Slavin scores in OT, streaking Hurricanes beat Penguins 4-3

PITTSBURGH -- — Jaccob Slavin scored 23 seconds into overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

Carolina won its seventh straight game and has points in 13 consecutive contests to match the franchise record.

“We’ve been resilient, for sure,” captain Jordan Staal said. “A lot of the guys have stepped up and played some great hockey in big minutes and big roles. We’ve been staying with it and trusting our game.”

In overtime, Brent Burns started a pretty passing sequence with his 800th NHL point and Slavin ended the play when he beat goalie Tristan Jarry at the top of the crease. Burns is the 18th defenseman in NHL history with 800 points.

“Hockey is weird,” Burns said. “You keep grinding every day, you enjoy it for a couple minutes and then push for the next thing.”

Martin Necas scored his 14th goal, Staal his 10th and Jalen Chatfield added his first NHL goal for the red-hot Hurricanes. Antti Raanta stopped 24 shots for Carolina, which has points in 18 of its last 20 games overall. The Hurricanes, who also have an 11-game road points streak, haven’t lost in regulation since Nov. 23 against Arizona at home.

Sidney Crosby scored his 19th goal, Bryan Rust his ninth and Brock McGinn added a short-handed goal for the Penguins. They lost to the Hurricanes for the second time in five days.

Pittsburgh has lost to the Hurricanes three times in the last three weeks, all by one goal. But the Penguins still have points in 18 of their last 21 games overall.

Jarry made 32 saves. He has points in 14 consecutive games, which is tied with Marc-Andre Fleury for the second-longest streak in team history.

“We’ve won a lot of games, but our expectations are high and I think there’s another level to this group,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’re in the mix, but there’s a lot of hockey left and we have to push to get to that next level.”

Carolina rallied from a third-period deficit to continue its streak.

Rust gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead at 12:55 of the third period. He worked around Jordan Martinook, cut in front of the crease and tucked the puck inside the post. But Staal tied the game, 3-3, with a wraparound at 15:34. Staal scored the winner against Pittsburgh on Dec. 18.

Staal played 431 games and won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh. He tied Rod Brind’Amour for fifth-most games played in Carolina history and equaled Blaine Stoughton for ninth in points with the goal, his third in as many games.

“I was behind the net, and I wasn’t sure where the goalie was at the time, but I knew he’d have trouble getting back,” Staal said. “I just kind of got it to the net as quick as I could.”

The teams scored three goals during a 32-second span in the first period.

Crosby opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 17:28 and Necas tied the game 15 seconds later. Chatfield gave Carolina a 2-1 lead two minutes left when he beat Jarry to the glove-hand side with a shot from the point. Jesperi Kotkaniemi assisted on the goal for his 100th NHL point.

The Penguins scored a power-play goal for the 10th straight game, their longest streak since a 12-game run in 2013. Pittsburgh has 14 power-play goals in the last 10 games.

Pittsburgh tied it with a short-handed goal in the final minute of the second period. McGinn converted Teddy Blueger’s rebound for his 10th of the season and second goal this week against his former team.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: Begin a three-game homestand Friday night against Philadelphia.

Penguins: Host the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

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