AP. Carolina Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho (20) and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner (38) vie for control of the puck Friday in Raleigh, N.C.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes did everything they wanted early except find the back of the net.
Once they did, the goals kept coming.
Jordan Staal got Carolina on the board with a determined second-period sequence, then the Hurricanes broke it open with two quick third-period goals to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 on Friday night.
The Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes finished with a season-high 50 shots, leaving netminder Frederik Andersen with a relatively quiet night in earning his third shutout this season on 19 saves.
Teuvo Teravainen scored late in the second, then Nino Niederreiter and Vincent Trocheck scored 36 seconds apart in the opening minutes of the third to blow the game open.
More importantly, the Hurricanes kept their edge after ending the first scoreless despite a 16-3 shot advantage.
“You always watch about getting frustrated in those kind of games,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said, adding, “You have to keep doing what we were doing. That’s what I liked about the game, is we didn’t really change anything. We just kept sticking with it and it paid off.”
Both teams entered on winning streaks, with Columbus at a season-high four wins and Carolina with three straight. And the Blue Jackets had surged to win seven of eight.
a stretch that included five road wins — the last coming a day earlier at Atlantic Division-leading Florida.
But the Hurricanes controlled the puck from the start and surrendered few scoring chances, whether at even-strength or with its NHL-best penalty kill.
“You could see it,” Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. “It’s not a business of excuses, but I was really worried about tonight’s energy just because of how intense the (Florida) game was. … Usually we’d say we’re a half-step behind, but I think tonight we were a good full step behind.”
It took roughly half the game, though, for Carolina to finally beat J-F Berube after firing a steady stream of shots on net.
Staal broke through after being denied on a breakaway attempt and a quick rebound chance. The Hurricanes controlled the puck and Niederreiter found Staal near the right post, where he was stopped again by Berube’s leg before batting in his own airborne rebound at 9:22.
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