Watch: Martin Necas ties game, nets OT winner seconds later

Carolina Hurricanes center Martin Necas. James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Hurricanes' Martin Necas ties game in final minute, nets OT winner seconds later

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 1/28/23

Two nights after netting the overtime winner against the Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas played hero again Friday night against San Jose Sharks.

Necas helped the Canes complete a third-period comeback, tying the game late, and tallied the game-winner by scoring less than a minute into overtime.

The Sharks scored an empty-netter to go up 4-2 with 1:52 left, seemingly sealing a two-goal victory. However, 15 seconds later, Carolina's Sebastian Aho cut the deficit back to a goal, scoring at 19:48 of the third. Necas followed Aho's goal, knotting the game up at 4-4 with only 11 seconds on the clock.

Martin Necas ties it for Carolina with 11 seconds left!

+145 Anytime Goalscorer

: @HockeyDaily365 | #LetsGoCanes pic.twitter.com/uDnM3yBocq
— bet365 CA (@bet365ca) January 28, 2023

Riding high from his huge goal, Necas kept the Hurricanes' momentum going, scoring the overtime winner only 55 seconds into the extra session.

After tying the game in the final seconds of regulation, Martin Necas went on to score the @Energizer OT winner to give the @Canes the thrilling victory! pic.twitter.com/HZjxWxeXmC
— NHL (@NHL) January 28, 2023

According to ESPN Stats and Info, the Sharks are only the third team in NHL history to score an empty-net goal with under two minutes left in regulation and lose the game, joining the 2019-20 Sharks and 1969-70 Detroit Red Wings.

For the Hurricanes, it's only the second time in franchise history they've won a game after trailing by two or more goals with under two minutes remaining, per NHL Public Relations.

After the win, Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta described Necas' late-game heroics perfectly.

"You could see there was that little eye of the tiger at the end," Raanta told reporters.

Necas' league-leading third overtime goal of the year helped him join Mikko Rantanen, Alex Ovechkin, Jeff Hamilton and Benoit Hogue as the only players in NHL history to score the tying goal in the final minute of regulation and the winner in the first minute of overtime.

A late-tying goal and an early OT winner, Martin Necas knows how to put on a show. #NHLStats: https://t.co/xJLu35WWoU pic.twitter.com/dPcgx7tbs8
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 28, 2023

The 24-year-old is coming into his own this season for the Canes. In 48 games, Necas has already reached a career-high in points with 44, recording 21 goals and 23 assists.

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