Dmitry Orlov scored the tiebreaking goal with 36 seconds remaining in regulation as the Carolina Hurricanes earned a 3-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C.
Carolina will go into the All-Star break on a three-game winning streak.
Stymied by Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram (36 saves) most of the night, the Hurricanes had an unlikely hero in Orlov come through. The veteran defenseman cycled down to the near circle and sent an angled shot over Ingram's shoulder, one that caught the top left corner of the net to break a 1-1 tie.
It was Orlov's third goal of the season.
Amid a 14-3-4 stretch, the Hurricanes added some insurance 13 seconds later when Jesper Fast was credited with his fifth goal of the campaign through some net-front congestion.
Martin Necas tied the game in the second period with his 13th goal for Carolina, which outshot the Coyotes 39-11.
Ingram, who entered the contest with 17 wins, a 2.59 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, was the story most of the night, consistently coming up with stops to keep his team in the game.
Arizona, which enters the break on a three-game skid, was outshot 32-3 in the second and third periods combined.
However, the Coyotes opened the scoring with 5:39 remaining in the first period. Dylan Guenther sent the puck at Carolina netminder Antti Raanta (10 saves), and a crashing Logan Cooley was there to pounce for the Coyotes' first lead in four road games.
It would take a bit, but the Hurricanes tied the game 7:57 into the second period. On the power play, some nifty Carolina passing concluded with a wide-open Necas one-timing the puck past Ingram.
The Hurricanes outshot the Coyotes 14-3 in the second period but had nothing to show for it. On more than one occasion in the frame, Ingram was up to the challenge, saving his Arizona teammates, who coughed up the puck multiple times throughout the game.
More must-reads: