PITTSBURGH, PA. – The Carolina Hurricanes took away a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at CONSOL Energy Center on Friday.
Jiri Tlusty led the Hurricanes with two goals while Patrick Dwyer and Nathan Gerbe added singles.
Goaltender Cam Ward solidified the win with a 20-save effort.
Defenseman Kris Letang and forward Patrick Hornqvist posted the Penguins’ goals that eventually twice tied the score in between Tlusty’s and Dwyer’s tallies during the first two periods of play.
Carolina’s 2-of-3 success rate on the power play was the difference-maker as Gerbe’s eventual game-winner came with the man-advantage, and put Carolina ahead 3-2 early in the third.
Another power play goal, an empty-net goal from Tlusty with 13 seconds left sealed the win, and ended the team’s recent three-game losing skid.
“I thought tonight, the first couple of shifts they had us hemmed in,” Carolina head coach Bill Peters said.
“They were doin’ a good job, and then from that point on, I thought we played well…Tonight we were able to stay on the right side of most pucks and did a good job.”
The two teams will face off against one another again in the second half of their weekend back-to-back set when the puck drops between them at PNC Arena on Saturday.
Notes: Tlusty’s 10th goal tied him for 11th place overall in the NHL with 13 other players…The NHL’s number one and four scorers, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, were held to a combined two assists with Crosby (+1) claiming both while Malkin (-1) finished without a point…Ward’s performance included a spectacular stick save on Blake Comeau midway through the first period that kept the game scoreless.
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Boxscore: Carolina 4, Pittsburgh 2
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