NHL: Sean Walker scores late in OT as Hurricanes nip Penguins

Sean Walker scored with 28.3 seconds left in overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

Jackson Blake recorded a goal and two assists, while Walker, Logan Stankoven, and Taylor Hall each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (43-19-6, 92 points), who have alternated wins and losses over their past seven games. Jordan Martinook and K'Andre Miller also scored, and Nikolaj Ehlers added three assists. Goaltender Frederik Andersen made 30 saves.

For the Penguins (34-18-16, 84 points), Erik Karlsson had two goals and an assist, while Sidney Crosby, returning from an injury sustained with Team Canada at the Olympics, tallied a goal and an assist. Bryan Rust and Ben Kindel also scored, Rickard Rakell had two assists, and goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 38 shots. Pittsburgh finished a five-game road trip with a 2-1-2 record.

Stankoven broke a 3-3 tie with 7:01 remaining in the third period. Karlsson’s second goal came through traffic at 5:14, tying the game 4-4. Kindel then scored at 15:09 following a Carolina turnover to give Pittsburgh a 5-4 lead. Two minutes later, Miller’s shot off a Penguins player tied the score again.

Martinook opened the scoring 9:34 into the first period with a short-handed goal, assisted by Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The goal marked Martinook’s 10th of the season, the sixth time he has reached double digits, and the fourth consecutive season he has done so. Carolina now has 11 players with at least 10 goals this season.

Crosby scored at 9:57 of the second period for his 28th goal and 61st point of the season in his first game back after missing 11 Penguins games. Blake later gave Carolina a 2-1 lead with his 20th goal, marking the fifth 20-goal scorer on the Hurricanes roster.

Karlsson tied the game on a 5-on-3 power play 59 seconds into the third period. Hall briefly restored Carolina’s lead at 3:27, but Rust equalized less than four minutes later.

Walker’s late overtime winner sealed the win for Carolina.

—Field Level Media/Reuters