Aho, ’Canes foil Ward’s comeback
Sebastian Aho scored 1:16 into overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2, last night, spoiling Cam Ward’s emotional return to Raleigh, N.C.
Teuvo Teravainen and Micheal Ferland scored powerplay goals 66 seconds apart late in the second period for Carolina, which has earned points in three straight and beat Chicago for the second time in four nights.
Ward stopped 37 shots in his return to PNC Arena, Jonathan Toews scored a deflected goal and Alex DeBrincat added a goal, but the Blackhawks lost their eighth straight.
Carolina’s Scott Darling made 33 saves against his former team, in regulation coming up with a slick glove save to stop Patrick Kane on a 2-on-1 and making a left pad save to stop Nick Schmaltz on a breakaway.
Aho’s winner came after he took a pass at the blue line, then skated in before drifting across the net and beating Ward with a wrist shot.
He set franchise records with 318 victories, 568 starts and 27 shutouts during 13 seasons with the Hurricanes before he was allowed to leave as a free agent and signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Blackhawks in July while Carolina opted to give Petr Mrazek a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
Rangers 2, Canucks 1 — Henrik Lundqvist stopped 25 shots to lead surging New York over visiting Vancouver.
Filip Chytil and Brett Howden scored to help Lundqvist get his 437th career win, tying Jacque Plante for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time list. The Rangers improved to 6-0-1 in the last seven.
Before the game, the Rangers announced forward Pavel Buchnevich will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken thumb.
Blue Jackets 2, Stars 1 — Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the winning goal midway through the third period and visiting Columbus edged Dallas.
Elsewhere in the NHL — Martin Brodeur , Willie O’Ree and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman led the latest group of inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Brodeur, the all-time leader in goalie wins and shutouts, was joined in the player’s category by Martin St. Louis, Canadian women’s star Jayna Hefford and Russian great Alexander
Yakushev. Bettman and O’Ree — the NHL’s first black player — went into the Hall as builders . ...
The NHL announced a tentative $18.9 million settlement with more than 300 retired players who sued the league and accused it of failing to protect them from head injuries or warning them of the risks involved with playing.
The lawsuit, consolidated in federal court in Minnesota, was by far the largest facing the league. The NHL, as it has for years, did not acknowledge any liability for the players’ claims in the proposed settlement and can terminate the deal if all 318 players or their estates don’t elect to participate.
Each player who opts in would receive $22,000 and could be eligible for up to $75,000 in medical treatment . ...
St. Louis Blues goaltender Luke Opilka announced his retirement after two surgeries in two years to address hip dysplasia . ...
Los Angeles Kings goalie Jack Campbell will be out at least a month after surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his knee . ...
The potential owners of an NHL expansion franchise in Seattle remain confident arena renovations will be completed in time for the 2020-21 season.