Canucks edge Hurricanes, 3-2 Lindholm hits for double off the power play in debut for Canucks

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In Raleigh, the Hurricanes were looking to keep pace with the New York Rangers at the top of the Metropolitan division when they hosted the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

J.T. Miller snapped a 2-2 tie with four minutes gone in the third period to help send the Canucks to a 3-2 win over the Canes.

Thatcher Demko made 22 saves in the win.

The Canucks improved to 34-11-5.

“I’m really happy. I thought we had an excellent first, and then we grinded it out at the end,” Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. “I thought we played a really good hockey game. Carolina, they were pushing at the end. Two good hockey teams.”

Elias Lindholm made his debut with the Canucks count as hit for a double with both strikes coming off the power play.

“It’s always nice to score and help the team,” Lindholm said. “Obviously, I’m happy to be here and be part of this team.

“There was a lot of information, a lot of new stuff in my head, but I just tried to play my game, work hard and keep it simple.”

Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the opening stanza on a shorthanded marker from Jordan Martinook  at 4:23.

“They were the better team for the first period,” Martinook said. “It’s two good teams going at each other, but they were playing the style we want to play the first two periods. You’ve got to give some credit to that team. They came out and they knew what they wanted to do, and they were doing it, it felt like, every shift.”

Lindholm hit for his first at 17:23 to send the game to the middle frame tied, 1-1.

“I think I was kind of lucky,” Lindholm said. “I haven’t had too many tip goals this year. I think it was a lucky touch honestly. Hughes up top there moves pretty well and has a nice shot.”

The Hurricanes dropped to 28-16-5.

“It was what I was afraid might happen,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We were terrible to start, they were good. We got a little better. I could tell we were going to get to it. We probably deserved better in the third, just didn’t happen.”

In the middle frame, Lindholm potted his second of the night at 16:30 to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead.

Both of Lindolm’s goals came off tip ins of a Quinn Hughes shot from the point.

“If I shoot down 50 pucks, he’d probably tip 49 of them,” Hughes said. “I know he’s a very skilled and talented player. He had 42 goals two years ago. That doesn’t just happen. He’s an excellent, excellent player, and he’s going to have a lot of success here.”

Carolina knotted it at 2-2 when Sebastian Aho  struck off a power play at 18:32, setting the stage for Miller’s game-winner in the third.

“They tried to make our night as hard as possible, and it goes the other way, too,” Aho said. “There was not a lot out there. Just a tight-checking game.”

Pyotr Kochetkov made 16 saves in the loss.