Andrei Svechnikov and Nino Niederreiter each scored in the second period, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 Tuesday night.
Jordan Staal scored a goal in the first, and Sebastian Aho added a goal in the third and Justin Faulk had two assists as Carolina won its fourth straight in Nashville. The Hurricanes moved into the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, tying Columbus with 72 points with two games in hand.
Click to Gallery
Andrei Svechnikov and Nino Niederreiter each scored in the second period, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 Tuesday night.
Ryan Johansen scored a goal for the Predators, who snapped a three-game winning streak. Nashville hasn't won four straight since October.
The Predators tied it 48 seconds into the second when Johansen backhanded the puck into the open net with Mrazek screened by Viktor Arvidsson in the crease. Carolina lost its challenge of goalie interference. But Kyle Turris went to the box for slashing Erik Haula, and Svechnikov scored 5 seconds into the man advantage despite the Hurricanes losing the faceoff with a wrister from the right circle at 3:45.
The only issue for the Hurricanes came with 5:53 left when defenseman Haydn Fleury spun around and went down awkwardly near the boards. He skated off favoring his right leg.
Hurricanes host the Rangers on Friday night.
Goalie Petr Mrazek made 28 saves and improved to 9-1-0 against the Predators.
Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) skates to right wing Justin Williams (14) after scoring a goal against the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP PhotoMark Zaleski)
Ryan Johansen scored a goal for the Predators, who snapped a three-game winning streak. Nashville hasn't won four straight since October.
The Hurricanes brought their mothers with them for this quick road trip, and they attacked from the start — outshooting Nashville 6-1 with Staal's eighth of the season on their sixth shot. He scored on a wrister after a trio of saves by goalie Juuse Saros 3:23 into the game.
Nashville went 0 for 4 on the power play. Mrazek made a pad save on Filip Forsberg's breakaway attempt in the first after a turnover kicked by Carolina defenseman Joel Edmundson at the blue line, and Forsberg's backhander went over the crossbar in the second on another breakaway chance.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek (34), of the Czech Republic, blocks a shot by Nashville Predators center Matt Duchene (95) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP PhotoMark Zaleski)
The Predators tied it 48 seconds into the second when Johansen backhanded the puck into the open net with Mrazek screened by Viktor Arvidsson in the crease. Carolina lost its challenge of goalie interference. But Kyle Turris went to the box for slashing Erik Haula, and Svechnikov scored 5 seconds into the man advantage despite the Hurricanes losing the faceoff with a wrister from the right circle at 3:45.
Niederreiter made it 3-1 at 8:02, beating Saros with a backhander for his ninth of the season. Saros had won five of his previous six starts with a .935 save percentage in that span.
Aho padded the lead 4:33 of the third with his 34th.
Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen (92) celebrates after scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP PhotoMark Zaleski)
The only issue for the Hurricanes came with 5:53 left when defenseman Haydn Fleury spun around and went down awkwardly near the boards. He skated off favoring his right leg.
NOTES: Svechnikov stretched his points streak to eight games and joined Ron Francis, who did it twice in 1982-83 with Hartford, as the second teenager in franchise history to have multiple point streaks of eight games or more in a single season. Svechnikov now has five goals and five assists in this streak. ... Aho extended his point streak to 10 straight games with 10 goals and six assists. ... Nashville now is 8-16-4 when allowing the first goal and 3-15-2 when trailing after one period.
UP NEXT
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20), of Finland, maneuvers the puck past Nashville Predators right wing Craig Smith (15) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP PhotoMark Zaleski)
Hurricanes host the Rangers on Friday night.
Predators visit Chicago on Friday night.
Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20), of Finland, battles for position with Nashville Predators defenseman Yannick Weber (7), of Switzerland, in front of the Predators net during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP PhotoMark Zaleski)