Aho lead Hurricanes over Rangers
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sebastian Aho scored a pair of third-period, power-play goals as the Carolina Hurricanes overcame the New York Rangers for a 4-3 victory Thursday night at PNC Arena.
Jeff Skinner and Valentin Zykov, who was making his NHL debut, also scored for Carolina, which won for only the second time in the last seven games (2-3-2).
Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward made a season-high 40 saves for his first victory in more than month.
Mika Zibanejad scored twice for the Rangers, who also received a goal from Chris Kreider. Derek Stepan was credited with two New York assists.
Antti Raanta stopped 26 saves for the Rangers, who won three of their previous four games.
After only four shots in the second period, the Hurricanes took advantage of New York penalties in the third period. Aho's goal with 10:56 remaining pulled the Hurricanes even. He struck again with 7:32 remaining.
Those were the rookie's first goals on home ice in the past seven outings.
The Rangers scored three power-play goals for a 3-2 lead through two periods.
Carolina entered the game ranking third in the NHL in penalty-killing. They had given up more than one power-play goal twice this season, but never allowed three in a game.
With the Rangers on a 5-on-3 advantage, Kreider delivered after receiving a pass from Stepan, who was behind the net. Of Kreider's 26 goals, a team-high six are on the power play.
The Hurricanes went ahead in the first period by scoring twice in a 29-second span, first with Skinner notching his team-leading 21st goal.
Zykov's first NHL shot resulted in a goal. He fought off a pair of Rangers to slide the back-handed shot past goaltender Antti Raanta.
On the Rangers' first second-period power play, they pulled even when Zibanejad converted on a rebound. He became the Rangers' 10th player to reach the 10-goal mark this season, but there was more.
New York's third power play of the period resulted in Zibanejad's unassisted, go-ahead goal with 3:18 to play in the period.
NOTES: Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist was scratched with a lower-body ailment after playing in five of the past six games, including Tuesday night's victory at Florida. G Brandon Halverson arrived from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL on an emergency basis. ... LW Valentin Zykow made his NHL debut for the Hurricanes, scoring in the first period. The 21-year-old was called up from Charlotte of the American Hockey League after compiling 30 points in 55 games for the Checkers. ... The Rangers complete a four-game road stretch Sunday at Detroit. ... For Carolina, this began a stretch of five home games in a six-game stretch, with Toronto visiting Saturday night.