Aho scores again, lifts Hurricanes past Flames in OT

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sebastian Aho scored at 3:16 of overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames at Lenovo Center on Sunday.

Aho scored on a one-timer from the right face-off circle off a pass from Jaccob Slavin. It was Aho’s third straight game with a goal and his sixth goal in the past seven games.

“Good play by ‘Slavo,’” Aho said. “I got a step on [Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson] and he realizes it, and I got a pretty good spot to shoot it.”

Aho has scored all five of Carolina’s overtime goals this season.

“There’s a lot of room out there,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Then he can be creative, and he’s competitive as heck. Those combinations suit him in that type of environment.”

Slavin had a goal and an assist, and Pyotr Kochetkov made 15 saves for the Hurricanes (35-22-4), who have won two of three.

Nazem Kadri scored for the Flames (28-23-9), who were coming off 3-0 losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers on Thursday and Saturday. Dustin Wolf made 31 saves.

“For me, it’s finding a way to stick with it, and I thought the guys did tonight,” Calgary coach Ryan Huska said. “You go through these stretches during the season when you get into ruts; we’re in one offensively right now. But it will turn as long as the work and the compete is still there, and I saw that right until the end today.”

Slavin gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 35 seconds remaining in the second period. After skating the puck from the Carolina defensive zone and passing to Jackson Blake at the Calgary blue line, Slavin got behind Flames defenseman Kevin Bahl to redirect the return pass near the left post.

“I just got my feet moving up the ice, and I saw (Blake) streaking up the far side,” Slavin said. “So I figured I would get it in the skill guy’s hands. He obviously made a great play back to me.”

Kadri tied it 1-1 on the power play at 7:06 of the third period on a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Jonathan Huberdeau.

“We were joking in the dressing room before the third that the ninth period is the charm for us,” Andersson said. “We managed to get one. Huge for our power play to step up there, and the PK was good all night.”

The Flames killed a double minor for high-sticking to Blake Coleman in the last five minutes of regulation before forcing overtime.

“We fought right to the end,” Kadri said. “Credit to them, they’re a team that has a lot of shot blocks. Sticks are always in lanes. That’s why our shot volume wasn’t there in the first period. We’d like to get two points, but it feels like we should have had two.”

NOTES: Aho’s fifth overtime goal tied the NHL regular-season record (Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins, 2017-18; Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens, 2016-17; Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks, 2015-16; Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning, 2011-12). … Kochetkov (106 games) became the second-fastest goaltender in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to earn 60 wins, behind Frederik Andersen (91 games).