In Raleigh, Frederik Andersen made 29 saves, and the Hurricanes downed the Minnesota Wild, 5-2.
“That was his best game, maybe, that he’s played for us,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We were giving up too many good ones. Timely saves are so important. He looked really good in there.”
The Canes improved to 28-9-8.
The Wild took seven minor penalties in the game, they managed to kill off five of them.
“It put us on our heels,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “Then we still get through it and still played well, but [the penalties] kept coming. Obviously, they get enough looks and they’re going to score some goals.”
Kirill Kaprizov gave the Wild a 1-0 lead in the second period on his 100th career NHL goal.
“I think 5-on-5 we were actually pretty good,” Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek said. “For us to get the lead, then they have to chase a little bit.”
The Canes scored three straight in the second period to take a 3-1 lead into the third period.
Brent Burns got the Canes even ahead of the midway point of the frame, 1-1.
Brady Skjei put Carolina up, 2-1 at 13:33 off the power play.
“That’s a goal I’ve been shooting for a little bit here,” Skjei said of reaching double digits. “Nice to hit that. I just want to keep moving forward, keep shooting the puck.”
Teuvo Teravainen hit for a shorthanded goal for a 3-1 lead to the Canes.
“Obviously, you don’t want to let in goals short-handed [but] that happens sometimes,” the Wild’s Mats Zuccarello said. “We’re out there, we’re not happy about it. They score goals and we don’t. You lose games like that.”
The Canes extended the leak to 4-1 in the third on a goal from Jalen Chatfield.
“I think I’ve always been pretty comfortable in the system,” Chatfield said. “I think a lot of it just has to do with just good plays by the team honestly, and us playing the right way.”
Martin Necas pushed the lead to 5-1 on the power play at 5:27.
Matt Boldy scored for the Wild late in the third for the 5-2 final.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves in the loss.
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