Michael Bunting scored a goal and added two assists. At the same time, Brady Skjei contributed a goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes matched their highest-scoring game of the season with a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Staal, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes. Sebastian Aho provided three assists, helping Carolina extend their point streak to five games (3-0-2). Pyotr Kochetkov made 30 saves, securing his third win in eight nights.
“It’s an easier sell when you get rewarded,” said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour. “I think we’ve been playing well here lately.”
Carolina was perfect on special teams, going 3 for 3 on power plays and killing all four of the Golden Knights’ power plays.
“You build momentum off the power play,” Bunting said. “You can’t ask for anything more from special teams on our end.”
William Carrier scored twice, and Nicolas Hague added a goal for Vegas. Brett Howden chipped in with two assists. Logan Thompson allowed six goals on 28 shots before being replaced by Jiri Patera, who stopped all 10 shots he faced.
“In their power play, they just executed through and got shots from the elbows,” said Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. “We didn’t do a good enough job getting in shooting lanes, pushing it farther away from our net.”
Svechnikov, returning to the lineup after missing six games due to injury, scored on Carolina’s first power play of the game with 9 1/2 minutes left in the first period. It was his second goal of the season in his 17th game.
“I wasn’t sure how he would look,” Brind’Amour said. “He was impactful. That’s what we were missing.”
Svechnikov, coming off knee surgery from last season, added, “I had some juice. Trying to make the plays and make it easier on the boys.”
Carrier ended a 20-game goal drought by pushing in a rebound after Brayden McNabb’s shot was blocked by Kochetkov, tying the game 1-1. It was his fourth goal of the season.
The Hurricanes then took control of the game.
Kotkaniemi broke a 10-game goal drought with a score at 10:11 of the second period, followed by Bunting’s power-play goal 1:28 later. Jarvis and Skjei added goals early in the third period to secure the win.
Jack Eichel extended his franchise-record points streak to 11 games with an assist on Hague’s goal with 1:24 remaining. Carrier scored his second goal of the night with 32 seconds left.
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: Visit Tampa Bay on Thursday night.
- Hurricanes: Visit Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
