Rookie Jackson Blake scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 7:59 remaining in the third period and the Carolina Hurricanes pushed their home winning streak to nine, rallying for a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Blake scored 2:07 apart, with Kotkaniemi forging a 3-3 tie by beating K’Andre Miller to a loose puck behind the net and banking a wraparound off goalie Igor Shesterkin’s leg.
After former Hurricane Vincent Trocheck hooked Seth Jarvis, Blake got open in between the circles, waited for a pass from Jack Drury and lifted a shot over Shesterkin’s stick.
Drury scored less than five minutes into the game and Jarvis scored on the man advantage early in the second. Martin Necas set up Carolina’s first two goals as the Hurricanes totaled at least four goals for the 17th time this season.
Jonny Brodzinski scored late in the first, Brett Berard netted his first career goal midway through the second and Adam Edstrom scored late in the second to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead. New York lost its fourth straight contest.
Carolina’s Spencer Martin made 21 saves while Shesterkin stopped 26 shots.
The Hurricanes went ahead 4:53 into the contest on Drury’s sharp angle shot from slightly above the red line that banked off Shesterkin’s right shoulder.
New York tied it with 2:22 left by keeping the puck alive in the offensive zone. After Jimmy Vesey’s shot was wide, Ryan Lindgren retrieved the puck from behind the net and Brodzinski converted Vesey’s centering pass from the right corner over Martin’s left shoulder.
With one second left on a power play, Jarvis slipped by Lindgren and re-directed a long pass by Necas from the right faceoff circle 73 seconds into the second. Berard tied it with 11:47 left by lifting a shot from the left circle over Martin on a two-on-one after faking a pass to Mika Zibanejad.
Edstrom put the Rangers up with 1:11 left in the second by finishing a rush with Reilly Smith. After Adam Fox chipped the puck out of the defensive zone, Edstrom motored down the left side past Dmitry Orlov, Smith tapped the puck to him in the high slot and the center swept the puck over a sprawling Martin.
