Teravainen scores in OT to give Canes 3-2 win over Bruins

Moments after scoring an overtime winner Friday against the Boston Bruins, a smiling Teuvo Teravainen joked about putting the puck in the right net and said the Carolina Hurricanes could happily disperse for the Christmas break.

“Get some rest and be with families, which is nice,” he said.

With Teravainen’s family in Finland, he said he would join Sebastian Aho, a fellow Finn, and some friends for some down time.

About 70 seconds into the overtime, Aho could have had the winner. With a good look, the forward missed the net.

But Teravainen didn’t miss. Bolting down the slot, he used the Bruins’ Ryan Spooner as a screen and sniped a shot past goalie Anton Khudobin at 3:01 for a 3-2 comeback victory.

The goal offered a little redemption for Teravainen. In the Dec. 1 game in Boston, the Bruins pulled Khudobin for a sixth attacker late in regulation and Teravainen inadvertently kicked the puck past goalie Cam Ward during a scrum in front of the crease to tie the score. Boston won a shootout 2-1.

“Last time it went in our net. This time in their net,” Teravainen said with another smile. “I liked it a lot better this time, in their net.”

While Teravainen’s ninth goal of the season was the winner, Jordan Staal had a pivotal one. His shorthanded goal, on a breakaway midway through the second period, came with the Bruins leading 2-0 and controlling the pace of play.

“It gave us a spark,” Canes coach Bill Peters said. “You’re looking for something. It was a huge moment in the game, for sure.”

The Bruins, one of the NHL’s best road teams this season, were coming off a 3-1 road win Thursday over the Florida Panthers. They also had aa 15-0-0 record when leading after two periods.

But don’t underestimate the Canes on home ice. Carolina rallied in the third, tying the score at 6:48 on Justin Faulk’s bullet of a shot from the right wing — the defenseman’s fourth in his last five games.

Faulk’s score came after Staal won a faceoff against David Krejci in the offensive zone. Elias Lindholm, who had two assists, found Faulk open in the right circle.

Ward, like the rest of the Canes, had gotten stronger as the game wore on. The Bruins’ first goal was fluky, the puck glancing off the skate of Spooner. The second came on a power play, when Brad Marchand tipped the puck through Ward’s pads.

After facing 29 shots in the first two periods, Ward saw just four in the third and none in overtime. Of the Canes’ 23 shots, 10 came in a strong third.

“We scratched and clawed. It wasn’t pretty,” Ward said.

The Bruins (18-14-4) killed off two penalties in the third, but the Canes gathered some momentum from their power plays.

Carolina goes into the Christmas break with a three-game winning streak. The Canes also are 9-0-1 at home in their past 10 games at PNC Arena, picking up necessary points.

It was an unusual if rewarding week. Monday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings was postponed because of poor ice conditions at PNC Arena. The Canes (15-11-7) went on the road and beat Buffalo on Thursday, then came back to rally and beat the Bruins. In overtime.

The guy nicknamed “Turbo” won it. This time, with a goal in the right net.

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 10:19 PM with the headline "Teravainen scores in OT to give Canes 3-2 win over Bruins."