NHL roundup: Miller scores twice, Svechnikov adds four assists as Hurricanes beat Stars 6-3

By Canadian Press on January 6, 2026.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — K’Andre Miller scored twice while Andrei Svechnikov had four assists as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Dallas Stars 6-3 on Tuesday night.

In a game packed with individual storylines, the Hurricanes chased Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger by midway through the second period while taking a 5-1 lead.

Logan Stankoven scored for Carolina against his former team, which traded him here last year at the deadline in the deal that sent Mikko Rantanen to Dallas.

The Hurricanes acquired Rantanen last January in a three-team deal, though he played just 13 games before Carolina moved him when it became clear he wouldn’t sign an extension. Rantanen was booed throughout his return to Raleigh, as well as hearing chants of “Logan’s better!” after Stankoven juked Rantanen on his first-period score from the slot.

Rantanen eventually found the net with a forehand-backhand move early in the third to beat Brandon Bussi to set off even more hearty boos — along with roaring jeers when he headed to the penalty box midway through the period.

Carolina goals leader Seth Jarvis returned from an eight-game absence with an upper-body injury, scoring the goal that knocked Oettinger from the game after the netminder misplayed the puck behind the net.

Shayne Gostisbehere and William Carrier also scored for Carolina, while Nikolaj Ehlers added three assists and Bussi made 19 saves.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Tuesday:

SABRES 5 CANUCKS 3

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist, and Buffalo held on to beat Vancouver for its 11th win in 12 games.

Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod, Zach Metsa and Josh Doan also scored for Buffalo, which was coming off a 5-1 loss at Columbus on Saturday that snapped a 10-game win streak. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 shots.

Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Liam Ohgren all scored in the third period, and Brock Boeser had two assists for the Canucks, who have lost four straight (0-2-2) and six of seven (1-4-2). Thatcher Demko had 15 saves.

Vancouver trailed 4-0 in the third period before DeBrusk ended Luukkonen’s bid for his first shutout of the season, scoring a power-play goal in front on the rebound of an attempt by Kiefer Sherwood at 10:17.

Petterson pulled the Canucks to 4-2 just under five minutes later, getting the puck in the slot and turning and firing it past Luukkonen.

Ohgren got Vancouver within one another 39 seconds later, scoring from the left circle with a shot through traffic that went between Luukkonen’s pads.

Doan sealed the Sabres’ win with his 13th of the season into an empty net with 1:24 remaining.

LIGHTNING 4 AVALANCHE 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Hagel snapped a third-period tie with his 20th goal of the season to lead Tampa Bay to its eighth consecutive win with a victory over Colorado.

Jake Guentzel and Zemgus Girgensons also scored for the Lightning, and Anthony Cirelli added an empty-netter. Nikita Kucherov recorded his seventh straight multi-point game with a pair of assists.

Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 31 saves for his sixth consecutive win.

Parker Kelly and Brock Nelson scored for Colorado, which has dropped consecutive games in regulation for the first time this season. The Avalanche had just three regulation losses on the season entering Tuesday.

Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 shots for Colorado.

Hagel scored the winning goal after Kucherov protected the puck near the left circle, found Max Crozier who cut down the slot before finding Hagel for a sweeping one-timer at 8:31 of the third period. Cirelli scored an empty-net goal with 1:25 left.

FLYERS 5 DUCKS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trevor Zegras scored twice for Philadelphia in his first game against his former team to lead them to a win over Anaheim.

Cutter Gauthier scored his 20th goal of the season for the Ducks in his second game in Philadelphia against the franchise he forced to trade him — and turned him into one of Philly’s biggest sports villains.

On a night the Flyers honoured late founder Ed Snider, the arena was packed with fans just happy to root again for a team in playoff contention.

Flyers fans mostly showed up to boo — and profanely chant — at Gauthier. They roared in the second period when Garnet Hathaway cleanly crushed Gauthier into the boards.

Cam York and Travis Sanheim also scored for the Flyers and Nikita Gregbenkin added an empty-netter. Alex Killorn had a goal for Anaheim.

ISLANDERS 9 DEVILS 0

NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Duclair recorded a hat trick for the first time in more than six years, Ilya Sorokin stopped all 44 shots he faced in his return from injury, and New York handed New Jersey a second consecutive defeat.

Back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two games, Duclair scored three goals in a row during a stretch from 4:01 into the first period to 3:29 into the second and also had two assists for a five-point game. His fourth hat trick in the NHL was his first since Dec. 14, 2019, four teams ago when he was with the Ottawa Senators.

Sorokin was exceptional, showing no rust in his first game action since Dec. 19 as he became the franchise’s career shutout leader with his 26th. He had been out with what the Islanders called a nagging lower-body injury.

At the other end of the rink, Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom allowed goals on the first two shots he faced — from Mat Barzal and Duclair — and three on five, finishing with nine on 24. His teammates had little bounce back after losing at home to Carolina on Sunday in a game in which young defenceman Luke Hughes twice put the puck into his own net.

MAPLE LEAFS 4 PANTHERS 1

TORONTO (AP) — Matthew Knies scored a goal and set up Auston Matthews to push Toronto to a win against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida.

Easton Cowan also scored for the Maple Leafs and Bobby McMann added an empty-net goal.

Former Maple Leafs draft pick Carter Verhaeghe broke Joseph Woll’s shutout bid with 8:22 remaining as Toronto won its sixth straight at Scotiabank Arena. The Panthers have been blanked only once this season.

Knies made it 2-0 early in the second period. Then, less than four minutes later, he set up Matthews with a pass in front for the captain’s team-leading 21st.

Former Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin was in attendance. He was part of a pre-game ceremony to mark Matthews becoming the all-time franchise leader in goals. Sundin had the mark at 420. Matthews now sits at 422.

Matthews has seven goals and 11 points in five games since the three-day Christmas break and was foiled by Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky on an early-game power-play breakaway.

Florida outshot the home side 32-23.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 JETS 3 (OT)

WINNIPEG, Man. (AP) — Tomas Hertl scored on the power play at 4:47 of overtime and Vegas beat Winnipeg, handing the Jets their 10th straight loss.

Reilly Smith had a goal and an assist, Mitch Marner also had a power-play goal, and Brett Howden also scored for the Golden Knights, who snapped a five-game skid (0-3-2). Carter Hart made 17 saves.

Cole Perfetti, Luke Schenn and Kyle Connor scored for Winnipeg, and Gabriel Vilardi had two assists. Connor Hellebuyck had 27 saves as the Jets fell to 0-6-4 during their losing streak.

With Winnipeg’s Dylan Samberg off for tripping late in the extra period, Mitch Marner fired the puck and it bounced off Hertl and in as he was battling in front of Hellebuyck.

Perfetti beat Hart with a backhand 5:16 into the game to snap a 16-game goal drought. He skated by the boards and banged the glass in celebration.

The Associated Press