Recap: Hurricanes Defeat Sabres

The Carolina Hurricanes got back in the win column with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
After falling in an early 1-0 hole, the Canes scored four straight goals to win their 39th game of the season.
Here are five takeaways from a Saturday night of hockey in Raleigh.

One
The Hurricanes played well enough, at least through 50 minutes, to take at least a point home from Columbus on Friday night.
It didn't happen, though, because Sergei Bobrovsky was the best player on the ice for either team. That happens sometimes, and the Canes should know it because Petr Mrazek has been that player for them as of late.
What's important is the response, and for the second week in a row, the Canes got back at it less than 24 hours after a Friday night loss.
Good teams find ways to park and move on from setbacks. The Canes did it last week in Nashville and on Saturday versus Buffalo; in fact, the team hasn't lost consecutive games in regulation since Jan. 15-18.
"That's what good teams do. When you have a tough one, you want to rebound, bounce back and come back with a good effort," Jordan Staal said. "It's about winning games right now. Whether it's your best game or not, getting two points is all that matters."
"It's just the sign of a good team," said Curtis McElhinney, who made 35 saves on 37 shots. "Guys have a short-term memory."
Two
Jeff Skinner hadn't scored in 13 games, and facing his former team, against which he'd already scored three goals in two games this season, you kind of figured he'd find the back of the net to break the drought tonight.
It didn't take long, either. Just 2:18 into the game, Skinner walked a puck across the goal line and banked it in off the paddle of McElhinney.
"It was a misplay on my part," McElhinney said. "One that I'd like to have back, but I thought we responded nicely."
It was the second straight night on which the Canes' start had been a bit flat-footed, but that was again rectified.
With just over six minutes left in the opening frame, Jordan Martinook's shot leaked through Linus Ullmark, and Lucas Wallmark was there to tap the puck into the net.

"I think it gave us a reset. We were on our heels there to start. They were just flying. I think it just kind of settled it down," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "From then on, we had a pretty good period and got things at least going in the direction we needed to."
"That first period was not our best. Mac did a great job of keeping it at one. Wally's line throughout the whole night was really good for us," Staal said. "They brought some energy and buzz and a big goal to get us going."
Three
Just 67 seconds into the second period, the Canes took ahold of a lead and never relented.
Teuvo Teravainen threaded the cross-ice needle to Andrei Svechnikov, who settled the puck in front of the net and chipped it over a lunging Ullmark.

Late in the second period, a friendly bounce gave the Hurricanes a two-goal cushion.
From a tough angle along the far wall, Justin Williams tossed what seemed like a harmless shot on goal. But, Ullmark's right skate was slightly off the post, and the puck squibbed over the line.

Put it on net, and good things will happen.
"We found a way to bury our chances when we had them and found a way to win," Staal said.
Four
500.
That's how many career NHL points Staal now owns, and he reached that milestone with a beauty of a goal late in regulation.
Staal cut to the middle of the ice, spun and scored on a backhand shot to give the Canes a 4-1 lead.

"Not exactly my style," Staal chuckled. "I just went for it. Maybe I should do that more often. Not exactly what I pictured, but I'll take it."
Staal has totaled 213 goals and 287 assists in his career, and 252 of those points (93g, 159a) have come in 451 games in a Hurricanes sweater.
"He's one of those all-around players that every coach loves to have on their team. He comes to play every night," Brind'Amour said. "He doesn't get rewarded enough for the good play he has. It was nice to see him get that one, especially on his 500th point, a good one to remember."
Five
The Hurricanes will finish the 2018-19 regular season with 11 games in a span of 19 days; beginning Tuesday, the Canes will play a game at least every other day, a stretch that also includes two back-to-backs.
It will be a mad dash to the finish, and the Canes will face 10 Eastern Conference opponents, including a handful of teams in the playoff mix.

"We're in, but we're not in by much. It doesn't take much. You slip for a couple games, and you're on the outside looking in," McElhinney said. "I think right now the reality is that we have to win some games still to get us in position. Once we get there, we'll go from there."
"You can't afford any losses. The race is so tight, and no one is losing around us," Brind'Amour said. "It's never been easy, and it's not going to be easy. We've got to keep forging ahead, and we've got to win."
Up Next
The Hurricanes host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday in what will be a crucial Metropolitan Division match-up.