Canes top Rangers in a wild one, 8-5

It’s no secret why the New York Rangers have dominated the Carolina Hurricanes in recent years.

Goalie Henrik Lundqvist was in net for the Rangers nearly every time. That was that.

But Lundqvist took a break Sunday. Alexandar Georgiev was the Rangers’ starting goalie. And the Canes have a new look -- and aggressive outlook -- under head coach Rod Brind’Amour.

They also have a victory over the Rangers this season, winning 8-5 at PNC Arena in a game that was tough on Georgiev and Canes goalie Petr Mrazek but fun for all those watching.

Andrei Svechnikov had Canes fans roaring with his first NHL goal in the third period, redirecting a Justin Faulk shot. It pushed the Canes ahead 6-5, the rookie forward taking a joyful hop into the glass after what proved to be the winning goal.

Moments later, Warren Foegele scored his second of the game -- off Justin Williams’ third assist of the game -- for a 7-5 lead and a three-point night for Foegele. Teuvo Teravainen’s empty-netter finished it off.

After the game, the Canes players first saluted the crowd with their sticks held high, then sprinted down the ice together and hopped into the boards en masse.

The Canes (2-0-1) gave Brind’Amour his first win as head coach Friday, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road. Two days later, they may have given him a new few gray hairs in an up-and-down game that was sloppy at times but entertaining throughout.

Jordan Staal had a goal and two assists for the Canes, and Svechnikov and Jordan Martinook a goal and assist. Micheal Ferland scored in the final minute of the second, and goals by Martinook and Lucas Wallmark tied the score 5-5 in the third.

All but lost amid the offensive fireworks: rookie center Martin Necas also earned his first NHL point with an assist.

Chris Kreider and Jimmy Vesey each scored twice for the winless Rangers (0-3-0), and Kreider’s second made it a 5-4 game in the third. But Wallmark’s goal off the rush tied it 35 seconds later.

Ferland’s score for the Canes with 30.5 seconds left in the second period -- on a bullet from the point -- made it 4-4 entering the final period.

The Canes were playing their third game in four days and the start was not their best. Six minutes into the game, the Rangers led 2-0 after goals from Vesey and Kreider on New York’s first two shots. But the Canes began to skate, getting their legs churning, counterattacking.

Some hard work on the forecheck resulted in a Foegele goal and Martinook tied it 2-2 off a Williams pass.

Things were a little loo loose defensively for Carolina in the first, and again in parts of the second. Vesey’s second of the game, early in the second period, pushed the Rangers ahead 3-2.

Then, after a flurry of penalties on both teams, the Canes tied it on Jordan Staal’s goal. Canes defenseman Jaccob Slavin first saved a goal, going down to the ice to block a shot. Moments later, Foegele and Staal were rushing down the ice, Foegele pushing the puck ahead to Staal for the score.

A penalty against the Canes’ Calvin de Haan allowed the Rangers to take a 4-3 lead, Pavel Buchnevich scoring off a rebound on the power play. But Ferland tied it late in the second and the Canes killed off another de Haan penalty early in the third.

The Rangers had beaten Carolina in 25 of the last 29 games before Sunday. The Metropolitan Division series has been that lopsided, whether at PNC Arena or Madison Square Garden. Things changed Sunday.

This story was originally published October 7, 2018 at 7:46 PM.