RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - P.K. Subban doesn’t consider his 100th NHL goal much of a milestone.
He does appreciate how important it was for his team. Subban’s goal early in the third period gave the Devils the lead for good in a back-and-forth game, and New Jersey beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Saturday night for its first road victory of the season.
“I would have been happy to not have scored today and got the win, too,” Subban said. “I’m just happy I was able to make a difference in a positive way.”
His tip of Miles Wood’s pass 4 minutes into the third period was the deciding score. New Jersey came into PNC Arena with an 0-3 record as the visitor with a goal deficit of 14-2.
Wood had a goal and an assist for New Jersey, which overcame two first-period deficits behind strong play in the final two periods from goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who finished with 24 saves.
“He was stellar,” Subban said. “He was our best player, in my opinion.”
Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes also scored, and Damon Severson added an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Hischier’s goal early in the second period gave New Jersey its first lead on the road this season. After a Carolina turnover, Hischier beat James Reimer with a high shot 34 seconds into the period.
Erik Haula had a goal and an assist for Carolina, which had its three-game home win streak snapped. He tied the score at 3-3 midway through the second period, one-timing Ryan Dzingel’s pass from behind the net.
Reimer made 21 saves for Carolina.
The teams were tied at two after the first period. Carolina outshot New Jersey 14-9 in the first, getting goals from Warren Foegele and Teuvo Teravainen. New Jersey came back twice to tie, getting Wood’s rebound goal off the end boards and then Hughes’ power-play score with 26.5 seconds left in the first.
On Hughes’ goal, a scramble in front of the Carolina net resulted in the puck resting against Reimer’s right skate. Hughes saw it and poked it in for his third goal of the season.
“The first period was really good. I thought we deserved better,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We played exactly how we needed to, and then it got away from us. We really kind of gave them a few goals.”
New Jersey had struggled to put together more than a two-game win streak this season and faced a Carolina team that entered 9-3-1, including 6-1 at home. But New Jersey was strong in the final period, outshooting Carolina 8-4. Each team was on the second game of a back-to-back.
“We were the better team today in my opinion,” Subban said.
New Jersey coach John Hynes said, “The players know what to do, and tonight they were able to execute it. We got some saves when we needed them, and it was good to see.”
NOTES: The Hurricanes fell to 7-1 when scoring first. … Teravainen’s goal gave Carolina four consecutive games with a power-play goal. … The Hurricanes gave starting goalie Petr Mrazek a rest one night after he won his 15th consecutive home start in a 7-3 victory over Detroit. … Hughes’ goal was New Jersey’s first road power-play score. New Jersey had been 0 for 12 as a visitor on the power play this season. … New Jersey has allowed 17 goals in four road games. … Blackwood’s first NHL victory was last December in Raleigh, 2-0 over the Hurricanes.
UP NEXT
Devils: At Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Hurricanes: At Philadelphia on Tuesday.
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