The first and second-place teams in the Central Division went head-to-head at PNC Arena on Thursday night.
With a win, the Carolina Hurricanes could take over first place in the division with games in hand on both the visiting Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, who went to Columbus and captured an important pair of points against the Blue Jackets.
With the first-place spot in the division on the line, the Hurricanes turned to Alex Nedeljkovic in net, and the rookie was locked in early on. He was aggressive with his stick in the crease, breaking up a number of passes and scoring opportunities in front.