Ehlers scores lone goal in OT, Hurricanes edge Flames

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Nikolaj Ehlers scored the lone goal at 2:52 of overtime, and Brandon Bussi made 15 saves for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 1-0 win against the Calgary Flames at Lenovo Center on Sunday.

Ehlers won it when he tapped in the puck at the right post off a give-and-go with Taylor Hall.

“We were both coming with a lot of speed,” Ehlers said. “He wanted it on the outside. My thought was just going to the net and give him the option. It was a great play by 'Hallsy.'”

Hall started the sequence with a pass out of Carolina’s defensive zone before the two crossed at center ice. Hall was just outside the left face-off circle before he passed to Ehlers for the game-winning goal.

“A lot of times you’d rather a right-handed player receiving that pass,” Hall said. “But I knew that he’d probably give me his forehand. It was a good play.

“Him and I don’t get out a lot together. In practice, we don’t get to do many drills together because we’re always working as lines. It’s funny when you get out there with a guy who’s fast and elusive. Just give him the puck, he draws two guys to him, and I’m able to take it wide.”

The shutout was Bussi's first in his eighth NHL start. He has won five straight starts and is 7-1-0 with a 2.11 goals-against average and .907 save percentage to begin his career.

“Obviously, I appreciate it, so I don’t want to understate that. It is cool,” Bussi said. “Anytime you hear your name being chanted by the crowd, it’s really cool. But the most important thing is what’s going on in this room, how we’re playing night in and night out."

The Hurricanes (16-7-2) have won two straight after losing the opener of their seven-game homestand.

“[Bussi] has been great for us,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “He’s come up with timely saves. It’s not like we’ve been leaving him out to dry and giving up 40 shots a night, but there’s a breakaway here or there and those are huge moments in tight games. Every game you could almost say the same story."

Devin Cooley made 16 saves for the Flames (9-14-4), who are 4-1-1 in their past six games.

“There wasn’t a lot of room either way tonight,” Calgary coach Ryan Huska said. “I think for our team we didn’t get the result we wanted, but I did like a lot of the way we played. We had some really good opportunities, but we didn’t capitalize on them.”

It was Cooley's first loss in his past four starts. He has a 1.99 GAA and .926 save percentage in that span.

“I’m just having a lot of fun, I think that’s what it is," Cooley said. "I’m trying not to think too much about myself at all. In previous years and even in preseason, I was just so focused internally and stressed out and second-guessing myself. And now I’m only focused on what the other team is doing and trying to have a lot of fun while I play. It makes things so much easier.”

NOTES: Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal returned to the lineup after missing three games with an illness. He had two shots in 14:10 of ice time. … Three of Ehlers’ five goals this season have been game-winners.