Hurricanes claim first win in home opener since 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. – Jeff Skinner scored twice, the Carolina Hurricanes didn't allow a third-period goal and they won their home opener by defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 on Friday night at PNC Arena.
Left winger Bryan Bickell scored the go-ahead goal with less than a second remaining in the second period. Skinner had an assist on the play and finished with three points.
The Hurricanes (2-3-2) hadn't won a home opener since 2008.
Right winger Mats Zuccarello scored both goals for the Rangers (5-3-0), who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Carolina goalie Cam Ward stopped 28 shots, including seven in the third period.
Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist made 18 saves but suffered a rare loss to Carolina. He's 23-11-1 all time against the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes led 3-2 entering the third period, going ahead on Bickell's first goal with the team on a power play with 0.8 of a second remaining in the second period. That came following New York's first penalty of the game.
Skinner had his second goal just 33 seconds into the second period, going in strong toward the net and converting a backhand shot.
Zuccarello's second goal came at 12:17 of the second period to tie the score at 2.
The Rangers outshot the Panthers 23-14 through two periods.
New York scored on Zuccarello's third goal of the season just 8:31 into the game. His wrister came as a pile developed in the crease, a scoring play that was confirmed after extensive video review.
Right winger Pavel Buchnevich, who was back after a five-game absence with an injury, picked up an assist on the first goal.
The Hurricanes managed only one shot on goal in the first 10 minutes
Skinner, who sat out Tuesday's game against the Red Wings in Detroit with an undisclosed injury, skated from the right side and found an opening before reaching the slot for his third goal of the season.
Center Victor Rask's assisted on Skinner's first goal, giving him at least one point in all seven games. That matched streak Keith Primeau's seven-game stretch in 1998 as the longest points streak to open a season with the Hurricanes.
This was the Hurricanes' 19th home opener in North Carolina after the franchise relocated from Hartford, Conn., where it played its first 18 seasons.
NOTES: The Rangers put D Dylan McIlrath on waivers as he was considered their eighth defenseman. He passed through and was assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. ... Rangers LW Josh Jooris missed the first game of what's expected to be up to a month-long absence with a shoulder injury. ... RW Pavel Buchnevich was back in the lineup for New York after a five-game absence with back spasms. ... LW Jeff Skinner returned to the Carolina lineup after missing a game with what was described as a middle-body injury. ... Six Carolina players appeared in their first Raleigh home game. ... This was the first of four meetings between the teams. ... The Rangers have a home game Sunday against Tampa Bay. The Hurricanes next play Sunday at home against the Philadelphia Flyers.