Carolina's supporting cast carried the defending Stanley Cup champions on Tuesday night, as the Hurricanes beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 at Rogers Arena to move into first place in the NHL points standings. It was Carolina's eighth win in nine games and Vancouver's eighth consecutive defeat.

Who stepped up for Carolina?

Nikolaj Ehlers, Logan Stankoven and Nicolas Deslauriers each scored twice, with Ehlers and Stankoven adding an assist apiece, and Jackson Blake chipped in three assists. Deslauriers, known more for his physical play than his scoring touch, posted his first multi-goal game since February 2022. Ehlers said the depth scoring was "obviously huge" and noted that every player contributing was part of last season's title run.

Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov made 14 saves and improved to 6-0-0 this season. Coach Rod Brind'Amour pointed to one stop in particular, denying Drew O'Connor on a breakaway with the game tied late in the second period, as the save the team needed.

How did the game slip away from Vancouver?

The Canucks were level at 3-3 entering the third period before Carolina scored three unanswered goals, starting with Deslauriers' go-ahead marker at 4:07. It is a familiar pattern for Vancouver, which has been tied or leading after two periods in each of its past four games and lost them all.

"It's a really good lesson for our group that when your game lacks details in the third, or when you open up the door against teams that we've been playing, they make you pay," coach Manny Malhotra said, according to TSN.

Goaltender Leevi Merilainen was a bright spot with 38 saves, including a stop on Sebastian Aho's penalty shot after Elias Pettersson was caught throwing his stick. Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Max Sasson scored for Vancouver, which entered the night with the league's worst penalty kill at 58.1 percent but kept Carolina scoreless on the power play.

What comes next?

Carolina visits Edmonton on Thursday, while Vancouver hosts Detroit the same night, seeking its first win since early in the season. At 2-8-1, the rebuilding Canucks are already hearing frustration from their dressing room. "It sucks losing," Pettersson said. "I don't have any good words for it."

FAQ

Where do the Hurricanes stand in the NHL standings?

After Tuesday's win, Carolina holds the NHL points lead with an 8-2-1 record.

How long is Vancouver's losing streak?

The Canucks have lost eight straight games, with their only point in that stretch coming in an overtime defeat to Florida on Oct. 15.