederik Andersen turned aside 28 shots as the Carolina Hurricanes pulled away for a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
Jackson Blake also found the net for Carolina, which has gone 6-1-1 over its last eight games. Sebastian Aho played a key role with three assists, one night after the Hurricanes dismantled defending Stanley Cup champion Florida 9-1 at home.
New Jersey’s Timo Meier scored the lone goal for the Devils, snapping Andersen’s shutout bid, but the loss halted New Jersey’s modest two-game winning streak. The Devils have struggled recently, going 4-8-1 since mid-December.
After a scoreless first period, Svechnikov broke through at 13:12 of the second, beating Jacob Markstrom with a quick shot. Less than a minute later, he struck again to give Carolina a 2-0 lead heading into the third. Markstrom finished with 29 saves.
Meier brought the Devils within one on a power-play goal at 4:27 of the third, assisted by Cody Glass and Dougie Hamilton. Carolina answered back when Blake scored at 8:33 to restore a two-goal cushion.
Svechnikov completed his hat trick late in the third with his 16th goal of the season, sealing the win. The Hurricanes, who sit atop the Metropolitan Division, now hold a seven-point edge over the Islanders and have swept all three meetings with New Jersey this season.
Up next
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Devils: Open a four-game road trip Monday night at Calgary.
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Hurricanes: Host Buffalo on Monday night.
