Aho hat trick leads Canes over Isles, 5-2

In Elmont, Sebastian Aho scored a natural hat trick over the second and third period on Saturday to lad the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders.

Carolina improved to 29-9-8.

“The group, they do their job,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “They come and they work hard regardless of who’s in the lineup. We’ve had a lot of guys miss [time], big players miss various [games], and they just keep playing the same way. Just proud of that. That’s something to hang your hat on for sure.”

Frederik Andersen made 25 saves in the Hurricanes win.

Carolina grabbed a 1-0 lead just 44 seconds into the game on a goal from Jordan Staal.

“We were smart with the puck and made the right plays,” Staal said. “We have trust in our game.”

Jesper Fast pushed the lead to 2-0 three minutes later.

After a timeout, the Isles replied with two goals to tie the game, 2-2.

Simon Holmstrom and Brock Nelson were the strikers.

“It’s a good job of responding,” Nelson said. “A huge goal by Simon, and then the difference is you’d like to follow it up and get the next one to get the lead and keep rolling with the momentum.

“They’re a tough team to play. Their ‘D’ are tight on [you]. There’s not a lot of space. … It’s just a tough game. It didn’t feel like we had a ton of looks to maybe get that one, and that’s the difference.”

The Islanders dropped to 23-20-5, New York has lost four straight and eight of nine.

“There’s a variation of different things you can look at,” New York coach Lane Lambert said when asked why the power play is struggling. “Clearly tonight we had trouble getting into the [offensive] zone, so execution. There isn’t one guy that doesn’t care, there isn’t one guy that isn’t putting in the effort. That’s all there. We just have to find a way to execute. There’s no question that it’s hurt us.”

Aho then went to work with a goal in the second to restore the lead, 3-2, and two in the third period for the 5-2 final.