Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - Cam Ward made 57 saves and denied Doug Weight on a penalty shot with 0.7 seconds remaining in the game to carry the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.
Ward allowed three goals, while Chad LaRose scored twice for the Hurricanes, who had dropped three of four coming in.
Rick DiPietro played just one period between the pipes, allowing two goals on 12 shots, while Joey MacDonald saved 14-of-16 shots for the Islanders, who have fallen in three straight.
Freddy Meyer had a goal and an assist in defeat.
Trailing by a goal with less than five seconds showing on the clock, the Islanders sent the puck in front of the net and Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason intentionally covered up the loose disc in the crease, which resulted in a penalty shot with 0.7 seconds left.
Weight's attempt to send the game into overtime hit Ward directly in his chest and the goaltender covered up to seal the win.
LaRose converted a turnover in the Islanders' zone into a quick 1-0 Carolina lead, slipping one past a flat-footed DiPietro just 3:43 into the game.
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Five minutes later, Rod Brind'Amour muscled his way to the front of the net and cleaned up the rebound of Joseph Corvo's shot for his fourth goal of the season.
The Islanders cut their deficit in half four minutes into the second period when Meyer corralled Andy Hilbert's pass from the back of the net and fired a wrister that beat Ward.
But another New York turnover in its own zone gave the goal back, as Eric Staal swooped in to a steal a pass before beating MacDonald at the 10:51 mark of the second.
While shorthanded and trailing 3-1 in the third, Sean Bergenheim took Meyer's feed on a 2-on-1 break and went to the backhand to light the lamp for the Islanders at the 5:45 mark.
Less than a minute-and-a-half later, however, Brandon Sutter found LaRose in front of the net and LaRose went top-shelf to restore the Hurricanes' two-goal edge.
Tensions rose midway through the period when Sutter was caught with his head down by Weight at center ice. Sutter remained on the ice after the legal check and left with the help of several trainers.
Ryan Bayda was called for roughing after retaliating, and Mark Streit took advantage on the ensuing power play with a goal.
