COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Teuvo Teravainen scored the game’s first goal less than a minute into the second period, Spencer Martin stopped 20 shots against his former team and the Carolina Hurricanes rolled to 4-2 win over the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

Sebastian Aho, Brady Skjei and Seth Jarvis also tallied for the Hurricanes, who won for the second time in three days and sixth time in their last eight games. Martin, who was claimed off waivers from Columbus on Jan. 19, improved to 4-0-1 for Carolina.

“I was trying to work myself up to stick it to them, basically,” said Martin, who started 10 games for Columbus. “But at the end of the day, I really enjoyed my time here. Especially seeing those guys during warmups. There’s no hate or anything like that. It was actually really fun.”

Said Skjei: “Every game he’s played for us so far has been really rock solid.”

Alexander Nylander had a goal and assist, his first points with Columbus. Cole Sillinger also scored, and Daniil Tarasov made 28 saves for the Blue Jackets, who lost on the road to the New York Rangers 4-1 in the first leg of a back-to-back on Wednesday.

READ MORE

Kopitar scores twice and Talbot makes 28 saves as Kings blank Blackhawks 5-0

New York Rangers sign Swedish goalie Hugo Ollas. who played at Merrimack College

The suddenly surging Buffalo Sabres have inched their way back into playoff race with 8-3-1 run

The Metropolitan Division rivals are headed in opposite directions. The second-place Hurricanes have been rolling since December and are chasing the Rangers, while Columbus is mired in last with diminishing chances of moving up.

After a scoreless first period, Teravainen scored his 18th goal of the year 53 seconds into second, jumping on a loose puck on the doorstep and sliding it between Tarasov’s legs.

Later in the second, Aho got credit for a goal after his shot from the right circle bounced off a Blue Jacket player’s skate and pinballed over the goal line. Less than two minutes later, Sillinger, set up nicely by Zach Werenski on a rush, ripped a shot under Martin’s arm to make it 2-1.

Skjei gave Carolina a two-goal lead late in the second when the defenseman got ahead on a rush and poked a one-handed shot through Tarasov’s pads. Brent Burns, playing in his 821st straight game, picked up the secondary assist. That’s the longest active streak and eighth longest in NHL history.

“I mean, there were areas where we probably could have been a little better, but for the most part, we knew when we got pucks behind their defense we would be successful — and that showed,” Skjei said.

Nylander’s top-shelf wrist shot on a power play made it a one-goal game in the third period. Jarvis got an empty-net goal with 14.2 seconds left.

Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent lamented the lack of shots, just four in the first period and eight in the third.

“A few times we were looking for the next play instead of shooting the puck,” he said. “When you have a chance to shoot it, you have to shoot it.”

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: Hosts Winnipeg on Saturday.

Blue Jackets: At Chicago on Saturday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://thisforall.net/AP_Sports