Martinook breaks tie late in 3rd, Hurricanes top Flyers 3-1

RALEIGH, N.C. -- — Jordan Martinook broke a tie with 3:50 remaining, his first goal in 17 games, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 on Saturday.

Martinook’s third goal of the season — with his wife and 3-year-old son in attendance — came on a redirection of Vincent Trocheck’s shot as a long shift was winding down.

“It’s nice to score when he’s here,” Martinook said. “He has been asking for a goal the last month and I haven’t been getting him one.”

Steven Lorentz scored first for Carolina, which has earned at least one point in 13 consecutive home games — the second-longest stretch in franchise history. Sebastian Aho added an empty-netter with 20.9 seconds left.

Frederik Andersen made 28 saves in his first game since March 3 after dealing with concerns about a potential concussion, and the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes defeated the last-place Flyers.

Carolina has won seven straight at home, where it is 23-4-2 this season.

“That crowd helps,” Martinook said. “We’re feeling it. The emotion that they bring translates into what we bring.”

Derick Brassard scored his 200th NHL goal in the second period for the Flyers, whose road losing streak reached 11 games (0-9-2). Martin Jones stopped 33 shots.

“I thought we gave ourselves a chance to win and just couldn’t finish it,” Flyers interim coach Mike Yeo said. “You have to really embrace playing in hard hockey games and I thought for the most part we did that.”

Lorentz had gone 21 games without scoring before converting at 8:34 of the second.

Brassard’s tying goal at 16:50 of the middle period came when Andersen failed to control the puck on an initial shot.

That was the first goal allowed by the Hurricanes in more than 128 minutes dating to last Sunday’s second period against Seattle. Carolina shut out Colorado on Thursday night.

Andersen earned his 30th win of the season, with his second in three outings against the Flyers. He said he was careful not to rush back after symptoms that might have suggested a concussion.

“We wanted to rule it out and make sure I didn’t go into and get another hit too early,” Andersen said. “There’s just a big relief.”

STEPAN UP

With rookie Seth Jarvis out of the Carolina lineup after sustaining an unspecified injury two nights earlier, center Derek Stepan played for just the third time in the last 12 games. It was his 800th NHL game.

“He has been a pro every step of the way,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I’ve never seen anyone handle it better.”

Stepan got his 500th career point with an assist on the game’s first goal. He delivered a pass to Lorentz from behind the net.

“It’s funny how the game works, the stars align,” Stepan said of reaching multiple milestones in the same game. “It’s a special night. It’s something that not many people get the opportunity (to do). I’ve been fortunate enough to have that. It keeps adding on to the things I’ve been lucky to come across.”

Lorentz retrieved the puck for his linemate’s milestone point.

FOILED IN THE FIRST

It was the third consecutive Carolina game in which there was no first-period scoring for either team.

The Hurricanes have gone five games in a row without a goal in the first period. Still, they’ve outscored their opponents by a combined 54-38 in opening periods this season.

LAUGHTON OUT

Flyers center Morgan Frost appeared in his first game this month, with Scott Laughton out since suffering a head injury in the second period Thursday night at Florida.

Laughton has played 428 NHL games and set a career high for ice time (21 minutes, 23 seconds) in last month’s overtime loss to Carolina.

Yeo said Frost, a 2017 first-round draft pick appearing in his 53rd NHL game, was solid for the first two periods. He was recalled from the American Hockey League.

“I thought he was real assertive, aggressive,” Yeo said. “For him, I think the lesson is that he’s capable of doing it.”

UP NEXT

Flyers: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

Hurricanes: At the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.

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