UNDATED (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes top the NHL’s Metropolitan Division following a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Third-period goals by Jesper Fast and Sebastian Aho allowed the Canes to move two points ahead of the Penguins. Fast scored the go-ahead goal nine seconds into the third period and Aho provided the eventual game-winner.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal also scored in the Hurricanes’ first meeting with the Pens this season.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust scored for the eighth time in as many games. Sidney Crosby notched his 501st career goal and Evan Rodriguez tallied with 1:12 remaining.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— The Panthers have completed a 4-1 road trip with a 5-2 downing of the Blackhawks. Aleksander Barkov had a goal and two assists in Florida’s third straight win and seventh in eight games. Jonathan Huberdeau set up two goals to increase his league-leading assist total to 53 and extend his points streak to seven games.
— Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves and almost scored into an empty net before the Rangers completed a 2-1 win over the Senators. Shesterkin blanked Ottawa after Tim Stutzle beat him about four minutes into the game. Ryan Strome tied it with a goal off a rebound and Artemi Panarin put the Rangers ahead in the second period.
— Kevin Fiala had two goals and an assist as the Wild ended the Oilers’ five-game winning streak, 7-3. Brandon Duhaime, Joel Eriksson Ek, Connor Dewar, Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello also scored to help the Wild snap a two-game losing skid. Kaapo Kahkonen had 30 saves.
— The Golden Knights were 4-1 winners at San Jose as Jack Eichel scored his first goal since joining Vegas. Eichel’s goal came in his third game back from artificial disk replacement surgery on his neck in November. Knights netminder Logan Thompson stopped 35 shots in his second career start.
— Dean Kukan had two goals and an assist to support Jean-Francois Berube as the Blue Jackets hammered the Sabres, 7-3. Berube stopped 33 shots in his first NHL start in nearly four years. Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist in the Jackets’ seventh win in nine games.
— The Coyotes stopped Dallas’ six-game road winning streak with a 3-1 victory over the Stars. Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller each had a goal and an assist in support of Scott Wedgewood, who made 32 saves. Schmaltz scored on a power play to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead late in the second period.
— Andrew Hammond made 30 saves and stopped two of three shootout attempts, leading the Canadiens to a 3-2 win against the Islanders. It was Hammond’s first regular-season start since March 2018, and first NHL regular-season win since April 2016. Cole Caufield and Rem Pitlick scored in the shootout and Montreal won its second straight since a 10-game losing streak.
