Hurricanes recover to get past Maple Leafs in OT

TORONTO -- Alexander Nikishin scored 41 seconds into overtime, giving the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Friday.

Nikishin skated into the right face-off circle and scored with a snap shot, using Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe as a screen for his 10th goal of the season.

“‘Nikky’ has been great,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “As a rookie defenseman, it’s not easy. Especially a rookie defenseman, a Russian who doesn’t speak very good English, he’s stepped in and played really well for us. He’s learned a lot and learned quickly and obviously as you can tell, he’s got a cannon of a shot and it can go in at any moment, and he’s chipped in a lot of different ways this year. He’s only going to get better.”

William Nylander had tied it 3-3 for the Maple Leafs at 13:50 of the third period. He carried the puck out of the corner, cut to the net and banked a shot off the back of Brandon Bussi’s stick, causing the puck to trickle between the goalie’s pads.

Eric Robinson scored on a penalty shot, and Staal and K'Andre Miller also scored for the Hurricanes (44-19-6), who have won three of their past four games. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each had two assists, and Bussi made 23 saves.

“I thought we were OK tonight,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “If you look at the bulk of the game, we had quite a few opportunities and just didn’t cash in. I thought they got a couple ones you’d like to have back obviously, but I liked the fact we just kept going even though there were some of those ones where you say, ‘Jeez maybe that shouldn’t have happened.’ But all in all, it’s two points and you move on.”

The Hurricanes lead the Pittsburgh Penguins by 10 points for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Dakota Joshua and John Tavares scored, and Joseph Woll made 32 saves for the Maple Leafs (29-28-13), who are 2-7-4 in their past 13. Matias Maccelli had two assists.

“They’re a quick team and they play hard I thought throughout the whole game,” Woll said. “We were right there again. I thought it was awesome by us to come back and push it to overtime. Pretty solid game I thought.”

Joshua put Toronto up 1-0 at 11:48 of the first period, scoring after Bussi kicked out a rebound from Bo Groulx’s shot into the slot.

The Hurricanes tied it 1-1 on the power play at 5:57 of the second period, just as a double-minor penalty to Brandon Carlo for high-sticking was expiring. Jarvis one-timed a pass from Aho at the top of the right circle, and the shot was deflected by Staal at the top of the crease.

Robinson put Carolina up 2-1 at 12:35 on a penalty shot, shooting under Woll’s glove from the left hash marks. Robinson was awarded the shot after Troy Stecher hooked him on a breakaway.

“He’s played well but tonight in the end, I don’t think, I know, we need a save,” Berube said of Woll, who has started five of the past six games. “Whether it’s in the OT or one of the breakaways, we need a big save there.”

Tavares then tied it 2-2 at 13:47. He outmuscled Jaccob Slavin behind the net and swung a wrap-around shot between Bussi’s pads. It was his first even-strength goal in 19 games since Jan. 23.

“Just felt like I had a little bit of space,” Tavares said. “I didn’t try to separate a whole lot, just tried to stay into his body. You know how good his feet and stick is, so just tried to jam him a little bit if that makes any sense, and take the ice I had there towards the net and give it a chance.”

Miller scored for the second straight game to put Carolina up 3-2 at 17:40. After poking the puck away from Morgan Rielly in the defensive zone, he skated the length of the ice and tucked a backhand deke past Woll on a short-handed breakaway.

“That was a pretty special goal,” Staal said. “Going to start calling him Mr. Lanky -- he’s got a long stick and he made a great poke check on that obviously. He can fly, too. He’s been exceptional for us all year long, very steady and he’s starting to put the puck in the net lately, too.”

Brind’Amour said the plays by Robinson and Miller plays were the difference in the game.

“We had some individual efforts that won us the game in essence,” Brind’Amour said. “Penalty-shot goal from Robinson, and K’Andre I thought was phenomenal tonight. All over it. He’s been a huge addition.”

NOTES: Nikishin and New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (21 goals) are the first two rookie defensemen to reach double digits in goals in a season since 2014-15 (John Klingberg and Aaron Ekblad). … The Hurricanes scored a power-play, short-handed and penalty-shot goal in the same game for the third time in franchise history, following March 9, 2009 and Jan. 13, 2006, but Friday was the first time they have done so in the same period.