Hurricanes recover in season opener, defeat Senators 

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Brady Skjei scored the go-ahead goal and had an assist for the Carolina Hurricanes, who recovered for a 5-3 season-opening win against the Ottawa Senators at PNC Arena on Wednesday.

Jordan Staal had a goal and an assist, and Michael Bunting, Teuvo Teravainen and Jaccob Slavin also scored for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen made 27 saves.

“I think we were a little loose all night, but playing that team, that’s hard,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Overall, I thought it was a great effort. Freddie was good, kept us in there.”

Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly each had a goal and an assist, and Tim Stutzle also scored for the Senators. Joonas Korpisalo made 37 saves in his regular-season debut for Ottawa after signing a five-year, $20 million contract ($4 million average annual value) on July 1.

“There were some good things, but there were some guys who probably wish they had better games,” Senators coach D.J. Smith said. “(Carolina) stayed with the game plan right through it. They put puck behind us and made it hard to change.”

Ottawa scored twice in 35 seconds in the third period to tie the game. Kelly scored short-handed at the net off a pass from Joseph to make it 3-2 at 5:14 before Stutzle beat Brett Pesce off the rush and scored from the left face-off circle to tie it 3-3 at 5:49.

“Joseph and Kelly continue to fly out there,” Smith said. “I thought they were real good. Both of those guys just do their job.”

But Skjei one-timed a shot from the left boards to put Carolina ahead 4-3 at 7:51, and Slavin scored short-handed at 11:05 on a short-side wrist shot for the 5-3 final.

“When (Ottawa) tied it up, it was huge to come back and get a couple,” Brind’Amour said. “If something bad happens, we seem to shake it off. There’s no change in our demeanor on the bench. We know it’s always about that next shift.”

Joseph tipped Artem Zub’s shot from the right point to put the Senators up 1-0 at 3:14 of the first period.

Bunting’s power-play goal at 2:55 of the second period tied it 1-1. He took a pass near the goal line from Sebastian Aho and skated across the crease before tucking the puck around Korpisalo’s right pad.

The goal was Bunting’s first with Carolina after signing a three-year, $13.5 million contract ($4.5 million AAV) on July 1.

“I saw the [defensemen] were playing a little high and I had a lot of time, so I knew I could take it across,” Bunting said. “That’s always the position I play on the power play, so I’m pretty comfortable in front of the net. On the power play, there’s a lot of elite guys with me out there. I just try to think the game just like them and make plays.”

Teravainen gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead at 17:57 of the second period when he one-timed a cross-ice pass from Martin Necas in the right circle.

“We’re fast, but I think we tried to be a little too cute in the second and it kind of burned us,” Joseph said. “After that, they capitalized on some good chances and we didn’t.”

Staal took a short pass from Jordan Martinook and cut to the slot before roofing a backhand for a 3-1 lead 20 seconds into the third period.

“We’re going to need everybody. Every line’s got to contribute offensively,” Staal said. “We can do a better job defensively. Especially as forwards, we were a little (loose) with a few plays. But offensively, the guys chipped in for sure.”

NOTES: Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo earned the secondary assist on Bunting’s goal for his 200th NHL point (45 goals, 155 assists). ... Carolina is 5-0-1 in season openers under Brind’Amour. … The Hurricanes play their next six games on the road. ... It was Kelly’s third multipoint game in the NHL.