Recap: Canes Come Back in Third to Defeat Coyotes

Jeff Skinner tallied two goals, including the game-winner in the final minutes of the game, to help the Carolina Hurricanes erase a one-goal deficit in the third period en route to a 6-5 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
Valentin Zykov also netted a pair of goals, while Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen each extended their now career-long point streaks in what was a wild, back-and-forth affair.
Here are five takeaways from tonight's contest.

One
Skinner's 21st and 22nd goals of the season bookended scoring for the Canes.
"Real good. I was happy for him," head coach Bill Peters said. "Got one early and got one late. Both big goals."
Skinner scored his first goal just 48 seconds into the game, the result of a nice passing play by his linemates. Phil Di Giuseppe dropped the puck to Elias Lindholm below the goal line. Lindholm walked the puck out in front and dished cross-crease to Skinner, who finished.

"I think the line played well. Phil and Lindy were hard on pucks, making plays all night," Skinner said. "It's been a while for me, personally."
Then, in the final minutes of the game, the Hurricanes raced down the ice on a 3-on-2. Di Giuseppe went cross-ice to Skinner, who then looked to hit Jaccob Slavin driving the net. That pass was broken up, but the puck bounced right to his stick, and he scored on his backhand with 1:58 left on the clock.

"It was nice to win," Skinner said. "A little sloppy, I think, but it always feels better when you win."
Two
Zykov leads the American Hockey League in goals, and his second game up with the big club this season illustrated his offensive prowess. Skating on a line centered by Aho and featuring Teravainen on the opposite wing, Zykov was a physical presence in front of the net and tallied two goals.
"That's a part of my game, and it seems to work for me," Zykov said.
"He's a big, heavy, thick guy, and he's got some courage going to the net," Peters said. "He's at the net. That's what we knew he was all about. He goes to the net. It's a good complement to those two Finns. They're going to make plays, dart around and hang onto pucks, and he's going to be at the net."
In the first period, Zykov hustled to join the rush and gave Aho a target for a pass in the slot. He punctuated the sequence with a quick release and a well-placed shot to give the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead at the time.

In the third period, his physical frame and net-front presence helped tie the game at five. Zykov refused to be shoved off his position at the top of the blue paint and hammered home a rebound.
"He's pretty good around the net. He's scored a lot of goals in the AHL this year. He's showing he can score here, too," Skinner said. "He's big and strong in front. He's tough to move and has some nice hands around there, which is a pretty good combination. It's nice to see him get two goals."

Three
Speaking of Aho and Teravainen, much has been written about them as of late, and for good reason. The Canes' dynamic Finnish duo is on fire, and both players had two-point nights (Aho with two assists and Teravainen with a goal and an assist) to extend their point streaks to a career high seven games.
Teravainen scored the Canes' fourth goal of the game, a quick release off a set-up off the near wall from Aho.

"They were dangerous," Peters said. "I thought Seabass made some plays. He made a real good play with patience on the first one. … Turbo's got a great release."
Aho has tallied three goals and seven assists during his seven-game point streak, and Teravainen has notched four goals and four assists in the same stretch. The two have combined for 39 points in their last 20 games (17g, 22a), and they're tied for the team lead in points with 61.
Four
The official scoresheet credits Alex Goligoski with the Coyotes' first goal of the game, but that's a bit misleading. In reality, what played out was one of the weirdest goals you'll ever see scored.
Goligoski rimmed the puck around the boards on a dump in, and the puck skipped off the ice and became lodged in Ward's right skate. No one on the ice seemed to know where the puck was, and Ward skated back to his crease to guard the left post. In doing so, his right skate crossed the goal line and so, upon review, the Coyotes were awarded the goal.
"I've had some bad bounces throughout my career, but I think certainly that tops the list. I mean, what can you do? The puck gets stuck in your skate, and I didn't know where it was," Ward said. "It did bother me. You battle all season long and compete, and a bounce like that happens. It doesn't seem fair at the time, but the guys competed and capitalized on our opportunities."
"That's probably one of the weirdest goals I've ever seen," Skinner said.
The question remains: why didn't the officials blow the play dead? Rule 85.3 states that if "the puck [is] out of sight of the Referee, he shall immediately blow his whistle and stop the play." So, either the official didn't lose sight of the puck (which is hard to believe) or Ward's skate crossed the goal line before the official realized he had lost sight of the puck.
In any case, it was a play that will be included in compilations of strange goals scored for years to come.
"I think it's one of those where you just shake your head," Peters said. "You're thinking, 'What else? What's next?' It was very bizarre and very unusual."
Five
Phil Di Giuseppe recorded a goal and two assists and was rewarded with the postgame honor in the locker room.

Di Giuseppe's goal was the result of persistence on the puck. Skinner was all over a loose biscuit at the top of the crease. Lindholm jumped in but didn't get all of his backhand opportunity. Instead, he held on to the puck, drew defenders his way and then slid a pass to Di Giuseppe in the slot for the shot and the goal.

Jaccob Slavin also had a three-point performance with a trio of helpers.
"The game works in funny ways sometimes," Ward said. "It's certainly nice to walk out of it with a win. The guys are happy about that. It's been difficult mentally for this team as of late. We'll try to build off of it, and for me, I'll forget about it and try to get ready for the next start."
Up Next
The Hurricanes will play a home-and-home series with the Ottawa Senators, which begins Saturday in Ottawa and concludes on Monday in Raleigh.