RALEIGH, N.C. _ Sebastian Aho is still scoring goals for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Fresh off his first career hat trick, Aho scored the winning goal Friday as the Canes topped the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1, at PNC Arena.
Aho ripped a shot from the right circle, off a Justin Faulk pass, at 1:48 of the third period. It was the rookie's 16th goal of what's becoming an impressive first season in the NHL for the Finnish forward.
Aho scored three times, and had hats flying at PNC Arena, on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers and now has six goals in his past seven games.
Goalie Cam Ward had 24 saves for the Canes, making some of his best stops in the third period as the Oilers pressed and then pulled goalie Cam Talbot for an extra attacker in the final two minutes.
Jordan Staal scored for the Canes in the first period and Connor McDavid for the Oilers in the second to tie it 1-1.
Staal and Sebastian Aho botched a two-on-none rush earlier in the first period, overpassing and allowing Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson to get back and break up the play. But they made the most of a second opportunity.
Elias Lindholm first knocked the Oilers' Jordan Eberle off the puck in the Edmonton zone and chipped a pass off the right wall to Aho in transition. Aho made a quick cross-ice pass to defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who then got the puck to Lindholm down low.
Lindholm found Staal open in the low slot and Staal buried the shot for his 11th of the season.
McDavid, who leads the NHL in points and assists, showed up his speed much of the game and was dangerous on most shifts. But his second-period goal came after a fortunate break _ of his stick.
McDavid skated to the Edmonton bench for a new stick as the play moved down ice. When the Oilers got the puck, McDavid was open at the Carolina blue line and soon breaking in on Ward.
Keeping Lindholm on his hip, McDavid beat Ward with a backhander for his 18th goal of the season.
Savin and defensive partner Brett Pesce were effective against McDavid's line during the game, and Staal often had the matchup at center.
The Oilers lost defenseman Matt Benning in the first period after an awkward collision with the Cane's Viktor Stalberg behind the Edmonton net. Benning went head-first into Stalberg's chest and was down on the ice for several moments, and bleeding, before being helped to the Oilers' locker room for treatment.
Canes coach Bill Peters said the starting goalie would be a gametime decision but Ward was in net. Ward was hit by a puck before the start of Friday's morning skate and appeared to have a sore right hand, but made his 43rd start of the season.
Goalie Eddie Lack may make his first start since Nov. 6 on Saturday as the Canes face the Islanders in Brooklyn. Lack missed 26 of 30 games as he recovered from a concussion but had two sharp performances last weekend with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL on a a conditioning stint.
The Oilers had dropped their past two games after a 7-0-1 run. Edmonton was beaten 2-0 by the Nashville Predators on Thursday, but the Oilers had plenty of jump in the second of a back-to-back.
The Canes play their next three games on the road _ against the New York Islanders, Washington and Dallas _ before their NHL mandated five-day break.
