Rantanen has goal, assist for Hurricanes in win against Sabres

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Lenovo Center on Thursday.

It was the 28-year-old forward’s first multipoint effort in his ninth game for the Hurricanes after he was acquired in a trade from the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 24.

“If you can get three in the first, it’s easier to play with the lead than always chasing the game, which we’ve been doing lately," Rantanen said. "We've got to take the recipe out of that and try to repeat it."

Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho, Taylor Hall and Seth Jarvis also scored, and Pyotr Kochetkov made 13 saves for the Hurricanes (34-21-4), who had lost two in a row.

“I loved the defensive aspect of it,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We were above the puck most of the night and just hounding it. That’s really the key to it.”

Alex Tuch and JJ Peterka scored for the Sabres (24-28-5), who had won two straight and six of seven. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed two goals on seven shots before he was relieved by James Reimer 7:57 into the first period, who made 27 saves.

“We got outcompeted,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “They beat us to pucks. (When) we got to pucks, we didn’t execute. A lot of pucks went off our sticks and right to them. They were a lot stronger on the puck than we were.”

Staal gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 6:09 of the first period when Jordan Martinook’s turnaround centering pass from the left-side wall deflected in off his skate.

After Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram lost the puck below the Buffalo goal line, Rantanen passed to Aho alone in front to extend the lead to 2-0 lead at 7:57.

Rantanen then scored on the power play with a wrist shot over Reimer’s blocker to make it 3-0 at 9:41.

The Hurricanes were 3-for-53 on the man-advantage in the previous 21 games.

“It’s been tough. We haven’t created (many) chances,” Rantanen said. “But after you get one, you get a little confidence hopefully. It’s been kind of close, but this time it was post-and-in, which was good.”

Tuch scored on the power play to cut to the lead to 3-1 at 19:02. He followed his rebound and scored with Kochetkov out of position after Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov fanned on a clearing attempt in front of the net.

Jack Roslovic made a no-look backhand pass to Hall between the circles to push it to 4-1 at 15:52 of the second period. It was Hall’s first goal since he was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in the same deal that brought Rantanen to Carolina.

“I think six of my first eight games have been on the road,” Hall said. “So, it’s nice to be home and feel the energy and how this group plays on home ice was a really nice way to get acclimated to the pace and pressure we play with.

“It was just a good game overall. I think a lot of guys had some really good games.”

Hall had one assist in his first eight games with Carolina, while Rantanen had three points (one goal, two assists).

“When you’re settling in and there’s so much expected, that’s the only way you really feel you’re doing stuff is if you’re contributing that way,” Brind’Amour said. “Hopefully that will ease their minds a little bit so they can free up and just play.”

Peterka took a pass from Ryan McLeod and finished a 2-on-1 rush into an open net at 1:15 of the third period to make it 4-2.

“You have to play better,” Ruff said. “We didn’t compete at a high enough level. (Carolina) had just lost (five out of six games). They knew that they had to turn the corner, they came guns ‘a blazing and we didn’t answer.”

Jarvis scored an empty-net goal with 2:12 remaining for the 5-2 final.

NOTES: Buffalo forward Jason Zucker, who blocked a shot with his foot in an 8-2 win against the New York Rangers on Tuesday, was scratched and replaced by Sam Lafferty. … Martinook played his 700th NHL game. He has 224 points (90 goals, 134 assists). … The Hurricanes are 17-3-1 in the past 21 games against the Sabres and have won the past 11 games in Raleigh. … Hall has scored a goal with seven different teams throughout his NHL career. The only active players to score for more teams are New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair and Utah Hockey Club defenseman Ian Cole, who have each scored with nine.