Sergei Bobrovsky

Jackets struggle to score, fall to Canes 2-1

Published Dec. 16, 2017 10:28 p.m. ET

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Noah Hanifin scored the tiebreaking goal in the second period, Scott Darling stopped 35 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 Saturday night.

Eric Staal also scored for the Hurricanes, who won their third straight in their first home game after a two-week trip.

Alexander Wenneberg had the goal for the Blue Jackets, and Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 22 saves.

Carolina never trailed despite being handily outshot 36-24 by Columbus. Darling was the primary reason, stopping prime scoring chances throughout by the Blue Jackets to record his first win in his last six starts.

Hanifin gave Carolina the lead with 7:02 remaining in the middle period with a 4-on-4 tally. The young defenseman joined his forwards on a rush up the ice and crashed the net, banging home his own rebound after an initial kick save by Bobrovsky.

That was all Darling needed, as he turned aside all 20 Columbus shots over the final two periods to secure the victory.

Staal had put the Hurricanes up 1-0 at 3:40 of the first with some help from the Blue Jackets. Staal took a puck in the corner and sent a pass through the crease, where Columbus defenseman Jack Johnson accidentally poked it through Bobrovsky's legs and in.

Wenneberg tied it for Columbus with 7:59 left in the opening period, chipping in a pass from Cam Atkinson through Darling's legs.

NOTES: The Hurricanes have earned at least a point in 16 of their last 19 meetings with the Blue Jackets. ... Hanifin has scored six of the 10 goals by Carolina defensemen this season. ... Columbus dropped to 10-2-1 in one-goal games. ... F Phil Di Giuseppe and D Haydn Fleury were scratched for the Hurricanes. ... The Blue Jackets scratched F Markus Hannikainen and D Gabriel Carlsson.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: Conclude their two-game road trip at Boston on Monday.

Hurricanes: At Toronto on Tuesday in the first of a two-game road swing.

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Sergei Bobrovsky

Alex Wennberg

Cam Atkinson