HELSINKI (AP) — Jordan Staal returned from injury, Andrei Svechnikov and Mark Jankowski each scored twice and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Saturday to sweep the NHL’s Global Series in Finland’s capital.
The Hurricanes (16-3-2) followed on their dominant 4-1 victory on Thursday and extended their winning streak to four.
Carolina became the first NHL franchise to win each of its first four regular-season games played outside North America following a sweep of a 2010 series against the Minnesota Wild, also in Helsinki.
Jackson Blake also scored for the Hurricanes, Nikolaj Ehlers had three assists and Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 12 shots for his 12th win in 13 games.
Svechnikov scored on power plays with two identical goals from the right circle in the middle period, one-timing a precise snap shot to make it 3-0 and another for a 4-1 advantage. He has five goals in his four-game point streak and has 11 goals on the season.
His second goal with 9:55 left in the second period prompted the Kraken to pull Joey Daccord after he allowed four goals on 14 shots. Philipp Grubauer made 22 saves in relief.
Matty Beniers scored for the Kraken (9-8-1) to reduce the deficit to 3-1.
Blake beat Daccord with a snap shot after Sebastian Aho sent him a backhand pass in between his legs in the first period. Blake extended his career-best point streak to 11 games.
Jankowski doubled that advantage with 2:30 left in the period. He added his second with 8:54 left in the final period, tapping in a precise pass from Taylor Hall.
Staal, Carolina’s captain, played his first game for the reigning champions after missing 14 following a calf tear on Oct 11. The 38-year-old center skated on the third line alongside wingers Seth Jarvis and Jordan Martinook and played 13:55.
The game Saturday was the 50th contested outside North America and ninth in Helsinki to tie Prague, with only Stockholm hosting more.
The NHL returns to Europe next month, this time to grow the fan base in Germany with a series between the Ottawa Senators and the Chicago Blackhawks in Düsseldorf on Dec. 18 and 20.
Up next
Kraken: Host Canucks on Thursday.
Hurricanes: Host Montreal on Thursday.
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The Associated Press