Hurricanes 3 - 2 Islanders
Final
  for this game

Sutter strikes goal as 'Canes clip Islanders

Jan 5, 2014 - 4:05 AM Uniondale, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Brett Sutter scored the game winner in the second period as the Carolina Hurricanes held off the New York Islanders for a 3-2 win at Nassau Coliseum.

Jordan Staal and Manny Mahotra also scored and Patrick Dwyer had a pair of assists for the Hurricanes, winners in three straight.

Anton Khudobin made 38 saves in the win.

Although Carolina came away with the win, it lost star center Eric Staal to a lower-body injury. Staal saw nearly 10 minutes of ice time before exiting and did not return.

"He will get assessed tonight and hopefully we will know his status tomorrow," said Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller.

Thomas Vanek had a goal and an assist and John Tavares also lit the lamp for the Islanders, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves but allowed all three goals in the setback.

"We've played good hockey. These are losses that hurt us. We have to rebound and get ready for Monday," Vanek said.

Carolina opened up the scoring at 6:57 of the middle session. Dwyer controlled the puck behind the net and backhanded a pass to a crashing Malhotra, who deposited into the back of the net.

Tavares tallied less than a minute later to even things up. Tavares stole a lazy pass in the New York zone and flipped it to Vanek, who sent it right back and Tavares was able to beat Khudobin with a wrister.

Jordan Staal scored his ninth goal of the season at the 13:12 mark. Dwyer centered a pass to Staal, who skated to the right, but pulled back and sent the disc just inside the left post for a 2-1 lead.

Sutter backhanded a Jeff Skinner offering 57 seconds later to add an insurance goal Carolina ended up needing.

Nabokov was pulled over a minute before an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty to Alex Semin inside the final two minutes created a 6-on-4 for the hosts. Vanek's power-play goal with 25 ticks remaining accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

Sutter's goal was his first since Dec. 23, 2008 when his was a member of the Calgary Flames ... The Hurricanes will host Nashville on Sunday ... Tavares has 17 goals and Vanek has 15 goals and 19 assists this season ... The Islanders will host the Dallas Stars on Monday.






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