Aho's OT goal lifts Hurricanes over Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Sebastian Aho scored 1:26 into overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night and earn a split of a four-game series.

Aho had a wide-open net after Martin Necas' shot off a rush was stopped by Joonas Korpisalo, but the goalie's momentum forced him out of the crease.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored from the doorstep to tie the game for Columbus with 16 seconds left in regulation.

Cedric Paquette, Nino Niederreiter and Necas also scored for the Hurricanes, and Alex Nedeljkovic followed up a shutout on Monday night with 33 saves.

The Hurricanes are 2-1-2 in their last five, following an eight-game win streak, and are in second place behind Tampa Bay in the Central Division.

Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves.

After a scoreless first, a Blue Jackets' second-period push finally paid off when Werenski fielded a rebounded puck off the back boards and bounced it in off Nedeljkovic's back at 7:03. The lead lasted only 46 seconds, until Paquette spun around in traffic and scored from the slot.

Necas gave Carolina a 2-1 lead late in the second when he poked a wrap-around shot in off Korpisalo's skate.

Columbus tied the game again early in the third when Atkinson's shot from the far left was inadvertently redirected by Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Niederreiter scored at 15:42 to put the Hurricanes up again.

DYAMITE DOUGIE

With an assist on Niederreriter's goal, Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton has registered a point in the Hurricanes' last 13 games, tying the longest point streak in the NHL this season. Toronto's Auston Matthews had a 13-game scoring streak that stretched from mid-January to mid-February. It's the longest point streak by a defenseman in franchise history.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday before departing for a two-game trip to Chicago.

Blue Jackets: Open a two-game series at Detroit on Saturday, the start of a six-game trip.

___

Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacy

__

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports