Jets 4, Hurricanes 3
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Blake Wheeler scored his second goal of the game with 4:54 to play as the Winnipeg Jets withstood a wild third period to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Thursday night at PNC Arena.
Wheeler's winning goal was the third goal in a 63-second span, breaking in from the blue line to beat Carolina goalie Cam Ward and snap another tie.
The Jets have won three consecutive road games, something they never did last season.
The Hurricanes have lost back-to-back games for the first time since the first two games of the season.
Winnipeg's Andrew Ladd put the Jets ahead 3-2 on a goal off Bryan Little's face-off with 5:57 to play. Carolina's Jiri Tlusty answered with his second goal of the game 47 seconds later.
It was a busy third period.
Winnipeg's Evander Kane scored with 17:50 remaining. Carolina's Jordan Staal answered less than 90 seconds later, skipping the puck past Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec.
Pavelec made 27 saves. Ward stopped 19 shots.
Wheeler scored less than two minutes into the game on a shot from the top of the right circle.
Tlusty tied it for Carolina with 1:21 left in the first period, set up by Alexander Semin's behind-the-back pass.
Winnipeg's Zach Bogosian was denied by a shot that hit the post on the Jets' 5-on-3 power play late in the second period.
Chad LaRose of the Hurricanes had a shot go off the left post in the opening period.
NOTES: Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner missed his second game in a row with what has been termed a concussion. It occurred Feb. 14 against Toronto, though it wasn't diagnosed right away. Skinner, the 2010-11 NHL Rookie of the Year, also missed time last season with a concussion. ... Defenseman Ryan Murphy made his NHL debut after he was called up from his junior team, Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League, by Carolina. ... Winnipeg left wing Andrew Ladd, a former first-round draftee of the Hurricanes, played in his 500th NHL game, assisting on the game's first goal. He played 137 games with Carolina before going to Chicago and later the Atlanta/Winnipeg organization. ... Ladd and Carolina's Eric Staal entered the game tied for the NHL lead in goals for captains with eight apiece this season. ... Winnipeg defenseman Zach Redmond missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury. ... The game began a 10-game stretch that includes seven home outings for the Hurricanes. ... It was the second of five road games in a row for the Jets.
