Jaccob Slavin scored 1:13 into overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the visiting Boston Bruins 6-5 to clinch the Metropolitan Division on Tuesday night at Raleigh, N.C.
Logan Stankoven, William Carrier and Taylor Hall scored within a 3 1/2-minute stretch in the second period and teammates Andrei Svechnikov and K’Andre Miller scored earlier for the Hurricanes (50-22-6, 106 points). Jackson Blake and Sean Walker both had two assists and Brandon Bussi made 16 saves.
By reaching overtime, the Hurricanes wrapped up the division in their home finale. They have four games remaining.
Boston’s Morgan Geekie had a hat trick, while Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist. Zacha’s goal tied the game with 7:27 left in regulation. The Bruins (43-26-10, 96 points), though, were unable to capitalize on a late power play. Carolina outshot Boston 1-4 in the third period. Viktor Arvidsson, Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Nikita Zadorov all assisted on two goals.
Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves on 23 shots before he was pulled before the midway mark of the second period. Joonas Korpisalo made 16 saves the rest of the way, but Boston completed a 0-2-2 road trip.
Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho both assisted on the winning goal.
Geekie scored twice in a four-minute stretch late in the first period against one of his former teams. His third goal came with 1:10 to play in the second period, pulling the Bruins to within 5-4 and pushing his career-high goals total to 37.
The teams combined for five goals in the first period.
Hampus Lindholm opened the scoring 4:40 into the game. Svechnikov and Miller catapulted the Hurricanes into the lead with their goals 94 seconds apart.
Stankoven’s power-play goal pulled the Hurricanes even 5:17 into the second period.
Carolina captain Jordan Staal was back in action after missing Sunday’s loss at Ottawa for an undisclosed reason.
–Field Level Media
