Jarvis, Hurricanes recover to edge Avalanche in shootout

DENVER -- Seth Jarvis had a goal and an assist for the Carolina Hurricanes, who recovered to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 in a shootout at Ball Arena on Thursday.

Eric Robinson, Sebastian Aho, and Logan Stankoven scored for the Hurricanes (6-1-0), who were coming off their first loss of the season (4-1 at the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday). Frederik Andersen made 44 saves.

“[Andersen] was the reason we got two points, for sure. I don't think we've ever given up that many shots and Grade-A chances,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It wasn't even the shots, it was the great scoring chances. He was phenomenal, and then even in the shootout. So, he got us the two points.”

Valeri Nichushkin had two goals, and Parker Kelly and Martin Necas also scored for the Avalanche (5-0-3), who remain one of two teams without a regulation loss, along with the Golden Knights (5-0-2).

Scott Wedgewood allowed four goals on 11 shots before being replaced by Trent Miner at 13:40 of the first period.

“Casual defending. That's what it was,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “That's it. I don't need to elaborate on it. It's pretty obvious.”

Miner, who was making his first appearance of the season and the third of his career, stopped all 20 shots he faced.

“He did a great job for us,” Bednar said. “I was really happy for him. Looking for anything to kind of spark our team. At that point, you'd be ecstatic if you can come back and get a point out of that. And so, thinking ahead, we've got a back-to-back coming up, you're in a game, it gives 'Wedgie' some rest now. He comes in, and he was fantastic.”

Robinson gave Carolina a 1-0 lead at 3:07 of the first period with a wrist shot from the left circle that went between Wedgewood and the post.

Nichushkin tied it 1-1 at 4:04 when he drove the net from the left circle and finished a backhand shot over the glove of Andersen.

“He was playing great," Bednar said. "Scores early. He was a horse on the puck early."

Jarvis put the Hurricanes back in front 2-1 with a short-handed goal at 7:17. He intercepted Gabriel Landeskog’s centering pass, took it down the ice, and went forehand to backhand over Wedgewood's right leg on a breakaway.

“They're a great team over there. You definitely do (get confidence from that win),” Jarvis said. “I think especially in the first period, I thought we played really well. After that it wasn't great, but like I said before, two points is two points. Doesn't matter how you get them, and to do it against a team like that on the road is massive.”

Aho extended the lead to 3-1 at 12:41 of the first when Ehlers’ shot from the right circle caromed off the stick of Wedgewood and then his leg.

Stankoven pushed it to 4-1 at 13:40. He whiffed on his deke at the top of the crease but the puck slid under the glove and left leg of Wedgewood.

“Four goals in the first in this building, you don't expect that,” Carolina forward Taylor Hall said. “But as soon as we started losing some guys, and we're already pretty banged up to start, we knew that they'd put the pressure on as the game went on. But overall, for us to get the two points, it's pretty awesome.”

Kelly cut it to 4-2 at 4:46 of the second period after Sam Malinski’s shot from above the left circle hit his hand and deflected in. Carolina unsuccessfully challenged the play for a missed game stoppage.

Necas made it 4-3 at 4:45 of the third period with a snap shot from below the right circle that went short side on Andersen.

Nichushkin then tied it 4-4 at 14:09, scoring off a rebound in the crease on the power play.

“You saw it, you saw the goals. Some turnovers, some poor puck decisions, and they're a skilled team,” Landeskog said. “They're going to capitalize on it, and that's what they did. All of a sudden, we found ourselves in a hole, but having said that, we came out and I thought we dominated for the last 40 minutes of that game.”

Jarvis was the only player to score in the shootout.

“Hockey is weird. We’ve been on the other end of a lot of those, and now we know how it feels,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s not great, but I'm happy here that we, obviously, got the points. The guys that were playing [were] just giving everything they had.”

Carolina forward William Carrier left the game with a lower-body injury in the first period, and Robinson left after the second period with an upper-body injury. Hurricanes defenseman K'Andre Miller (undisclosed) was a late scratch.

“They're going to be out, both those guys, Robbie and Will, for what looks like an extended period,” Brind’Amour said. “Tonight was a tough night for the injuries, and Miller missed too. I don't know what's going on there. That could be a while. So, it's tough on the injury front right now.”

NOTES: Jarvis scored his ninth career short-handed goal, moving into sole possession of fifth place in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history. … Jarvis (seven goals, four assists) and Aho (three goals, six assists) became the third duo in Hurricanes/Whalers history to each record a point in the team’s first seven games of a season. Ron Francis (11 games) and Risto Siltanen (seven games) did it in 1984-85, and Aho (seven games) and Andrei Svechnikov (seven games) did it in 2021-22. … Carolina defenseman Joel Nystrom made his NHL debut. … Necas extended his season-opening point streak to eight games (six goals, six assists).