Carolina's point streak lives for another game.
The Hurricanes came up clutch against the Blue Jackets Thursday night in Raleigh, scoring the tying goal with change to play before punching in the first goal of the overtime period to steal a 2-1 win over the Columbus.
Both teams traded scoring chances in the first period with – with Korpisalo struggling at times to control rebounds, but his defense played well in front of him, holding Carolina to just seven shots in the first, despite the Canes earning two power plays in the period.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| HURRICANES | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
The teams would continue this push–pull dynamic well into the second period, equalling each other in shots again before Jack Johnson lit the scoreboard first with five minutes remaining in the second on a blast from the rush.
The goal, which beat Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward high glove side, was Johnson's fourth of the season. Scott Hartnell set things up with a slick cross-ice pass, while Sam Gagner earned the secondary assist on the play, his 28th of the season.
Korpisalo stopped a handful of Carolina chances in the second and seemed to get stronger as the game progressed. His defense consistently supported him with blocked shots – Columbus blocked 19 shots on the night – and clever clears.
The teams played a scoreless third until a Jeff Skinner shot bounced off of Victor Rask's skate to equalize things for the Hurricanes with a little over four minutes remaining in regulation.
| Blue Jackets | HURRICANES | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | SHOTS | 31 |
| 6 | PIM | 4 |
| 32 | HITS | 32 |
| 3 | GIVEAWAYS | 11 |
| 49% | FACEOFFS | 51% |
| 0 of 1 | POWER PLAY | 0 of 2 |
It was a junk goal, but they count all the same.
The game would go on to overtime as the teams remained tied at one at the end of regulation. Brandon Saad had the first great chance for the Blue Jackets, but Ward was able to fight it off. Ninety seconds later, Carolina's Noah Hanifin beat Korpisalo from 25 feet to end the game.
Columbus takes a point from the contest, while Carolina set a new franchise record with points in 13-straight games.
Metro Race Update
This was a game the Blue Jackets had until Carolina equalized it with a late fluke. The good news: Columbus still emerged with one point.
With six games remaining, Washington looks to have the inside track for the President's Trophy at 110 points. The Blue Jackets have 106 points, good for second in the NHL (and the Metropolitan Division), while Pittsburgh sits third with 103 points.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets travel to Chicago for a pivotal game against the Blackhawks Friday night (8:30 p.m., FSOH).
The teams have met just once this season, in Columbus in the third game of the season for the Jackets as they edged the Blackhawks, 3-2. Bobrovsky was solid in net that night, stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced in Nationwide Arena.
