Alexander Nikishin scored at 0:41 of overtime Friday night and the visiting Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3.
Jordan Staal, Eric Robinson and K’Andre Miller also scored for the Hurricanes (44-19-6, 94 points), who have won two in a row. Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho added two assists each. Brandon Bussi stopped 23 shots.
Dakota Joshua, John Tavares and William Nylander scored for the Maple Leafs (29-28-13, 71 points), who have lost two straight. Matias Maccelli added two assists and Joseph Woll made 32 saves.
Nylander scored 13:50 into the third period to force overtime before Nikishin settled it with a 35-foot wrist shot.
Joshua scored at 11:48 of the first period, converting a big rebound into a gaping net. Maccelli set up the play when he carried the puck over the blue line and slipped a backhand pass to Bo Groulx, who shot from the left circle. Bussi had trouble controlling the rebound, a problem he had as the game progressed.
The Hurricanes had the better of the play in the second period.
Staal tipped in Jarvis’ one-timer at 5:57 at the end of a four-minute power play. The Maple Leafs nearly killed off the high-sticking double minor assessed to Brandon Carlo at 1:57.
Robinson scored on a penalty shot with a wrister to the glove side at 12:35 of the second. The shot was awarded after Troy Stecher hooked Robinson after he broke into the clear.
Tavares tied the game on a wraparound and a shot through the five hole at 13:47.
Miller flicked in a backhand shot to finish a breakaway to score a short-handed goal at 17:40 of the second. It came less than a minute after Aho nearly scored short-handed on a tipped shot.
The Hurricanes controlled the puck early in the third period but Woll was solid. On one occasion, the puck slid along the goal line but did not cross it.
Nylander tied the game from the edge of the crease after driving to the net.
Carolina’s Jackson Blake hit the post with a shot at 18:12 of the third.
–Field Level Media
