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SPORTS Monday 14 January 2019

Aho leads Hurricanes

past Predators 6-3

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Se- son 8:19 into the first period. ing on both benches. It was
bastian Aho and the Caro- "That set the tone," Aho good."
lina Hurricanes got into a said. "We were all fired up Justin Williams, Saku Mae-
groove after Micheal Fer- after that." nalanen and Lucas Wall-
land tangled with Austin Ferland, who also had two mark also scored for Caro-
Watson. assists, did the dirty work lina, which has won five
Aho had three goals and and Aho handled the scor- straight at home. Petr
an assist to help Carolina ing. With the early start, Mrazek made 20 saves for
beat the Nashville Preda- Ferland figured the team his third win in four starts.
tors 6-3 on Sunday. needed a shot of energy. "That was one of our bet-
The Hurricanes won for "Being an early game, ter 60-minute efforts all
the seventh time in eight you're not really sure how year," Carolina coach Rod
games. There was no score you feel," Ferland said. "I Brind'Amour said. "I thought
when Ferland fought Wat- think it got everyone go- we played as solid as we
could."
It was the first hat trick of
the season for Aho. The All-
Star center has five goals in
the past two games, run-
ning his team-best total to
21 for the season.
He credited linemates Fer- Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho, left, of Finland, is congratu-
land and Teuvo Teravainen lated by Teuvo Teravainen (86), also of Finland, and Brock Mc-
Ginn (23) following Aho's goal against the Nashville Predators
for his recent surge. during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C.,
"They've been feeding me," Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019.
Aho said. Associated Press
Nashville, which had
earned at least a point in with a one-timer from the five straight games. ... Left
seven straight games, got slot at 18:15 off a nice feed wing Phillip Di Giuseppe
two goals from Filip Fors- from Justin Faulk. played 21 games with Car-
berg and another from The Predators cut Caroli- olina this season. He was
Down judge Sarah Thomas works along the sideline during Colton Sissons, but goal- na's lead to 2-1 with Sissons' claimed on waivers by the
the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game tender Pekka Rinne was goal 2:48 into the second Predators on Jan. 1 and
between the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England chased in the second pe- period, but the Hurricanes played his third game with
Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Foxborough, Mass.
Associated Press riod. responded with three Nashville on Sunday. ... The
Carolina had an advan- straight scores. Hurricanes improved to 7-0-
Sarah Thomas 1st female tage on special teams with Aho got a beautiful back- 2 in their black alternate
two power-play goals. The handed pass by Ferland jerseys this season.q
on-field NFL playoff Predators got a short-hand- and scored a power-play
ed goal but went 0 for 5 on goal at 3:08. Wallmark
game official the power play. caught Nashville in a line
Aho gave the Hurricanes a change 8:35 into the sec-
1-0 lead with a breakaway ond, and Williams chased
goal 15:44 into the first pe- Rinne with a power-play
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Sarah Thomas is the riod. Carolina got a break goal at 10:11.
first woman to work an NFL playoff game as an when the puck bounced Forsberg scored the next
on-field official. off the skate off a Nashville two goals. He had a short-
Thomas was the down judge in Sunday's divisional player in the Hurricanes' handed tally in the second
round game between New England and the Los zone and defenseman Ro- and then scored again
Angeles Chargers. That's a first, according to the man Josi fell down, leav- 13:33 into the third to cut
league's Twitter account . ing the ice open in front of Carolina's lead to 5-3.
Thomas was hired in 2015 and was already the Aho. "We're finally getting NOTES: It was Aho's second
league's first female full-time official. bounces," Ferland said. career hat trick. ... Williams,
Terri Valenti was the replay official in Saturday's "We haven't changed the in his 18th NHL season,
playoff game between the Chiefs and Colts, also way we play." matched his career-best
a first.q Maenalanen made it 2-0 scoring streak with a goal in