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Antropov sparks Maple Leafs past Hurricanes

Jan 31, 2007 - 4:58 AM RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Nik Antropov kept coach Paul Maurice unbeaten in his return to Carolina.

Antropov scored two third-period goals to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

It was the second visit here this season for Maurice, who is in his first season with the Maple Leafs and improved to 2-0 against his former team. Maurice was coach of the Hartford Whalers and Hurricanes from 1995 to 2004.

"I'm very pleased with our game tonight," Maurice said. "I think that when you look back at it, we have had a pretty good January when you consider the injuries we have had and some of the teams we have played."

Toronto left wing Bates Battaglia, who spent six seasons with the Hurricanes, also got a measure of revenge against his former team with a goal and an assist, helping the Leafs to their fourth win in five games.

Battaglia's goal came 5 1/2 minutes after goaltender Andrew Raycroft gave Toronto a boost by thwarting Eric Belanger on a penalty shot at 8:26 of the first period.

"It's nice to make a save and not let a penalty shot in," Raycroft said. "At this point now, we're in a position that if we play our best, it doesn't really matter who we're playing. We've found our rhythm and we just need to stick to that."

After Ray Whitney tied the game with 3:53 left in the opening session, stuffing a puck between the pads of Raycroft, the teams played a scoreless second period before Antropov took over in the third.

Just 37 seconds into the period, he received a pass from captain Mats Sundin and backhanded the puck past netminder Cam Ward.

"Mats just kind of redirected it to me," Antropov said. "It was a little bit away from me but I adjusted and put it in. It was kind of an easy goal."

Antropov added an insurance tally with 4:00 to play, taking advantage of Ward's inability to control a soft shot by Bryan McCabe. Antropov swooped in for the rebound and skated behind the net before stuffing the puck between Ward's left skate and the post on a wrap-around.

"They got the one from behind the goal line and go up 3-1," Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette said. "That was late in the game. That really put a nail in it. The one early hurt because I thought we had done a good job in the second period of getting back into it. ... Once that happened, it was a struggle to get back going again.

Tomas Kaberle capped the scoring with an empty-net tally with 19 seconds left for Toronto, which was playing the first of a five-game road swing.

Raycroft made 28 saves to win his second straight game for the Maple Leafs, who were 0-for-4 on the power play.

Ward stopped 34 shots for Carolina, which lost its second straight game.