Necas notches goal, assist as Hurricanes cruise to win vs. Penguins

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Martin Necas had a goal and an assist, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 on Friday night.

Jackson Blake, a 21-year-old rookie, tied it 1-all with 6:36 left in the first period with his second NHL goal and the first of four consecutive for Carolina. Necas and Shayne Gostisbehere scored on the power play in the second period, and Jack Roslovic extended the lead to three goals in the third.

Frederik Andersen made 26 saves for the Hurricanes. Jesperi Kotkaniemi had two assists.

Drew O’Connor scored his third goal in six games for the Penguins, providing a short-lived lead at 12:20 of the first. Joel Blomqvist had 34 saves.

TAKEAWAYS

Hurricanes: The defense was suffocating, allowing little space when the Penguins managed to gain possession. It held Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin without a shot on goal.

Penguins: Blomqvist gave up more than three goals for the first time. The 22-year-old rookie played for the fourth time in six games with three starts. Tristan Jarry, the regular starter, has struggled with a 5.47 goals-against average and .836 save percentage in three starts.

KEY MOMENT

Carolina took advantage of a four-minute power play after Andrei Svechnikov took a high stick from Michael Bunting at with 3:56 left in the second period. Ahead 2-1, Gostisbehere took a one-timer from the point, scoring in a second straight game for the two-goal lead.

KEY STAT

Carolina had a 24-10 shot advantage through two periods. They’ve allowed no more than 27 shots on goal through three games this season. The Penguins had 43 shots against the Sabres on Wednesday.

UP NEXT

The Hurricanes play at St. Louis on Saturday in the second half of a back-to-back. The Penguins play at Winnipeg on Sunday, beginning a four-game road trip in Western Canada.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl