In Columbus, Nick Foligno scored with 1:41 remaining in regulation to give the Blue Jackets a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
The goal broke a 23-game drought.
“The victory is more important,” Foligno said. “Just finding a way to pitch in and help, it feels great. Just finding a way in a really ugly one for us.”
Elvis Merzlikins made 32 saves. in the win.
“I think we played really good. I think we just had to find a way, and Nick found it,” Merzlikins said. “It was a good two points. It was really hard. They are a quick hockey team, and they are dangerous as well.”
Martin Necas and Jordan Staal scored for the Canes.
“It’s a tough one. That was probably our best game of the year in terms of playing the way we want to play,” Canes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “The other team didn’t really have a lot. We gave them a couple of chances and they found the net, give them credit. … I think we were the better team.”
Emil Bemstrom and Cam Atkinson also scored for Columbus.
“I’m certainly not going to apologize for the win,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “We’ve had a few go the other way.”
[WATCH: All Hurricanes vs. Blue Jackets highlights]
Petr Mrazek made 15 saves in the loss.
“When we gave up chances, they were big ones,” Staal said. “We created I don’t know how many chances. We had the puck the whole game. They obviously blocked a lot of shots, didn’t give us much around the net.”
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