RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes played their last home game of the regular season Thursday.
They’ll soon be back, and for much bigger games.
The Canes closed out their home schedule in this condensed season, facing the Chicago Blackhawks for the third time this week. For the first time this week, the Blackhawks won 2-1, getting an overtime winner from Alex DeBrincat.
Defenseman Riley Stillman tied the score 1-1 for the Blackhawks with 3:01 left in regulation with his first NHL goal. Pius Suter turned near the left point and wristed a long-distance shot that Stillman tipped in the slot to beat goalie Petr Mrazek.
DeBrincat then whistled a shot past Vincent Trocheck and Mrazek with 2:58 left in the overtime, ending the Canes’ five-game winning streak.
The Canes (36-10-8), who have points in 13 straight games, will go to Nashville to end the regular season with a pair of road games against the Predators. It’s possible the two teams could meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with the first game at PNC Arena, but first things first. The Canes want to win the Central Division.
Martin Necas gave the Canes a 1-0 lead with a short-handed breakaway in the first period, and on a weird play that ended the night for Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith.
Keith, at the left point, was trying to control the puck but stumbled and fell into the linesman near the blue line, his head hitting the linesman’s knee. Necas, ever speedy, took off with the loose puck and beat Delia with a backhander at 9:49 of the first.
It was his 14th goal of the season, It also was the second short-handed goal in as many games for Necas, who had a late empty-netter against Chicago on Tuesday in a 6-3 win.
Delia and Mrazek then matched saves into the third period. One of Mrazek’s biggest stops came just as the second period was about to end when he stopped Patrick Kane on a partial breakaway.
DeBrincat had a breakaway earlier in the second but couldn’t control the puck and didn’t get much on his shot.
The Canes had their chances to add to the 1-0 lead in the third. Steven Lorentz was wide on a shot with an open net, and Nino Niederreiter was denied his 21st goal by a scrambling Delia.
The misses were costly. Stillman, the son of former Canes forward Cory Stillman, then tied it.
Keith left the game and did not return for Chicago. Forward Brett Connolly was injured in the third after an open-ice collision with Lorentz.
