RALEIGH, N.C. — Try as they might, the Nashville Predators have not been able to beat the Carolina Hurricanes this season.
The Canes topped the Predators for the sixth straight time Saturday, winning 3-1 at PNC Arena and keeping their lead in the Central Division.
Jani Hakanpaa, in his second game with the Canes, had the game-winning goal in the third period. Jaccob Slavin scored in the first period and Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net score late in the game. That was enough for goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who made some timely saves and hustling saves.
Hakanpaa, named the game’s first star, gave the Canes (29-10-4) a 2-1 lead at 8:55 of the third period as the big defenseman took a pass from Vincent Trocheck off a draw and fired a shot from the top of the slot.
It was the Canes’ second goal from the blue line, a rarity in a game this season. Slavin scored the game’s first goal late in the opening period with a shot from the slot.
The first period belonged to the Canes. They had 24 shots, nearly a full game’s worth, in the period and had the lead after Slavin’s second goal of the season.
The numbers in the first were staggering: the Canes had a 31-5 advantage in scoring chances, according to Naturalstattrick.com. They looked sharp on the power play. They kept the puck in the offensive zone much of the period, putting Saros under extreme pressure.
But the Predators (24-21-1) survived the first with minimal damage. They got stronger as the game moved on. They tied the score 1-1 on Josi’s goal from the top of the slot, after forcing a Canes turnover, and outshot the Canes in the period.
Hakanpaa came to the Canes in a trade Monday from Anaheim and has made a quick transition. In his first game against Nashville, his most memorable play was a big hit on the Preds’ Mikhail Granlund.
Hakanapaa had another big one Saturday, nearly sending Calle Jarnkrok flying into the Preds bench. He topped it with his first in 44 games this season.
The Canes closed out an eight-game homestand with a 5-2-1 record, and next will go on the road for six games — the first two at Tampa Bay.
