Svechnikov has 4 points, Hurricanes hold off Avalanche

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and three assists for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 5-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Lenovo Center on Thursday.

Svechnikov had been held without a point in his previous four games.

“Honestly, not great,” Svechnikov said about his game. “Obviously, it’s nice to get the points and it gives you confidence for sure.”

Martin Necas had a goal and an assist, and Sebastian Aho had two assists for the Hurricanes (17-8-1), who ended a three-game losing streak. Pyotr Kochetkov made 16 saves.

“Our group played really well tonight. A 60-minute effort,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Tonight we executed the plan the best we could.”

Valeri Nichushkin scored twice, and Cale Makar had two assists for the Avalanche (14-13-0), who have lost three of their past four. Scott Wedgewood, who was acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Saturday, made 30 saves in his first start with the team.

“We didn’t move the puck quick enough and we didn’t handle their pressure well enough,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “Sometimes we were trying to make the most difficult pass. When you’re playing Carolina, it’s got to be the simplest form of your game there is.”

Artturi Lehkonen gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 9:13 of the first period. He took a stretch pass from Makar and scored low blocker side on a breakaway.

Eric Robinson tied it 1-1 at 16:05 when he redirected Brent Burns' slap shot from the right boards.

Seth Jarvis put Carolina in front 2-1 with a power-play goal at 4:09 of the second period. He scored inside the far post from the top of the right circle after receiving a pass from Aho, who was in the bottom of the left circle.

Jack Roslovic pushed it to 3-1 at 6:41 with a one-timer from the right circle off a short pass from Svechnikov.

“On the third one, a guy alone on the one-timer," Wedgewood said. "I thought it was going to come off a little hotter and it kind of handcuffed me, but it’s one of those ones you’ve got to make a save for your team.”

Nichushkin cut it to 3-2 at 14:41 of the third period, scoring five-hole from the left circle off the rush.

“It didn’t faze them, they just kept playing," Brind'Amour said. "The way it’s gone the last few games, it could have maybe gone a different direction, but it didn’t.

“You’re not going to go no scoring chances with that team, and they got theirs. [Kochetkov] made two or three phenomenal saves at crucial times.”

Necas scored a power-play goal with a wrist shot through a screen by Svechnikov to make it 4-2 at 17:49.

Nichushkin scored 24 seconds later to get the Avalanche to within 4-3. He swatted in a loose puck in front with Wedgewood on the bench for the extra skater.

However, Svechnikov scored an empty-net goal with 16 seconds left for the 5-3 final.

“Just playing our game finally for a full 20 minutes there pretty much,” Colorado defenseman Devon Toews said of the third period. “You’re not going to win when you’re playing 5-10 minutes of your game for a period. When our game goes, it goes, and we were able to see it."

NOTES: Svechnikov's four points were an NHL career high. ... Lehkonen extended his point streak to four games (three goals, one assist). ... Rantanen had 25:23 of ice time, his sixth game this season playing more than 25 minutes.