Andrei Svechnikov scores 3 times as Carolina Hurricanes beat Montreal Canadiens 5-3

Dec 28, 2023 | 10:55 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov scored three times and Jesper Fast had two goals, helping Antti Raanta and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 on Thursday night.

Svechnikov got his fourth goal of the season 1:35 into the first period. He snapped a tie with 6:09 left in the third, and then secured his third career hat trick with an empty-netter with 18.9 seconds to play.

Sebastian Aho had four assists for Carolina, and Brent Burns added three assists. The Hurricanes were coming off a 5-2 win at Nashville on Wednesday night.

The 34-year-old Raanta made 18 saves in his first NHL game since Dec. 15. He was placed on waivers and completed an assignment in the American Hockey League before being recalled this week.

Mitchell Stephens, Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens, who were coming off a five-day holiday break. Cayden Primeau made 26 stops.

OILERS 5, SHARKS 0

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist in the first period, sending the Oilers to the victory.

Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for Edmonton in the opener of a three-game California trip. Stuart Skinner made 25 saves in his second shutout of the season and No. 4 for his career.

The Oilers improved to 11-3-0 in their last 14 games, rebounding from a rough start to the season.

San Jose dropped its seventh straight game. It’s the longest skid for the Sharks since they lost their first 11 games of the season.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, KINGS 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Logan Thompson made 32 saves, bouncing back from a shaky performance, and the Golden Knights stopped a four-game slide.

Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored for Vegas — all in the first two periods. The Golden Knights had dropped five of six overall.

Los Angeles had won four of five. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist for the Kings, and Trevor Moore also scored. Cam Talbot made 29 saves.

Thompson surrendered four goals on Anaheim’s first nine shots during a 5-2 loss at the Ducks on Wednesday night, but then stopped 14 of the next 15. He carried that play into the matchup with the Kings and got some help from his teammates, who blocked a season-high 34 shots.

FLYERS 4, CANUCKS 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Egor Zamula, Sean Walker and Joel Farabee scored in the second period, leading the Flyers to the win.

Farabee also had an assist and Garnet Hathaway scored in the third for Philadelphia, which had dropped two in a row.

Samuel Ersson stopped 18 of 19 shots for the Flyers. Carter Hart replaced Ersson in the third period and was perfect in facing eight shots.

Vancouver dropped to 7-1-2 in its last 10 games. Teddy Blueger scored for the Canucks, and Casey DeSmith stopped 21 shots in his sixth career start against the Flyers.

___

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

The Associated Press