Carolina Hurricanes lose lead in third period, fall to Nashville in overtime at PNC Arena

After being out of town for a few weeks, the Carolina Hurricanes came home, finally unpacked, said hello to the wife and kids and quickly left to play a little more hockey.

It was not a happy homecoming. The Nashville Predators took a 6-5 win in overtime on a Filip Forsberg goal 35 seconds into the extra period, taking a shot between the circles that beat goalie Antti Raanta.

Stefan Noesen and Martin Necas each had a goal and assist for Carolina (16-12-2). The Predators (17-13-0), who are now 5-0 in overtime this season, got a goal and two assists from Roman Josi.

The Canes had not played at home since Dec. 2, when they hammered the Buffalo Sabres, 6-2. For much of their return game, it seemed like they’d need another six to win again against a Predators team that had won five of its past six and was putting in its first game since Tuesday.

During a six-game road swing that took them through western Canada and back through Detroit, the Canes lost the first four — captain Jordan Staal calling it the “road trip from hell” — before closing with wins against the Ottawa Senators and Red Wings.

The Canes led 2-1 after the first Friday, getting power-play goals from Stefan Noesen and Tony DeAngelo. That set up a second period when defense, at times, appeared optional.

In one 6½-minute stretch, six goals were scored. Three came in a span of 52 seconds before everyone exhaled a little as the period ended with Carolina ahead 5-4.

The third was more tightly played, the only goal coming nearly 11 minutes into the period as Jeremy Lauzon scored off the rush for the Preds for a 5-5 tie.

Takeaways from the game:

Going 11 forwards and 7 D

Brind’Amour, for the second straight night, went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. That again kept DeAngelo in the lineup. And on the power play again.

Good call.

DeAngelo’s power-play goal in the first came after a faceoff win by the Canes, DeAngelo walking the line and getting off a long-distance shot Lankinen could not track with the Canes’ Michael Bunting in front.

The power play appears smoother and the passing sharper with the crafty DeAngelo quarterbacking a unit. Six of his nine points this season have been on the power play.

After going 0-4 on the power play in the 2-1 win at Detroit on Thursday, the Canes picked up the two Friday in the first and were 5-14 in the past four games

Building a season

The Jack Drury point steak continues as the center continues to impress. Talk about building a game; Drury is steadily building a season.

Drury had the primary assist on Noesen’s power-play goal in the first, getting off a quick shot from the circle that allowed Noesen, lurking in front, to knock in.

Drury had one assist in his first 15 games. The center now has four in the past five games, plus a goal. His five-game point streak is tied with Aho for the longest on the Canes this season.

Tough night in net

It was not a good night to be a goaltender, with both teams getting too many good looks — especially in the wild second.

Pyotr Kochetkov won the past two games for the Canes, but on the back-end of the back-to-back set Raanta got the start. He allowed a few goals he likely did not like, the Preds’ first score coming on a swiped backhander by Juuso Parssinen that sent the puck tumbling toward Raanta and through his pads.

In the third, Raanta gloved a shot by Philip Tomasino, who was open with 13 minutes left in regulation. Later, he stopped a quick shot by Ryan O’Reilly, who scored in the second.

But the Preds tied it with a well-executed rush down the ice, Jeremy Lauzon taking a pass from Luke Evangelista and beating Raanta with 9:03 left in third.