Hurricanes jump out to 5-goal lead, cool off Predators

Jackson Blake notched two goals and an assist the Carolina Hurricanes blasted the Nashville Predators 6-3 on Saturday night at Raleigh, N.C.

Nikolaj Ehlers provided a goal and two assists and Taylor Hall, William Carrier and Sebastian Aho also scored for the Hurricanes, who registered more than one power-play goal for the first time this season.

Carolina rookie goalie Brandon Bussi made 21 saves but gave up three third-period goals that prevented his second shutout in less than a week.

Michael Bunting scored on a Nashville power play with 13:34 remaining before teammates Matthew Wood and Filip Forsberg added goals. Juuse Saros stopped 32 shots for the Predators, who were denied their first three-game winning streak of the season. Nashville had won four of its previous five games.

Hall was credited with the first goal when Blake's shot from the left side knocked in off Hall's skate.

Ehlers scored right before the midway mark of the first period, giving the Hurricanes two power-play goals. They entered the game 10-for-76 on power plays this season.

The third goal came with 16 seconds left in the opening period shortly after another Carolina power-play opportunity expired. Carolina outshot the Predators 19-4 in the first period.

The Hurricanes had a chance to go up 4-0 early in the second period, but Saros stopped Ehlers on a short-handed breakaway. Soon after, Saros thwarted Hurricanes scoring leader Seth Jarvis, who was alone charging toward the goal.

Blake's first goal of the night came with 4:14 left in the second period on a 4-on-4 situation.

With Shayne Gostisbehere's second-period assist, he reached 20 points in a season faster than any Carolina player in franchise history, doing so in his 18th game.

Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi (lower-body injury) returned after a nine-game absence.

--Field Level Media