Hurricanes edge Predators in shootout
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes were perfect in the shootout, with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen converting to defeat the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at PNC Arena.
Craig Smith had tied the game for Nashville with 8:45 remaining in the third period.
Carolina's Justin Williams scored on a third-period power play to put the Hurricanes ahead with 14:11 left.
The Hurricanes killed off an overtime power play for Nashville. Later, Carolina had the final 19.2 seconds of the extra session with a man advantage but didn't manage a shot.
Josh Jooris, who didn't play in the previous game, and Victor Rask also scored for Carolina, which had lost its two previous games. Rask assisted on Williams' goal for only his third assist of the season.
The Hurricanes were denied on their first power play of the third period before Williams cashed in the next time after a delay of game penalty on the Predators, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm also scored for Nashville. In the shootout, Kyle Turris and Filip Forsberg failed on their attempts.
Nashville's Juuse Saros, normally the backup goalie, stopped 33 shots.
Hurricanes goalie Scott Darling made 32 saves.
Jooris opened the scoring in the first period by breaking free of the Nashville defense, with his shot partially blocked by Saros before it trickled across the line.
Later in the period, Arvidsson answered with a nifty move around Carolina defenseman Noah Hanifin for a shot to beat Darling.
Nashville scored on its only power-play chance in regulation, with Ekholm's shot going off Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce's stick.
Rask, back on the ice for the second game following a two-game benching, converted on a net-side rebound. He didn't have a point in his previous eight games.
Ekholm has three multi-point outings in the last seven games.
NOTES: G Juuse Saros played for the Predators for the first time since Nov. 4. ... Viktor Arvidsson, who tallied Nashville's first goal Sunday, had his first career goal against Carolina (coming on Oct. 8, 2015). ... C Frederick Gaudreau was in the Nashville lineup for the second time in three games since a recall from the minor leagues. RW Miikka Salomaki was scratched for the first time since Nov. 3. ... Fathers of Predators players were on this trip. ... Nashville begins a four-game homestand Tuesday night against Chicago. ... The Hurricanes play their next two games on the road, beginning Tuesday night at Columbus.