Recap: Miller, Svechnikov Help Canes Dim Stars

RALEIGH, N.C. - Highlighted by a pair of goals from K'Andre Miller (2G, 1A) and four assists from Andrei Svechnikov (4A), the Carolina Hurricanes cruised past the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, 6-3.

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A crisp connection between the aforementioned duo appropriately kicked off the scoring at Lenovo Center, setting the stage for things to come just 7:19 in. Dallas' man advantage quickly reset the scoreboard, but under two minutes later, Shayne Gostisbehere countered with a power play goal of his own to put Rod Brind'Amour's group back in front. Before the two sides went back to their respective locker rooms, Logan Stankoven made it a three-goal first period for the home side, dancing around Mikko Rantanen for his second goal in as many outings.

In the middle stanza, another hookup between Miller and Svechnikov advanced Carolina's lead to 4-1, and Seth Jarvis, who returned to the lineup after missing eight games with an upper-body injury, chipped in with a power play goal of his own to push the lead to four.

Comfortably ahead going to the final frame of regulation, Dallas would add two more goals, but three would be as close as they would get, thanks to a Will Carrier marker sandwiching the pair.

Brandon Bussi turned away 19 of 22 shots in net, improving to 15-2-1. With the win, he becomes the fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 15 victories, doing so in just 18 appearances.

Stats & Standouts

• Seth Jarvis' second-period marker was his 20th of the season, becoming the first member of the team to reach the benchmark this season. It is the third consecutive season he's reached the number. His career high is 33, set during the 2023-24 season.
• Andrei Svechnikov's career-best four-assist night is tied for the second-most in a single game this season. Only Connor McDavid (5A on Dec. 23) had more.
• Andrei Svechnikov (4A) and Nikolaj Ehlers (3A) became the third set of Hurricanes teammates to each have three or more assists in the same game since 2020-21. The others: Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns (Dec. 28, 2023), as well as Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas (March 5, 2023).
• Carolina's power play accounted for two of their six goals tonight, its fifth multi-goal outing of the season. All five performances have come in the last month (Dec. 6, Dec. 20, Dec. 29, Jan. 1, and Jan. 6)
• Tonight's pair of strikes on the man advantage also brings Carolina's total to 16 power play goals in their last 17 games.
• Carolina's three-goal first period was their seventh of the season, matching the Tampa Bay Lightning for the most by any team in the league.
• Tonight was the fifth time this season the Canes scored six goals, matching their single-game best (also: Oct. 9, Oct. 30, Nov. 8, and Dec. 6).

They Said It...

Logan Stankoven on the victory...

"I think we were ready to go right from puck drop... I think we built off of our win in New Jersey, so hopefully we keep maintaining the good things."

K'Andre Miller following the final horn...

"Our team played great tonight. Svech, in particular, made some great plays, especially on my two goals - finding me, working the puck in the O-zone, breaking down their D-zone coverage, and just finding me out high. We did a great job offensively tonight."

K'Andre Miller discussing what the team did right tonight...

"Just sticking with our game plan. I think we did a great job coming out from the first whistle, playing the way we wanted to - putting pucks behind their defense and just making it hard in the neutral zone for them to get anything out, or anything into our zone. I think our defense did a great job just trying to break the puck out as quick as we can, getting it into our forwards' hands and letting them do their thing."

Andrei Svechnikov sharing his thoughts on Miller's big night, and joking about trying to set him up for the hat trick...

"He's obviously got the hockey sense. He knows where to be and where to be open. I just tried to look for him for a third one. I told him to open up, but he didn't."

Rod Brind'Amour on Seth Jarvis making an impact in his return...

"Huge. He didn't look like he had missed even a beat, right? He'd been out a long time. I think he had only a couple of practices with us, but he's a special player. When he's out there, you notice him, and that's good for us. He does so many things. That was a huge hole when he was gone."

What's Next After This Game?

The Canes are scheduled to practice on Wednesday and will return to game action at home on Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks.

Next Game: Thursday, Jan. 8 vs. Anaheim | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking