Hurricanes use big second period to turn back Lightning 4-1

If the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning play again this season, there will be a lot higher stakes.

But Tuesday’s game was important for both. The Canes wanted to even the season series with Tampa Bay and keep their hold on first place in the Central Division. The Lightning wanted to finish off a sweep of the two-game set and tighten things at the top of the division.

And make a statement. The Lightning wanted to do that, too.

But the Canes were ready this night, scoring three times in the second period and riding the cool, efficient play of goalie Alex Nedeljkovic to a 4-1 victory at Amalie Arena.

The Canes (30-10-5) moved to 65 points, three ahead of the Lightning (30-14-2). Florida also won Tuesday and have 65 points, but the Canes have two games-in-hand on the Panthers.

After a scoreless first period, the Canes’ Nino Niederreiter and Jordan Staal scored rapid-fire goals in the second period 25 seconds apart for a 2-0 lead. Steven Lorentz then made it 3-0 as the Canes continued to get strong, aggressive, effective play from its fourth line.

Brayden Point’s 20th of the season, soon after the Lorentz goal, made it s 3-1 game heading into the third.

Sensing the importance of the game, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper again turned to Vasilevskiy to complete the back-to-back. But the Canes, beaten 3-2 in overtime Monday, broke through in the second.

On Staal’s goal, on a redirection of a Dougie Hamilton shot, the Canes captain had a one-on-one confrontation with Yanni Gourde in front of the Tampa net. Staal knocked down Gourde, who then bounced up to begin cross-checking Staal, only to see Staal score.

Gourde could only turn and complain to the referee while Staal raised his arms high after his 14th of the season.

Nedeljkovic, who had 26 saves, was in control in his crease, making the routine and the anything-but-routine saves. His stop on an Alex Killorn shot from the slot with 1:17 left in regulation kept the Canes ahead 3-1.

Jordan Martinook’s empty-net goal finished it off for Carolina. It was a Martinook fight in the second period that further energized the Canes.

One downside to the Canes’ victory: defenseman Brady Skjei left the game after suffering an upper-body injury in the first period. Skjei did not return.

Second period: Canes surge ahead

Nino Niederreiter and Jordan Staal scored in a span of 25 seconds as the Canes grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second period. Steven Lorentz later made it 3-0 before the Lightning got on the board.

Niederreiter took a nice pass from Vincent Trocheck in the slot and whipped a shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy, making a rare start in both ends of a back-to-back. Niederreiter’s 16th of the season came at 7:48 of the period.

Staal then scored his 14th at 8:13. With Yanni Gourde crosschecking him in front of the net, Staal got a piece of a Dougie Hamilton shot for the redirection as Niederreiter also had an assist. Staal then turned and raised his arms high over Gourde, whose overtime goal won Monday’s game.

Lorentz’s second goal of the season came at 16:45 of the period as Morgan Geekie had the assist with a pass out of the corner to Lorentz in the low slot.

Tampa Bay quickly answered the Lorentz goal as Brayden Point scored his 20th of the season 18 seconds later to make it 3-1.

After Niederreitrer’s score, the Canes’ Jordan Martinook dropped the glove and slugged it out with Barclay Goodrow on the ensuing faceoff. Not long after the fisticuffs, Staal made it a 2-0 game.

Canes’ defenseman Brady Skjei was banged into the boards by Blake Coleman in the first and suffered an upper-body injury. He played one shift in the second before leaving the game, and did not return.

First period: Evenly played

The first period was scoreless and an evenly played period as both teams battled for pucks, checked hard, worked hard for scoring opportunities and got solid work from their goalies.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper started Andrei Vasilevskiy for the second straight night, a tipoff on how important he views the game. Vasilevskiy is 1-6-1 overall with no rest but Cooper wanted him in net and he saw 13 shots in the first period.

Canes goalie Alex Nedeljkovic faced 11 shots and limited his rebounds allowed. Tampa’s Alex Killorn found the post with shot in the first.

Both teams had abbreviated power plays in the first. The Canes had the first 5-in-4 advantage but Andrei Svechnikov was called for slashing.

Canes center Vincent Trocheck had a shot bang off the top of the crossbar late in the period, a near-miss.

Game setup

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said his team was lacking the proper emotion Monday in a 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay.

But why? The Canes are fighting to keep their hold on first place in the Central Division. They were playing the Lightning, the 2020 Stanley Cup champions, on Tampa’s home ice. All the incentives seemed to be there.

“I don’t know,” Brind’Amour said Tuesday morning. “I just think we were a little flat. ... I think there’s just a little level that we needed to get to to compete in that game and we didn’t really have it emotionally, so it affected our whole game.

“Why? We’re in the midst of a lot of hockey, and I think we ask a lot of these guys. At the end of the day, we were still in a 2-2 game in overtime and had the first Grade-A chance (by Jordan Staal) to win it. It’s not easy playing a good team. But I know that to beat those guys we have to be at our best. That’s why I said we needed to have a little more emotional investment in that game last night.”

Whatever the reason, the Canes (29-10-5) have another chance to make that investment Tuesday, in the eighth and final regular-season game between the Canes and Lightning.

The lineup

Brind’Amour said goalie Alex Nedeljkovic would be in net, giving the rookie the start ahead of veteran James Reimer. It appeared to be an indication Brind’Amour intends to go with Petr Mrazek and Nedeljkovic -- and possibly sit Reimer -- in the final games of the regular season. Reimer was the backup Tuesday.

Brind’Amour said Tuesday morning that there could be a lineup change or two among the skaters, saying, “Everything’s kind of up in the air with some game-time decisions on other players.” He said he hoped no changes would be needed.

One player who would not be a part of a lineup change Tuesday is forward Teuvo Teravainen, Brind’Amour said. Teravainen, recovering from concussion symptoms, could play during the six-game road trip but his return was “still a few days away” Brind’Amour said.