Hurricanes clinch playoff berth in OT loss to Stars

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Monday.

The Hurricanes (31-10-7) have qualified for the playoffs for three straight seasons after missing the postseason in the previous nine. They lead the Florida Panthers by two points for first place in the Discover Central Division.
"We dug in, got us a point, got us in (the playoffs)," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We're not satisfied. We're getting better, but we've got one goal in mind. We're all on that same page."

Jamie Benn drove to the net and scored off a pass from Jason Robertson at 2:44 of overtime. He also had three assists.
"[Benn] loves these situations where he can put the team on his back and say, let's go," Dallas coach Rick Bowness said of the Stars captain. "He's been doing that for a long time this season. The biggest thing is his skating and his compete level. He's not going to be denied."
Benn's overtime goal was the ninth of his NHL career, tying Mike Modano for the Stars/Minnesota North Stars record. It was the second straight game he scored in overtime; his goal at 32 seconds gave Dallas a 2-1 win at the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
"He's a guy you want out there when the game is on the line," said Jake Oettinger, who made 29 saves for the Stars. "He wants to win more than anyone, and he wants to lead this team into the playoffs."
Joe Pavelski, Jason Dickinson and Denis Gurianov scored for the Stars (21-15-12), who have won six of seven and trail the Nashville Predators by two points for fourth place in the eight-team Central. The top four teams will qualify for the playoffs.
Max McCormick, Jaccob Slavin and Jani Hakanpää scored for the Hurricanes. James Reimer made 27 saves.
The teams will play again in Dallas on Tuesday.
Pavelski gathered a loose puck behind the goal line and flipped it into the net off Hakanpaa for a power-play goal to give Dallas a 1-0 lead at 1:19 of the first period.
"The puck just slipped below the goal line a little bit," Pavelski said, "so I was just trying to get it back there for a bank, and I got it."

Esa Lindell's knuckling shot from the left point deflected off Dickinson's skate in the slot to make it 2-0 at 16:59.
McCormick scored his first goal of the season when he batted the puck in after Morgan Geekie fed him with a no-look backhand pass from behind the net, cutting it to 2-1 at 13:24 of the second period.
It was McCormick's fourth game of the season and second since he sustained an upper-body injury Jan. 30.
"We've been skating a lot and staying in good shape and trying to stay ready when your opportunity comes," McCormick said. "So that one felt pretty good."
Slavin tied it 2-2 at 16:28. He took advantage of Dallas forward Andrew Cogliano playing without a stick and sent a wrist shot to the short side over Oettinger's blocker from the left face-off circle.
Gurianov's one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Benn put the Stars ahead 3-2 at 17:04.
"He's playing with more confidence, using his speed," Benn said. "Obviously, it's a great tool of his. I'm just trying to work with him every day. Me, [Dickinson] and him are always talking about how to get better and what we need to do."
Hakanpaa tied it 3-3 when he took a pass from Geekie and scored on a shot from the point that changed direction at 15:46 of the third period.
"It's always fun to get one in the back of the net," Hakanpaa said. "I can tell the boys wanted to get those two points, but I guess it's really nice to get that playoff spot."
NOTES: Robertson had two assists to extend his point streak to eight games (three goals, nine assists). … Pavelski leads the NHL with 12 power-play goals, including four against Carolina. … Stars defenseman John Klingberg, who was a game-time decision, missed a second straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton played his 600th NHL game. … McCormick's goal was his first since Nov. 3, 2018, for the Ottawa Senators against the Buffalo Sabres.