Wild 3, Hurricanes 2 (SO)
RALEIGH, N.C. - Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville all scored in the shootout as the Minnesota Wild beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 Saturday night to win in Raleigh for the first time in franchise history.
The Wild was 0-3-1 all time in Raleigh, but won its first shootout in four tries this season. Parise scored his 33rd shootout goal of his career, while Koivu added his 31st before Pominville sealed the win after Chris Terry scored for the Canes.
The Hurricanes had won two straight to start their five-game homestand, and goalie Justin Peters was coming off a shutout, but he fell to 0-4 in his career in shootouts.
Right wing Patrick Dwyer hit the post on a prime scoring opportunity with just over five minutes left in regulation that would likely have given the Canes the win, and the Canes failed to convert on a power play over the final 1:07 left in overtime with Mikael Granlund in the penalty box after being whistled for hooking.
Pominville, one of the NHL's hottest players over the last three weeks, scored his team-leading 11th goal just 3:33 in when he got behind the Carolina defense on a breakaway and ripped a wrist shot over the glove of Peters.
The Hurricanes, having trouble scoring in the first period, tied the game less than two minutes later when a shot just inside the blue line by defenseman Ryan Murphy handcuffed Harding after the puck hit a stick of one of the Wild players and knuckled in on net.
Jiri Tlusty, part of Carolina's slumping top line, gave the Canes a 2-1 lead 7:14 into the second. The left wing was left alone in front of Harding and he beat the Wild goalie between the legs with a backhander.
The Canes didn't have the lead for long as Justin Fontaine's perfect tip in from the slot four minutes later and four seconds after a Wild power play expired tied the score at 2-2.
NOTES: Carolina scored just its sixth first-period goal in 17 games. ... G Justin Peters recorded his first career point when he assisted on the Hurricanes' first goal. ... Wild RW Jason Pominville now has 10 goals in his last 13 games. ... Hurricanes captain C Eric Staal moved within one of recently fired Florida Panthers coach Kevin Dineen for third on the all-time franchise list for games played with 707. ... Carolina G Cam Ward was injured in the first meeting against the Wild on Oct. 24 and has missed the last seven games. ... Wild RW Justin Fontaine has six goals and no assists in his rookie season. ... Hurricanes LW Jiri Tlusty scored for the first time in seven games. ... Wild G Josh Harding allowed two or more goals for just the fourth time in 14 games.
