RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes are going back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for a fourth straight season.
The Canes, after failing to clinch a berth Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres, got another chance Thursday against the Sabres and rallied for a 5-3 victory at PNC Arena.
Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal each had a pair of goals, Teuvo Teravainen scored and goalie Antti Raanta was unshakable late for the Canes (46-17-8), who reached 100 points for the second time in franchise history.
The first to do it: the Canes' 2005-2006 team, the one that won the Stanley Cup.
Staal's first goal in 16 games tied the score 3-3 for the Canes at 5:12 of the third period. Carolina then killed off an Ian Cole penalty before taking the lead at 11:39 on Aho's second goal, again on a sharp pass from Andrei Svechnikov.
Staal's empty net goal with 54 seconds left in regulation sealed it as the Canes maintained their lead over the New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division.
Trailing 2-0 after the first period, after some slick passes by Jeff Skinner set up Buffalo scores on the Sabres' first two shots, the Canes got goals from Aho and Teravainenin in the second.
Teravainen, in his 400th game with the Canes, scored his 19th of the season unassisted. Svechnikov's cross-ice pass set up Aho's first goal.
But the Sabres scored on the next shift after the Aho's score for a 3-1 lead. Casey Middelstadt won a board battle for the puck and got it to Victor Olofsson all alone in front of Raanta, Olofsson sliding the puck between Raanta's pads.
Teravainen's score made it a one-goal game heading into the third. After hard-rimming the puck from the left point, the winger skated down the slot, pawed down a weak pass by the Sabres and beat Anderson.
After a 4-2 loss in Buffalo on Tuesday, which forward Nino Niederreiter called "unacceptable," there was talk of some "bad habits" creeping into the Canes' game.
The Sabres again played with more structure, more attention to detail most of the first two periods. They killed penalties. When the Canes scored their first goal, to awaken the crowd, the Sabres quickly answered a half-minute later to quiet things again.
Since being traded to the Sabres by the Canes, Skinner has played every game against his former team as if carrying a grudge. He scored in Tuesday's win, then assisted on the first two Sabres goals Thursday — the first a beauty of a no-look pass to Tage Thompson.
Skinner's second assist came on a pass to Alex Tuch in front, Skinner chasing the puck down behind the Carolina net.
The Canes continue their three-game homestand Friday against the New York Islanders, with the Anaheim Ducks coming in Sunday.
