Martin Necas celebrated his 23rd birthday with a goal and an assist and Vincent Trocheck matched that output as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the visiting Vancouver Canucks 4-1 on Saturday at Raleigh, N.C.
Sebastian Aho and Steven Lorentz also scored goals for Carolina, while Andrei Svechnikov had two assists to help the Hurricanes snap a two-game losing skid and avenge a road loss to the Canucks from last month.
Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen made 30 saves after he was pulled early in the third period of a 6-0 defeat to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Bo Horvat scored in the first period for Vancouver, which fell to 0-3-0 to begin a five-game road swing. Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko stopped 29 shots.
The Canucks went 0-for-5 on power plays as Carolina has killed off 35 consecutive opposing teams’ power plays.
Aho scored on a first-period power play, coming at the end of a crisp passing sequence that began with a Tony DeAngelo delivery to Teuvo Teravainen. The goal 8:17 into the game came after the Hurricanes were shut out for the first time Thursday.
Horvat countered for the Canucks with his team-leading 12th goal at 13:24 of the first period.
The Hurricanes killed off three Vancouver power plays in the opening period.
Necas assisted on Trocheck’s goal in the second period for a 2-1 lead. Less than four minutes later scored his own goal, his eight of the season, for his 100th career point.
Trocheck had his first goal in seven games by winning a faceoff and then converting after taking a pass from Andrei Svechniknov in front of the net. The tally came 62 seconds into the second period.
Vancouver goalie Jaroslav Halak was placed on the NHL’S COVID-19 protocol list prior to the game, leaving Demko as the starter. Spencer Martin was moved from the taxi squad to the active roster.
The Canucks defeated Carolina 2-1 on Dec. 12 at home. The Hurricanes have lost just once in regulation since then.
–Field Level Media
