Aho scores in OT, Hurricanes beat Blackhawks 3-2

Sebastian Aho scored 1:16 into overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Monday night, spoiling Cam Ward’s emotional return to Raleigh.

Teuvo Teravainen and Micheal Ferland scored power-play goals 66 seconds apart late in the second period for Carolina, which has earned points in three straight and beat Chicago for the second time in four nights.

Ward stopped 37 shots in his return to PNC Arena, Jonathan Toews scored a deflected goal and Alex DeBrincat added a goal, but the Blackhawks lost their eighth straight.

Carolina’s Scott Darling made 33 saves against his former team, in regulation coming up with a slick glove save to stop Patrick Kane on a 2-on-1 and making a left pad save to stop Nick Schmaltz on a breakaway.

Aho’s winner came after he took a pass at the blue line, then skated in before drifting across the net and beating Ward with a wrist shot.

For Ward, it was a tough end to his first game as a visitor in the arena where he won the 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy and hoisted the Stanley Cup.

He set franchise records with 318 victories, 568 starts and 27 shutouts during 13 seasons with the Hurricanes before he was allowed to leave as a free agent and signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Blackhawks in July while Carolina opted to give Petr Mrazek a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Toews scored the game’s first goal with 10:53 left in the first. Parked in front of Darling, he redirected Henri Jokiharju’s one-time blast from the point for his third goal in six games. DeBrincat made it a 2-0 game with 9:11 left in the second with a blast from between the circles.

Carolina tied it with two rapid-fire power-play goals. Teravainen made it 2-1 three seconds into a delay of game minor on Brent Seabrook, and Ferland followed with his goal 26 seconds into Jokiharju’s slashing penalty.

NOTES: Carolina LW Jordan Martinook and Seabrook traded punches midway through the third after Seabrook hit Hurricanes rookie RW Andrei Svechnikov into the boards. Seabrook received a boarding minor while Martinook was whistled for roughing. … A former Hurricane missed his homecoming, with Chicago C Marcus Kruger out with a left leg injury. … Carolina has scored power-play goals in four straight games.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Return home to face St. Louis on Wednesday night.

Hurricanes: Continue their six-game homestand Saturday night against Columbus.