Skinner leads Hurricanes' late comeback vs. Jackets
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Noah Hanifin scored with 2:44 left in overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes rallied late to extend their franchise-record point streak to 13 gamers with a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Jeff Skinner scored his team-leading 32nd of the year with 4:20 left in regulation to send the game into the extra period. His centering pass deflected off the skate of defenseman Seth Jones and past Columbus goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who was just minutes from his second shutout in a month.
Skinner then helped set up the game-winner when he spun off a defender and the loose puck was picked up by Hanifin in the slot for his fourth of the season.
Carolina (35-27-14) finished March 10-2-5 for 25 points -- the second most in franchise history in a month -- and is now 9-0-4 over its past 13 games.
With one point, the Blue Jackets (49-19-8) gained ground on Washington for first overall in the Eastern Conference and the race for the Presidents' Trophy with six games remaining. Columbus trails the Capitals by four points and hosts Washington on Sunday.
Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson broke a scoreless game with 3:25 left in the second period when his shot from the left circle eluded Cam Ward's glove for the his fourth of the year. It was also Johnson's first goal against Carolina in 18 career games against a franchise that drafted him third overall in 2005.
Columbus, one of the best defensive teams in the league, has allowed just three goals in its last four games and a total of 15 during the team's recent nine-game stretch.
NOTES: Carolina logged a team-record 17 games in a span of 30 days in March. ... Hurricanes coach Bill Peters says backup G Eddie Lack (strained neck) hopes to begin skating this weekend. ... Columbus has now gone eight straight games without a power-play goal. ... Carolina received a scare when LW Jeff Skinner took a shot off his left heel and hobbled off near the end of the first period. But the team's leading scorer returned for the start of the second. ... C Sam Gagner's assist on the Johnson goal moved him within two points of 400 for his career.