 did a good job together. Our wingers did a good job limiting shots from the points.''Dubois overpowered Brock McGinn on a rush from the opposite blue line and lifted a backhander past James Reimer, snapping a 2-all tie 75 seconds into the third period. Columbus made the lead stand up. Ryan Murray and Alexander Wennberg each added two assists for the Blue Jackets. Erik Haula and Dougie Hamilton scored for the Hurricanes, who didn't match the energy or discipline that Columbus displayed with both teams on the second night of a back-to-back.''They (played) exactly how we thought they were going to play us, to a tee, and we weren't ready,'' Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. ''We didn't prepare properly as a group for that kind of game and we got what we deserved in my opinion.''Columbus, meanwhile, had a total of just eight goals in its first four games while posting a 1-3 record. The Blue Jackets didn't exactly break out on offense as Reimer stopped 32 of 35 shots in a strong effort in goal, but their defense kept Carolina's speed in check. The Blue Jackets had their second-best regular season in club history in 2018-19 with 98 points and a 47-31-4 record, and they are eager to bounce back from a slow start.''It was huge for us to get back on track,'' Murray said. ''You don't want to fall into that hole, because once you're in that hole it's tough to get out. So we want to keep rolling and get some momentum going.''Brind'Amour said the Blue Jackets have a great defense and made some nice plays to clear the puck while Carolina was ''just flat.'' Columbus coach John Tortorella said the Blue Jackets limited the Hurricanes' speed in the neutral zone and just played hard. The result gave the Blue Jackets optimism heading into three straight days without a game.''They should feel good about themselves,'' Tortorella said of the team. ''Everybody contributed. We had some grind to our game. I think that's something that's been missing consistently in our game. It was there most of the night.''NOTES: Haula has scored in five of Carolina's six games and leads the team with five goals. ... All three Columbus goals came at even strength. ... The Blue Jackets are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games against Carolina. UP NEXTBlue Jackets: Host Dallas on Wednesday. Hurricanes: Open a four-game trip on Tuesday against the Kings in Los Angeles.---More NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Time: 7:00 PM EDT Venue: PNC Arena, Raleigh, N. C., 27607 / The Carolina Hurricanes haven't always played at their peak level in the first week-plus of the season. The results, though, have been spot-on -- 5-0-0 ahead of a meeting with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night in Raleigh, N. C." I like the fact that we're winning not playing our best," coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "That's a good (thing). There's a lot of areas of games I like, but there's a lot that's not quite there yet, but we've been able to find wins. ..." If you can bank some (points) when you're not playing your best, that's crucial." Both the Hurricanes and the Blue Jackets played Friday night, with Carolina defeating the visiting New York Islanders 5-2 to set the mark for the best start in franchise history. It was a largely smooth performance for the Hurricanes, who never trailed for the second game in a row. Columbus lost 2-1 against the visiting Anaheim Ducks, so the Blue Jackets (1-3-0) are still looking for their first win in regulation. Even with the Hurricanes on a historic early pace, Brind'Amour isn't paying much attention to the standings." It's focusing every day is what we're trying to do," Brind'Amour said. "It's boring, but win the day and move on to the next day. Hopefully, by the end of the year, you have enough of those." Heading to Carolina, the Blue Jackets have played only one previous road game, dropping a 7-2 decision on Oct. 5 at Pittsburgh. The Blue Jackets have to become more instinctive about how they play away from the puck, according to coach John Tortorella. There are times he has five newcomers in the lineup." We can't afford to just wade into this," Tortorella said. "We have to step in and rectify this right away." Tortorella said the defensemen are included to be involved in the offense, but it takes more." This is really about the forwards not being flat in the offensive zone," he said. The Hurricanes are in the middle of games on back-to-back nights for the first time this season, while Columbus went through a similar set-up last weekend. The Blue Jackets have an awkward schedule in the coming week, with three days off before playing three games in four nights." It is the schedule, so we just follow it," Columbus center Alexander Wennberg said. "This is how the season goes. Right now, you just have to play hockey." Carolina right winger Julien Gauthier, a 2016 first-round draft pick, made his NHL debut Friday night. Now some of the nerves might be out of the way after he had an even rating and a two-minute penalty in 8:23 of ice time." We just want him to play his game," Brind'Amour said. "He's a big body (who) can skate (and) should fit in with what we try to do." Friday night marked the Hurricanes' first regular-season game without right winger Jordan Martinook since the 2017-18 season. Martinook is out for up to two months after surgery Friday to address a core muscle injury. Carolina is bound to turn to goalie James Reimer for the second of the back-to-back games. Brind'Amour has kept the goalie distribution even so far with Petr Mrazek and Reimer playing every other game. Columbus' Joonas Korpisalo made his fourth start in five games Friday, so it's possible backup Elvis Merzlikins could be in net Saturday. Merzlikins, 25, gave up seven goals to the Penguins last week in his NHL debut.--Field Level Media
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