Hurricanes 4, Devils 3
NEWARK, N.J. -- The Carolina Hurricanes rode a three-goal second period to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night at Prudential Center.
The Hurricanes received goals from forwards Tuomo Ruutu and Patrick Dwyer along with defenseman Ron Hainsey during the middle-period onslaught. Defenseman Justin Faulk scored for the Hurricanes in the first period.
Goaltender Cam Ward made 19 saves as Carolina (10-10-5) won its second straight after dropping four in a row.
Forwards Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr and defenseman Andy Greene scored for the Devils (9-11-5). New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur allowed four goals on 22 shots to take the loss.
Faulk's first goal of the season gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead. He gathered a pass from left winger Jiri Tlusty near the blue line and wristed a lengthy shot that eluded Brodeur at 6:44 of the first period.
Just 1:50 into the second period, Ruutu's third goal of the season increased the Hurricanes' lead to 2-0. Center Eric Staal set up the play with a great pass from behind the net to a streaking Tlusty in the slot.
The Devils answered less than three minutes later when Zajac led a two-on-one rush with Jagr and snapped a shot through the legs of Ward to make it 2-1.
Hainsey restored the two-goal advantage less than four minutes later when his long slap shot deflected off the stick of Devils forward Patrik Elias and past Brodeur.
Dwyer's short-handed goal with 4:17 remaining in the second pushed the lead to 4-1. Greene coughed up the puck at the blue line, allowing Dwyer to skate in alone and beat Brodeur with a backhand shot through the legs.
Greene atoned for his gaffe midway through the third period, ripping a shot from just inside the blue line that slid just inside the far post to the cut deficit to 4-2.
Jagr made it 4-3 with 1:47 left in regulation and Brodeur on the bench for the extra attacker, but the Devils could not find the equalizer.
NOTES: The Hurricanes were without RW Kevin Westgarth, who was serving the first game of a two-game suspension for boarding Senators D Mark Borowiecki on Sunday. ... The Devils made RW Damien Brunner a healthy scratch. Brunner, who signed a two-year, $5 million contract before the season, has zero points in his past 12 games. ... Devils G Cory Schneider served as the backup for third consecutive game, which didn't sit well with him following the morning skate. "I'm frustrated," he said. "I'm trying to work hard and do what I can, but I'd just like to see the ice a little bit more is all."
