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Ducks edge 'Canes on Koivu's SO winner

Feb 24, 2012 - 4:58 AM Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Saku Koivu scored the game-winning goal in the second round of the shootout, leading the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at RBC Center.

Koivu picked up the puck and moved in slowly before deking to his backhand then switching to his forehand in close and sliding the puck past Hurricanes netminder Justin Peters.

Jonas Hiller stopped Jeff Skinner, Eric Staal and Brandon Sutter to secure the win for the Ducks.

"The guys looked a little tired, and I just didn't want to get scored on," Hiller said. "We played better in the third and changed the game around and came away with a win."

Luca Sbisa and Corey Perry scored in regulation for the Ducks, winners in two of their last three games. Hiller finished with 30 saves on 32 shots.

Jerome Samson and Jamie McBain lit the lamp for the Hurricanes, who got 35 saves from Peters in defeat.

"It was a playoff-style game, a lot of pressure out there," Hurricanes head coach Kirk Muller said. " I would absolutely use Staalsy (Staal) again in the shootout, he just rang it off the post."

Carolina opened the scoring at 13:52 of the first period when Jiri Tlusty gained the offensive blue line leading a 3-on-2 rush. Tlusty dished to Samson, who let a quick wrist shot go from the right wing that hit off bodies in front and found its way past Hiller to give the Hurricanes the early lead.

Anaheim though, came right back to tie the game at 14:40 after Nick Bonino outworked two defenders in the right corner, found Sbisa wide open in the slot and the steady defenseman ripped a quick snap shot past Peters.

Skating with the man advantage, the Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead at 5:40 of the second period after Jussi Jokinen won a key offensive zone draw to the left of Hiller back to Jaroslav Spacek at the right point. Spacek sent a pass over to McBain, who beat Hiller clean with a slap shot.

The Ducks tied the game at two with a power-play tally of their own at 9:35 of the third period after Ryan Getzlaf accepted a pass from Cam Fowler below the goal line to the left of the net. Getzlaf tried a sharp angle shot that was kept out by Peters, but Perry chipped home the rebound from in front.

Game Notes

Tlusty extended his points streak to nine consecutive games, while Staal has points in seven straight contests...Carolina fell to 7-3-1 in its last 11 home games...Anaheim converted 1-of-5 power play chances, while the Hurricanes went 1-for-2 with the man advantage...Carolina will host the Florida Panthers on Saturday, while the Ducks will face the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.