COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Jordan Staal had two goals, Cam Ward made 25 saves and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Friday night.
Staal snapped a 1-1 tie 8:54 into the third period when he beat Sergei Bobrovsky from the slot, helping the Hurricanes (6-5-3) to their second straight win.
Teuvo Teravainen assisted on each of Staal’s goals, and Brock McGinn got an empty-net goal with 25 seconds left.
Carolina Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal, left, celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate Sebastian Aho, of Finland, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. The Hurricanes beat the Blue Jackets 3-1. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Brandon Dubinsky scored for Columbus (9-7-1), and Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots in the Blue Jackets’ fourth straight loss. Columbus’ power play, the worst in the NHL, continued to be ineffective with no goals in two chances.
Dubinsky put Columbus in front in the first period. Tyler Motte grabbed a loose rebound in the defensive zone and fired a long pass that Dubinsky carried in and stuffed past Ward with a backhand. It was Dubinsky’s second goal of the season, giving him four points in the last four games.
Staal tied it with his fifth of the season 3:50 into the second period, thanks to some sloppy puck-handling by Columbus that allowed Carolina to keep it in the zone. Staal was waiting at the doorstep to tip in a pass from Noah Hanifin, who had faked a slap shot and drew Bobrovsky out of position.
NOTES: Ward replaced Scott Darling on the first night of a back-to-back. Darling will face the Blackhawks, his old team, on Saturday night. … Carolina D Brett Pesce was back in the lineup after missing three games due to a concussion. … Columbus C Zac Dalpe missed his second game with an upper-body injury. … Hanifin has four assists in the past three games. … C Patrick Brown, F Lee Stempniak and D Klas Dahlbeck were scratches for Carolina. … In addition to Dalpe, Columbus scratched D Scott Harrington and D Gabriel Carlsson.
UP NEXT
Hurricanes: Host Chicago on Saturday.
Blue Jackets: Visit Detroit on Saturday.
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Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky, left, of Russia, makes a save as teammate David Savard, right, falls to the ice and Carolina Hurricanes’ Haydn Fleury looks for the rebound during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets’ Markus Nutivaara, left, of Finland, tries to clear the puck past Carolina Hurricanes’ Jeff Skinner during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Carolina Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal, left, and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Alexander Wennberg, of Sweden, reach for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Carolina Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin, left, and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner scrap for a loose puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Carolina Hurricanes’ Trevor van Riemsdyk, right, holds Columbus Blue Jackets’ Tyler Motte as they collide with goaltender Cam Ward during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. van Riemsdyk was penalized on the play. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Columbus Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson, left, carries the puck behind the net as Carolina Hurricanes’ Brett Pesce defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
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