Continuing to ride the hot hands of their young guns, the Carolina Hurricanes topped the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 at PNC Arena Tuesday night.

Rookie forward Andrei Svechnikov scored the game winner for the Canes (3-0-1), and Warren Foegele scored for the third time in two games. Forward Sebastian Aho, who has recorded at least a point in all four games, had a goal and an assist, as did forward Jordan Staal. Defenseman Brett Pesce also scored against the Canucks (1-2-0).

It was a tale of two types of games for the Canes, as the team continued to play run-and-gun hockey through the first two periods before locking it down in the third.

“We just got to our game finally,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “… Defensively, we weren’t great; special teams we weren’t great. But I like the way in the third, when we had to buckle down, it felt like we were finally playing our game.”

Goaltender Curtis McElhinney improved to 2-0 on the season after being claimed on waivers last week to replace the injured Scott Darling. He was solid in the win, stopping 22 of 25 Vancouver shots.

“I felt good,” McElhinney said. “Obviously when the game’s kind of back and forth a little bit and pucks are bouncing all over the place like they were, I think you’re just trying to take opportunities to control it as much as you can. For me, that’s just slowing the game down and freezing pucks when I do get an opportunity to do that.”

Staal put the Canes up 1-0 less than a minute in, powering his way open at the point and firing one through a screen for his third goal of the season.

“I just like the aggressiveness of our team,” Staal said. “I think we’re utilizing our speed; I think we’re a fast team. We’re actually playing that way too. We’re being aggressive and going after teams, creating turnovers. … It’s been fun to play that way as a player. A lot of the guys in the room are enjoying [playing] that way.”

Canucks forward Sven Baertschi tied the game just over six minutes in; he got behind Canes defenseman Dougie Hamilton, took a stretch pass for a breakaway and faked out McElhinney for a slick finish.

“It’s a fine line,” Brind’Amour said. “You don’t want to give up the chances, but we’re also creating a lot of offense because you’re giving up chances, if that makes sense. So we’ve just got to shore up the things that are costing that we’re not getting any offense out of anyway. Giving up stretch passes and things like that.”

Point shots through traffic continued to be the Canes’ friend in the opening frame, as Pesce slapped one home from the point through multiple bodies in front of Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom to make it 2-1 with just under nine minutes left in the period.

Aho made it 3-1 with just over two minutes left in the period, as forward Micheal Ferland battled for position in front of Markstrom and set up Aho, who snapped a shot under the Swedish netminder’s glove.

“I think [Ferland] tried to shoot at the net,” Aho said. “The usual, he creates some space, makes a really nice pass to me and I had a pretty easy shot there.”

The game continued to be defense optional early in the second; Canucks forward Bo Horvat sandwiched two power-play goals around Svechnikov’s second of the season in the first 3:24 of the middle frame to make it a 4-3 game.

Svechnikov was in perfect position for his goal, potting the rebound of a clapper from defenseman Jaccob Slavin.

“[Svechnikov]’s getting better and better,” Brind’Amour said. “There’s still lots of little mistakes. More than anything I think he just takes a little breath here and there and you just can’t in this league when you’re out there. But he’s finding his way, and I just always have to keep remembering he’s new to this. And it shows at time, but for the most part it doesn’t. He’s been great for us.”

Foegele gave Carolina some insurance with about six minutes left in the game, slamming home a pretty feed from Williams for his third goal of the season.

“We’re all having fun and we all believe in each other,” Foegele said. “I think those are two key things, so we’ve just got to keep working hard, believe in each other and no quit.”

The Canes will now get three days off before opening a three-game road trip against the Minnesota Wild Saturday.