Svechnikov scores twice, Hurricanes win season opener against Islanders

RALEIGH, N.C. --Andrei Svechnikov had two goals and an assist for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 6-3 win against the New York Islanders at PNC Arena on Thursday in the season opener for each team.

Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and an assist, and Frederik Andersen made 25 saves in his Hurricanes debut. Andersen signed a two-year, $9 million contract July 28 after five seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"We played great, and I tried to play good," Svechnikov said. "It's the first game and you've got that energy because you didn't play for four months. We'll see in the long run."
Anders Lee scored in his first game since March 11, and Kyle Palmieri had two assists for the Islanders, who are playing their first 13 games this season on the road. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves.
"It's one of the first games where we kind of saw a little bit of everything," Lee said. "I think there was some moments where we could have been cleaner with the execution. It's one of those nights where you're facing a good team, and they're going to capitalize."

Mathew Barzal scored on Palmieri's rebound to give New York a 1-0 lead at 7:23 of the first period. The play was reviewed 2:07 after Barzal's shot to determine the puck had completely crossed the goal line.
Svechnikov redirected Teravainen's wrist shot from the high slot at 9:15 to tie it 1-1.
Jesper Fast tipped Jaccob Slavin's wrist shot to give Carolina a 2-1 lead at 13:57.
"I thought our first period was pretty good," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "They were on their toes. They're a quick-start team. I thought we handled that pretty well."
Brock Nelson tied it 52 seconds of the second period when he curled around Andersen at the top of the crease and flipped his own rebound into the net to make it 2-2.
Jordan Martinook took a backhand feed from Steven Lorentz to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead at 6:30 after a strong cycling shift.
Nino Niederreiter made it 4-2 when he fought off Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara and drove the net for an unassisted goal at 11:28.
"The puck went that direction, so as soon as Chara pushed me, I knew it was going to go in eventually," Niederreiter said.
Lee, who missed the final two months of the regular season and the entire 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs because of a knee injury, scored on a rebound in the slot to cut it to 4-3 at 14:20 of the second period.
"I think there were times when we were a little messy," Lee said. "[Sorokin] stood on his head a few times and kept us in that game and kept a close grip and gave us a chance to come back. That's all you can ask from him. But defensively, we have some stuff to clean up."

Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom took a holding penalty at 10:47 of the third period, and Teravainen capitalized on the power play with a one-timer at 11:36 to give the Hurricanes a 5-3 lead.
"I thought the fifth goal really took us out of the game," Trotz said. "We were sort of hanging around and I felt we were going to have a last push, and (then) we took an offensive zone penalty."
Svechnikov scored an empty-net goal on the power play with 42 seconds left for the 6-3 final.
"Both teams played really well, I thought," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "They would probably say they gave up too much, and I thought we gave up a little too much, but it was an exciting game."
NOTES: Defenseman Tony DeAngelo had two assists in his Hurricanes debut. … Chara was plus-1 and had four hits in 16:21 of ice time in his return to the Islanders; he played his first four NHL season with New York (1997-2001). … Andersen was drafted by Carolina in the seventh round (No. 187) of the 2010 NHL Draft but did not sign with the Hurricanes. He is the third goalie in League history to go at least 11 years between being drafted and debuting with his draft team (Manny Legace, Hartford Whalers/Carolina; 16 years, 138 days, and Corey Schwab, New Jersey Devils; 12 years, 303 days).