Hurricanes Andrei Svechnikov handles the puck ahead of Buffalo Sabres Owen Power (25) and Josh Doan (91) during Carolina’s 6-3 win Saturday in Raleigh. (Ben McKeown / AP Photo)

RALEIGH — Andrei Svechnikov got the Hurricanes started off on the right foot. Charles Alexis Legault finished it off.

Svechnikov factored in on Carolina’s first two goals, and Legault assisted on the game-winning goal for his first career NHL point and then got his first goal on an empty-netter as the Hurricanes beat the visiting Sabres 6-3 Saturday at Lenovo Center.

Svechnikov went eight games without a point to start the season, but he never let negativity creep into his game.

“If you see me break a stick, then there is frustration,” Svechnikov said in the midst of his slump. “You stay positive. If you go negative, then it’s going to get worse and worse.”

It not only didn’t get worse — it got way better. Svechnikov scored the next game and has been hot since. Against Buffalo, he helped Carolina get on the board early, bumping Sabres forward Noah Ostlund off the puck in the defensive zone and leading a rush the other way. A quick head fake fooled Josh Doan, allowing him to slide a pass over to Sebastian Aho for his fifth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.

He then helped Carolina reclaim the lead in the second period, one-timing a K’Andre Miller pass past Alex Lyon (29 saves) on the power play to make it 2-1 at 4:34 of the middle frame.

“Sometimes when it doesn’t go your way, obviously there’s lots of negativity,” Svechnikov said after Saturday’s win. “But you’ve got to stay positive and sometimes maybe don’t care. Because I know what kind of player I am and what I can do and just waiting for that moment.”

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour praised Svechnikov for being able to turn around his season.

“In the last little while here, he’s certainly, if not been our best player, he’s been right there,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s looking Svech-like, so hopefully that continues.”

Brind’Amour has also liked what he’s seen from the rookie defensemen who have been pressed into action with all of Carolina’s blue line injuries. And two of them got rewarded Saturday with their first career points.

The Hurricanes doubled their lead just past the midway point of regulation when the team executed a full line change in the Sabres zone and continued to pressure. Rookie defenseman Joel Nystrom, playing his eighth career game, got his first NHL point when his pass to Jesperi Kotkaniemi was one-timed into the net for a 3-1 lead at 11:39.

“I saw I got a little space there, so I tried to beat my forward,” said Nystrom, a seventh round pick in 2021 who is in his first full season in North America. “And I saw KK coming from the blue line, and then he did a really good shot. So I have to thank him too.”

While Carolina’s defense is still in flux, its forwards got a boost when William Carrier and Eric Robinson returned to the lineup after missing six games.

Robinson picked up where he left off, scoring off a Kotkaniemi pass on the rush 29 seconds into the third period for his fourth goal of the year and a 4-1 lead. Legault got his first career point with a secondary assist.

Carolina needed the cushion after Buffalo scored twice in 3:26 to cut the lead to one at 4-3 with more than 13 minutes remaining.

But Pyotr Kochetkov (19 saves), who made his second start of the season after posting a shutout Tuesday at the Rangers, made a toe save on Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson with an extra attacker on the ice for Buffalo. Nine seconds later, Seth Jarvis scored his ninth goal of the season into an empty net.

The Sabres pulled Lyon again, hoping for a miracle with just over two minutes left. But Legault had the puck come to him in the left faceoff circle in the Carolina end and slapped it nearly the full length of the ice and into the net for his first career goal with 88 seconds remaining.

“You dream of scoring one since being a kid, so being able to get one tonight was a great feeling,” said Legault, who was playing in the seventh game of his career.

Both he and Nystrom were expected to help anchor the Chicago Wolves’ defense in the American Hockey League this season, but they’ve instead experienced their first taste of the NHL together.

“We’ve been kind of living it together, being two young guys,” Legault said, “and we drive to the rink together every day. So being able to get it with him, it’s a great feeling.”

Notes: Jalen Chatfield missed the game while in the concussion protocol. Shayne Gostisbehere and Jaccob Slavin also remained out. … Mark Jankowski, Brandon Bussi and recent call-up Gavin Bayreuther were healthy scratches. … Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is away from the team after returning to Sweden to be with his fiancee, who underwent a heart transplant in the summer. … Kotkaniemi and Aho also had two-point games. … Alexander Nikishin was plus 2 and is tied for the league lead in plus/minus at plus 13. … The Hurricanes reclaimed goalie Cayden Primeau off waivers from Toronto and assigned him to AHL Chicago.