The Carolina Hurricanes (11.8) extended their winning streak to 10-4-0, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 6-3 at their home arena, Lenovo Center, on Saturday night. This victory gives the Hurricanes their third straight win and maintains their home dominance (5-1).
The Carolinas' offense once again showcased its "all-around" approach – six different players scored and 11 others added points.
While Buffalo tied the game before the end of the first period, the second period became the Hurricanes' domain. Svechnikov capitalized on a power play opportunity to score, making it 2-1.
With frequent injuries to their defense, rookie defenseman Nystrom was forced to shoulder more pressure during the ice, but his performance was commendable.
The Decisive Moment
Just 29 seconds into the third period, Eric Robinson scored a crucial goal, extending the lead to 4-1. Although Buffalo subsequently narrowed the gap to one point with two goals from Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson, the Hurricanes locked down their defense in the final stages and sealed the victory with two open nets.
Seth Jarvis scored the first open net goal of the game, his ninth of the season; while Charles-Alexis Legault became the focus of the game with a long-range shot from his own half, scoring his first NHL goal.
Shots: Hurricanes 35 – Sabres 22
Aho: 6 shots, most in the game
Alexander Nikishin: 21 minutes 39 seconds on the ice, 4 collisions, +2 plus/minus
The team leads the league in plus/minus this season (+13)
With a consistent balance on offense and defense and deep roster, the Hurricanes continue their strong performance in the Eastern Conference. Next, they will travel to Toronto to challenge the resurgent Maple Leafs.
