Hurricanes rally with 3 goals in final 1:59, stun Mammoth 

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jordan Staal broke a tie with 30 seconds remaining, and the Carolina Hurricanes scored three straight goals in the final 1:59 to rally past the Utah Mammoth 5-4 at Lenovo Center on Thursday.

Staal scored the go-ahead goal on a redirection at the top of the crease. The puck came to him after Jordan Martinook redirected Jalen Chatfield’s centering pass at the side of the net.

“There was definitely some momentum we were riding, the fans got into it, and we were just riding the wave,” said Staal, the Hurricanes captain. “It’s making memories. I love the game, I love being part of nights like this. You want more of them. You’re chasing those memories. To do it alongside the guys in this room is what I live for.”

Andrei Svechnikov’s power-play goal had pulled Carolina within 4-3 with 1:59 left while the Hurricanes had the extra attacker with goalie Brandon Bussi pulled. He scored at the right post on a rebound off the end boards before Shayne Gostisbehere tied it 4-4 with 1:27 remaining on a one-timer from inside the blue line, also with the extra attacker.

“That was a special [two minutes],” Svechnikov said. “[We] try to stay focused and play all the way down. That’s how we should play all the time. A couple bounces for us obviously, but we stick with the plan and stick with the game."

Svechnikov and Gostisbehere each had two goals and an assist for the Hurricanes (33-15-5), who extended their point streak to six games (5-0-1) and are 9-1-2 in their past 12. Bussi made 21 saves and became the fastest goalie to reach 20 wins in NHL history, doing so in 24 games (20-3-1).

“Pedal to the metal, we just kept going,” Gostisbehere said. “We played a pretty good game. Just a couple freebies here and there that hurts you on the score sheet.”

The Hurricanes became the third team in NHL history to win in regulation after trailing by two goals in the final two minutes. They joined the Dallas Stars on Oct. 14, 1995, and Montreal Maroons on March 15, 1932.

“I don’t know how you draw them up, but at the end of the day, we found a way,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Kind of a crazy last couple of minutes, but we will definitely take it.”

Kailer Yamamoto had two goals and an assist, Jack McBain had two assists, and Karel Vejmelka made 28 saves for the Mammoth (28-22-4), who had won six of seven.

“We give a goal on the back door (to Svechnikov). We should have had more awareness than that,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “Then after, I felt we had no patience. We became really passive 6-on-5 and even on the 5-on-5 after.

“We always talk about, you want to be patient, but you don’t want to be passive. We became passive, and we paid for it.”

Svechnikov gave Carolina a 1-0 lead at 3:04 of the first period. Vejmelka stopped Chatfield’s backhand shot after Utah turned the puck over behind the net, but Svechnikov scored on the rebound from low in the right circle.

The Mammoth tied it 1-1 at 4:10 of the second period. McBain moved the puck ahead to Yamamoto after Gostisbehere lost it in the neutral zone, and Yamamoto’s snap shot from the high slot went in off the left post.

Yamamoto scored again to make it 2-1 at 8:24. Bussi stopped Nick DeSimone’s shot from low in the left circle, but Yamamoto tapped the rebound into an open net at the top of the crease.

“[McBain and Carcone] are great to play with. They’re hardworking guys,” Yamamoto said. “They both make plays and I think I play the same type of game as them.”

Gostisbehere tied it 2-2 with a power-play goal at 17:36, scoring with a one-timer over Vejmelka's glove off a pass from Svechnikov. Gostisbehere returned to the lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury.

“You never want to be out, especially when you’re playing pretty well and your team is doing good,” the defenseman said. “You want to contribute and be out there with the guys.”

JJ Peterka responded to put the Mammoth ahead 3-2 just 19 seconds later after a Hurricanes turnover in the neutral zone. He took a pass from Barrett Hayton and scored on a one-timer from above the left circle at 17:55.

Utah extended the lead to 4-2 at 7:11 of the third. After Gostisbehere lost the puck near the end boards, McBain set up Michael Carcone for the finish in front.

NOTES: Bussi broke the record held by Andrew Hammond (2013-14 to 2014-15) and Bill Durnan (1943-44), who each reached 20 wins in 25 games. … Svechnikov has 20 goals in 53 games this season, matching his total in 73 games last season.