Martin Necas Scores in OT to give Hurricanes 3-2 win over Kraken

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Martin Necas scored his second goal of the game with 9.7 seconds left in overtime, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Thursday night to snap a three-game skid.

Necas got the puck at the top of the slot and delivered the winning shot after receiving a pass from Tony DeAngelo. It was the fifth overtime winner in a two-season span for Necas, who embraces the 3-on-3 format.

“I like it,” Necas said. “There’s lots of space to make some plays.”

Carolina’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored with 4:24 left in regulation to force the extra session. Necas had an assist on that goal, with defenseman Brady Skjei sparking that transition. Frederik Andersen stopped 23 shots for the Hurricanes, who overcame a two-goal deficit.

“Pretty happy with that game, especially the response,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I think we got the two points we deserved.”

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Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist and Devin Shore also scored for the Kraken, who have yet to win consecutive games this season. Joey Daccord, who has recorded both of Seattle’s victories, made 42 saves.

He bemoaned the shots he didn’t stop, particularly the one from Kotkaniemi.

“Just disappointing I couldn’t make the save,” Daccord said. “It’s a frustrating loss being up late in the game.”

The Hurricanes, who were coming off a 2-4-0 road stretch, played in just their second home game.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the road trip we wanted,” Skjei said, noting the comeback was uplifting. “We’ve always had that confidence in this room. We never get too rattled when we’re down.”

Seattle was aiming to beat Carolina for the second time this season.

Necas had four overtime winners last season.

“That’s his time, for sure,” Brind’Amour said. “He loves that.”

Kotkaniemi and Necas became the third and fourth Carolina players to reach the four-goal mark this season.

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Andersen didn’t play in the past three games as he recovered from an injury and he wasn’t tested much during stretches.

Bjorkstrand has both of his goals this season against the Hurricanes. He scored first at 11:24 of the first period.

Shore’s first goal of the season came less than 3 1/2 minutes later when he skated in on Andersen and slid the puck under the goalie’s pads.

Necas got the Hurricanes on the board with 1:38 left in the first period after the Kraken mishandled the puck while trying to clear it from the zone.

The Hurricanes trailed 2-1 through two periods despite a 31-14 advantage in shots on goal. Daccord did his part.

“He helped us with his ability to play the pucks,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “They’re a shot-volume team.”

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