Carolina Hurricanes left wing Teuvo Teravainen (86) is congratulated by teammates after his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period of an NHL hockey game on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.
AP Photo | Sue Ogrocki
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Teuvo Teravainen scored the game’s first goal less than a minute into the second period, Spencer Martin stopped 20 shots against his former team and the Carolina Hurricanes rolled to a 4-2 win over the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Sebastian Aho, Brady Skjei, and Seth Jarvis also tallied for the Hurricanes, who won for the second time in three days and the sixth time in their last eight games. Martin, who was claimed off waivers from Columbus on Jan. 19, improved to 4-0-1 for Carolina.
Alexander Nylander had a goal and assist, his first points with Columbus. Cole Sillinger also scored, and Daniil Tarasov made 30 saves for the Blue Jackets, who lost on the road to the New York Rangers 4-1 in the first leg of a back-to-back on Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Division rivals are headed in opposite directions. The second-place Hurricanes have been rolling since December and are chasing the Rangers, while Columbus is mired in last with diminishing chances of moving up.
After a scoreless first period, Teravainen scored his 18th goal of the year 53 seconds into the second, jumping on a loose puck on the doorstep and sliding it between Tarasov’s legs.
Later in the second, Aho got credit for a goal after his shot from the right circle bounced off a Blue Jacket player’s skate and pinballed over the goal line. Less than two minutes later, Sillinger, set up nicely by Zach Werenski on a rush, ripped a shot under Martin’s arm to make it 2-1.
Skjei gave Carolina a two-goal lead late in the second when the defenseman got ahead on a rush and poked a one-handed shot through Tarasov’s pads. Brent Burns, playing in his 821st straight game, picked up the secondary assist. That’s the longest active streak and eighth longest in NHL history.
Nylander’s top-shelf wrist shot on a power play made it a one-goal game in the third period. Jarvis got an empty-net goal with 14.2 seconds left.
UP NEXT
Hurricanes: Hosts Winnipeg on Saturday.
Blue Jackets: At Chicago on Saturday night.
