NEWARK, NJ (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov scored the shootout winner and Antti Raanta made 24 saves as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the New Jersey Devils 5-4 on Sunday for a franchise-best 11th straight win.
The Hurricanes are 15-0-2 in their last 17 games and haven’t lost since Dec. 6 when they fell 4-3 at Anaheim in overtime. Carolina’s previous defeat in regulation time was Nov. 23.
Raanta improved to 10-2-2 this season. The 33-year-old Finnish netminder had shutouts in his previous two games at home, 4-0 against Florida and 3-0 over Chicago.
Both goaltenders made sterling saves in overtime including New Jersey’s Mackenzie Blackwood denying Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin on a breakaway after the teams combined for five goals in a wild third period Carolina led 2-1 after the second. Blackwood made 43 saves.
RANGERS 5, PANTHERS 3
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Mika Zibanejad scored the first two goals and the New York Rangers snapped a two-game skid.
Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin also scored for New York. Jaroslav Halak finished with 32 saves for New York.
Nick Cousins, Sam Bennett and Eric Staal scored for the Florida Panthers, who have lost their last two games and eight of their last 11. Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves.
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