South Raleigh News

The Carolina Hurricanes rallied in the third period to level the score against the Anaheim Ducks, but ultimately fell 3-2 in overtime at Lenovo Center on Sunday. Despite a strong performance and a shot advantage early on, the Hurricanes were unable to secure a win.

The Ducks took an early lead with a goal midway through the first period. Although both teams had power-play opportunities in the second period, neither managed to score. The Ducks extended their lead just over a minute into the third period before Sebastian Aho's disallowed goal for goaltender interference. However, Aho quickly assisted Andrei Svechnikov for Carolina's first legitimate goal.

With less than a minute remaining, Seth Jarvis tied the game for Carolina after receiving a pass from Martin Necas. In overtime, Cutter Gauthier scored his second goal of the night for Anaheim, securing their victory.

Pyotr Kochetkov made 17 saves on 20 shots for Carolina. The Hurricanes have struggled to score first since Thanksgiving, managing it only seven times in their last 22 games.

Andrei Svechnikov continued his point streak with his third-period goal and now has five consecutive games with points. His tally of 15 goals ties him with Martin Necas as second-highest on the team behind Jack Roslovic's 17 goals.

Martin Necas recorded two assists in this game, marking his first multi-point performance since December 5th. Shayne Gostisbehere returned from injury and contributed three shots during his time on ice.

Eric Staal was honored before the game in a ceremony celebrating his contributions to the team. "I didn’t really know what to expect," he said about being honored individually despite hockey being such a team sport.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour noted that while they started sluggishly, he appreciated how they fought back: "It wasn't great... We got better as it went on." Jordan Staal echoed these sentiments: "We definitely gave ourselves enough chances to win."

Jaccob Slavin added that although they had opportunities to score, they couldn't capitalize enough: "Their goalie made some big saves... We just have to score a little bit more."

Carolina will next face Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Wednesday night after taking Monday off from practice.