A hockey game can change quickly, in a blink of an eye. Or a thrown elbow.
It did for the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators at PNC Arena. The Canes rallied in the second period to score twice and tie the score, then won 3-2 in overtime on Jordan Staal’s power move and heavy shot with 34.9 seconds remaining.
Staal started the rally and ended the game as the Canes (18-6-1) won for the sixth straight game. He collected the puck along the wall in the Canes zone, skated up the left wing and would not be denied in beating goalie Pekka Rinne.
The Preds’ Victor Arvidsson had an open net in overtime but missed on a backhand. Another shot by Nashville (10-11-1) hit the post.
The Canes trailed 2-0 in the second period before Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro smashed forward Brock McGinn into glass, getting his elbow high — an ugly, nasty hit that might draw another look from the NHL.
That’s all it took to swing the momentum. Staal scored for the Canes on a power play, firing off a fist after the goal. Sebastian Aho, who set up Staal’s score, soon added a 5-on-3 power-play goal for a 2-2 tie. Everything changed.
Aho’s goal came with one second left in the two-man advantage. The Canes still had four minutes of power-play time remaining from a Mathieu Olivier high-stick of the Canes’ Nino Niederreiter, who had been cut and bloodied.
Andrei Svehcnikov stalled the Canes’ momentum. Losing control of the puck after a pass, the forward was called for holding Calle Jarnkrok, taking away the Canes’ 5-on-4 advantage.
While the Canes scored twice on the power play, Carolina’s penalty killing prevented a Predators score. The Canes were 5-for-5 on the kill.
Canes goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was beaten on a point shot by defenseman Matt Benning early in the second period and then on a deflection by Ryan Johansen later in the period.
Earlier in the second, Svechnikov was shaken up after a collision with Filip Forsberg. Svechnikov briefly left the bench. Later McGinn and then Niederreiter were taken back to the locker room.
The Canes had a power play six minutes into the period and put some shots at the net and some bodies in front of it. Staal, in front, had some good looks. Later, he found the net.
