Hurricanes score six, pull away from slumping Canucks

VANCOUVER -- Nicolas Deslauriers, Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven each scored their second goal of the game in the third period for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 6-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

Deslauriers, who last scored on April 13, 2025, took a pass from Bradly Nadeau behind the net to the edge of the crease and one-touched a quick shot under the blocker of Leevi Merilainen to put Carolina up 4-3 at 4:07.

It was Deslauriers' first multigoal game since Feb. 19, 2022 (a 7-4 win against the Canucks), and his fifth overall in 714 NHL games, three of which came in Vancouver.

“We should play them more often. I should play here more often,” Deslauriers said. “I don't know (why), just guess it happens, but don't get used to it. That's for sure.”

Ehlers scored on a breakaway between Merilainen’s legs at 10:22 to make it 5-3, and passed to Stankoven on a 2-on-1 rush for an empty-net goal at 17:57 for the 6-3 final. 

But most of the focus after the game was on Deslauriers, who now has 806 penalty minutes and 109 points (55 goals, 54 assists) in his NHL career. 

“It's obviously huge,” Ehlers said of the depth scoring. “It was there all of last year, and that took us all the way and in this League, you got to have every single guy contributing. This year we've done a really good job of that as well, so seeing a guy like him, who's always in a great mood, works hard, it is incredible.” 

Stankoven and Ehlers also had assists, and Jackson Blake had three assists for the Hurricanes (8-2-1), who bounced back from a 3-2 loss at the Calgary Flames on Sunday for their eighth win in their past nine games. Pyotr Kochetkov made 14 saves, including denying Drew O'Connor on a breakaway with the game tied late in the second period. 

“He made one big save that we needed,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Kotchetkov, who is 6-0-0 this season. “That might have been all we needed, but we needed it, and that's what goaltending is about: When we need a big save, he gave it to us.”

Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Arshdeep Bains scored, and Jake DeBrusk had two assists for the Canucks (2-8-1), who have lost eight in a row (0-7-1), including a 7-2 loss in Carolina on Oct. 8. Merilainen made 38 saves.

It was the fourth straight game the Canucks have been tied or leading going into the third period. They’ve lost all four (0-3-1) while being outscored 9-0 in the third period and overtime. 

“It's a really good lesson for our group that when your game lacks details in the third, or when you open up the door against teams that we've been playing, they make you pay,” Vancouver coach Manny Malhotra said. “To be in the games, obviously, a lot of good things, to be able to claw and scratch our way to stay in these games. But it's a valuable lesson to us that 40 (minutes) is not good enough, 45 is not good enough, 50 is not good enough in this League. We have to stay with the process.” 

Stankoven put the Hurricanes ahead 1-0 at 4:44 of the first period, taking a drop pass from Blake above the left hash marks in the high slot and firing a quick wrist shot over Merilainen’s glove.

Karlsson tied it 1-1 at 10:10 after Elias Pettersson was knocked down trying to cut into the middle of the ice. Karlsson skated onto the loose puck that slid off the forward's stick in the right face-off circle and sent a wrist shot in under Kotchetkov's blocker.

Ehlers made it 2-1 at 12:09 after Blake spotted him alone on the backdoor with a cross-ice pass that left him with an open net. It was the first time this season Ehlers played on a line with Stankoven and Blake, and the trio combined for nine points (four goals, five assists) while controlling play in the offensive zone for prolonged stretches. 

"We played a little together last year, where I thought we created some chemistry, and those two guys, they're pretty easy to play with,” Ehlers said. “They got incredible work ethic, they're on the opponents, they got great sticks, made some great plays, obviously. Our speed and our quickness creates a lot of good stuff. We’ve got to clean up defensively and not give up some of the big chances we gave up, but overall, good first game.”

Lekkerimaki evened it 2-2 on the power play at 19:58, converting a cross-crease chip pass from DeBrusk after Brock Boeser threw the puck towards the net from the right boards.

Deslauriers scored his first goal at 2:26 of the second period to put Carolina up 3-2. Jesperi Kotkaniemi intercepted Merilainen’s pass from behind the net and fed Deslauriers at the bottom of the right face-off circle for a quick short-side shot over the glove.

It was Deslauriers' first goal with Carolina since he was acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers on March 6.

“I said it often that I don't expect to score goals,” Deslauriers said. “It's fun when it happens, but I know what my job is. I'm not going to deviate into me scoring two goals, I know I have to score goals now. It's not my job, but it's fun. It keeps the guys loose a little bit.”

Bains tied it 3-3 at 13:07 after Zeev Buium shot the puck on net during a 3-on-2 rush from the bottom of the left circle and the puck deflected in off Bains as he slid into the net after Nadeau fell into him.

Sebastian Aho was awarded a penalty shot at 16:55 after Pettersson threw his stick at him in an attempt to knock the puck away, but Merilainen made the stop. 

NOTES: The Hurricanes won their sixth straight game against the Canucks dating to Oct. 28, 2024, their longest active run versus one opponent. ... Stankoven has scored five of his six goals this season against Vancouver, including his first NHL hat trick on Oct. 8. ... Kochetkov extended his season-opening win streak to six games, the second-longest run in Hurricanes franchise history behind Frederik Andersen (eight games in 2021-22). … Defenseman Juuso Valimaki had an assist, one shot and two blocks in 11:29 of ice time in his season and Hurricanes debut. ... Vancouver forward Marco Rossi missed a second straight game with an illness.