In Dallas, Carolina’s Martin Necas scored with 94 seconds gone in extra time on Wednesday to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 win over the Stars.
“I went in the zone, cut back, saw I had a little bit of space there,” Necas said. “I tried to shoot it under [Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell] stick. Luckily it went in.”
Frederik Andersen got the start for the Canes, and allowed both Stars goals. He left the ice in the first period with an apparent upper body injury.
Antti Raanta made 15 saves in relief.
“The first two periods, we were great,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Just overall, great effort, and then in overtime, nice play by ‘Nechy’ to win it for us. Overall, I loved the way we competed all night.”
The Hurricanes improved to 30-9-8.
“It’s always a little bit weird when you have to jump in there,” Raanta said. “You just try to keep everything super simple, try to move, locate the puck, track and do the normal stuff. Today it went well. Obviously happy to get the win in relief.”
Sebastian Aho put home a shorthanded goal in the first period to stake the Canes to a 1-0 lead.
“He’s dynamic in open ice and he can really read the play as far as that anticipation for when to pick off a pass and go the other way,” Brind’Amour said. “And you’re usually out there with [opponents] who really aren’t thinking defense. He’s a weapon there.”
Dallas replied with two goals in the first, the tying marker came from Wyatt Johnston, and Jason Robertson put the Stars up 2-1 headed to the middle frame.
“They do a good job,” Dallas forward Luke Glendening said. “They’re a heavy, hard team. I think we are as well. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the two points. Obviously we’re always looking for two points, but if you can get one, you’ll take it.”
Dallas dropped to 28-13-9.
“It was pretty tight checking, not a lot of room either way,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “It’s always a surprise, as much as you talk about it when you play them, because they’re as good as there is in the League at putting that offensive zone pressure on you. But I thought we adjusted to it better as the game went on.
“I think the overtime thing is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy right now. We just don’t have a lot of confidence for whatever reason in overtime, so we’ve got to find that swagger again.”
Brent Burns scored in the middle frame to tie the game, 2-2, and make the extra session necessary.
“They play really well. They’ve got a bunch of special players there, so do we,” Necas said. “We stuck with it 60 minutes. We got some [bad] bounces there at the beginning, but it was a huge win.”
Jake Oettinger made 21 saves in the Stars loss.
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