Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Chad LaRose scored twice, including the game- winner in the third period, as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the New York Islanders, 5-4, at RBC Center.
Matt Cullen had two goals and an assist while Ray Whitney and Joe Corvo each had three assists for the Hurricanes, who have won two straight on the heels of a three-game losing streak. Cam Ward made 28 saves in the win.
"We'll take the fact that we learned how to stay in an ugly game and battle back and win and we can play better," said Carolina head coach Paul Maurice.
The win moves Carolina into the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, one point ahead of the idle Rangers, with nine games to play.
Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen each had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who had won four of six coming into the game. Peter Mannino made 32 saves in the loss.
"They put us on our heels, we played pretty hard in the first period, they got some power plays and it's pretty hard to try anything when they're three power plays against you," said Islanders head coach Scott Gordon.
Trailing by a goal in the third period, Carolina rallied to take the lead with two goals in a span of 2:17.
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The game was tied on the power play when a shot at the right point by Rod Brind'Amour was tipped in by Cullen at the 13:22 mark.
The Hurricanes then took the lead on the rush. After a flurry of activity in front of the Carolina net, Whitney skated down the left wing and, once he gained the zone, cut to the top of the right circle. From there he dished it down low for LaRose, who tapped it in for a 5-4 advantage.
New York was unable to mount any offensive pressure over the next several minutes and a pair of minor penalties to the Islanders late in the game kept them from making a stab at tying the game.
Thanks to a lucky bounce, the Hurricanes took an early 1-0 lead. A dump-in from the neutral zone took a bounce off the backboards and Mannino attempted to grab it. However, it got by him and Cullen was there to sweep it into the open net just 44 seconds in.
Carolina took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission as LaRose's wrist shot found the back of the net with 1:08 left in the frame for his 15th goal of the season.
However, the Islanders rallied in the second and scored four times in the frame to take the lead.
Nielsen got things going at the 2:30 mark of the period on a wrister that beat Ward and Richard Park followed 3 1/2 minutes later as his backhander found the back of the net for his 12th goal of the season.
The visitors then took a 3-2 lead at the 14:51 point of the frame. On the rush, Andy Hilbert sent a saucer pass from the right to the left for Bruno Gervais, who left fly with a one-timer that got past Ward.
On the power play, the Islanders took a 4-2 lead with 1:03 left in the second thanks to Okposo's goal.
The Hurricanes got one back just nine seconds later when Tuomo Ruutu beat Mannino with a wrister to make it a 4-3 game heading into the final 20 minutes.
