William Carrier scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and chipped in an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 5-3 on Thursday night in New York. Andrei Svechnikov added two points for the defending Cup champions, with Logan Stankoven and Jesperi Kotkaniemi also finding the net.

The Islanders made it a contest after a rough opening. They clawed back from an early hole to keep the game within reach deep into the third, but late mistakes proved costly against the first-place Hurricanes, who tacked on an empty-netter to seal it. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour admitted afterward the team was "not at its best," per Yahoo Sports — yet two third-period goals were enough to hold off New York's push.

The result keeps Carolina atop the standings and extends a frustrating pattern for the Islanders, who played the league leaders tough for long stretches only to be undone in the final frame.

In other Hurricanes news, No. 1 Miami is preparing for a college football clash with No. 11 Notre Dame without star Malachi Toney, with the coaching staff leaning on its "1-0 mentality" approach of treating every game the same.