Nikolaj Ehlers collected the hat trick on Wednesday, powering the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-4 back-and-forth victory over the last-place Vancouver Canucks.
Sean Walker, Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho all collected one goal and one assist while Seth Jarvis registered a pair of assists for Carolina, which is on an 11-1-2 roll.
Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi made 18 saves to earn his 25th career win in his 29th NHL game. He is the fastest goalie in league history to reach 25 wins.
Filip Hronek scored once in a three-point outing while Marco Rossi collected one goal and one assist for the Canucks, who are winless in seven games (0-5-2) and have managed only two victories in 23 outings (2-17-4).
Brock Boeser and Nils Hoglander also scored. Elias Pettersson notched two assists.
Starting goalie Kevin Lankinen was pulled after surrendering four goals on 22 shots. Nikita Tolopilo stopped nine of the 10 shots he faced but took the loss.
Vancouver led 2-1 after one period before Walker kicked off Carolina’s comeback and four-goal second period at 2:30. He buried a shot from near the left faceoff dot to tie the score.
Ehlers put the Hurricanes ahead less than two minutes later when he finished a chance off the rush.
Aho extended the edge at 11:53 of the middle period by lifting a backhand from the slot on another rush up ice, which spelled the end of Lankinen’s action.
Ehlers made it a 5-2 clash 57 seconds later with a short-side shot during a partial breakaway.
To their credit, the Canucks fought back. Boeser pulled the hosts within a pair by burying a power-play goal with 43 seconds remaining in the second period, and Hoglander made it a one-goal game at 6:45 of the third with his first of the season.
However, Ehlers sealed the game with an empty-net goal in the final minute, completing his seventh career hat trick.
Despite being outplayed, the Canucks held the lead after the first period. After Svechnikov opened the scoring on the power play 77 seconds in by burying a one-timer from the slot, Vancouver responded with a pair of goals 44 seconds apart late in the period.
Rossi tied the clash with a power-play goal at 16:31, and then Hronek blasted home a one-timer from the right circle.
Vancouver, which sits last in the league standings, traded away defenseman Tyler Myers earlier in the day. The Canucks received two draft picks from the Dallas Stars.
