It’s hard holding back the Carolina Hurricanes.
Even when they’re not always at their best, they’ve often found ways to win this season and did it again Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Andrei Svechnikov and Nino Niederreiter each scored twice as the Canes shook off an awful first period with some determined play over the final 40 minutes to come away with a 6-3 victory at PNC Arena.
Niederreiter scored his 19th of the season to jump-start the Canes in the second period and closed out the scoring with an empty netter late. Teuvo Teravainen and Martin Necas had goals in the third period, Necas scoring into an empty net for a shorthanded score.
That offset two goals by Chicago’s Alex DeBrincat, the first shorthanded in the first period, when the Blackhawks led 2-0.
The Canes (36-10-7), who added to their lead in the Central Division, clinched home-ice advantage for at least the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. With points in 12 straight games, Carolina has 79 points.
Goalie Petr Mrazek, making his first start since April 19, allowed a goal on the shorthanded breakaway by DeBrincat and a rebound goal by Mike Hardman in the first. He steadied, as did the Canes, after the first and made a game-changing save in the second.
Trailing 2-1, the Canes had 1:26 of a 5-on-3 advantage but overpassed the puck and couldn’t score. The Blackhawks not only killed off both penalties but had another shorthanded breakaway, by Pius Suter.
But Mrazek made the stop on Suter’s shot. Then Svechnikov scored his first goal, tying the score. After Teravainen won a draw in the Chicago zone, Svechnikov took a pass from Jaccob Slavin and buried a long shot.
Svechnikov’s second goal was all power. After a nice defensive play by Slavin, Svechnikov bulled past defenseman Ian Mitchell and beat goalie Collin Delia with a backhander as Mitchell was hooking him.
After Teravainen made it 4-2, DeBrincat’s second goal, his 28th, pulled the Blackhawks within 4-3 with 8:08 left in regulation.
The Blackhawks had a chance to tie after a late penalty on Staal. But Necas scored with an empty net, shorthanded, and Niederreiter added another.
The Canes and Blackhawks finish off the season series Thursday.
