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Hurricanes earn Laviolette record-setting win

Nov 8, 2008 - 4:52 AM RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- It was beginning to look like Peter Laviolette again would have to wait for his milestone victory. Then the blue-liners of the Carolina Hurricanes took over.

Defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Joe Corvo scored third-period goals as the Hurricanes posted a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday, making Laviolette the winningest American-born coach in NHL history.

Corvo helped set up Seidenberg's power-play goal midway through the third before snapping a 1-1 tie with 2:40 remaining. The Hurricanes prevented the Senators from registering a shot the rest of the way, securing the 240th career win for Laviolette, who passed John Tortorella on the all-time list among American-born coaches.

"I think when things like that happen, you're in the game long enough and you're fortunate to be around long enough," Laviolette said. "You get good organizations, and I've had two, and you get to work with a lot of great players, and I've been fortunate that way. I think coaches, too. I've worked with some terrific coaches and a good wife that lets me do it."

Laviolette missed out on the opportunity to set the mark on Thursday, when Carolina dropped a one-goal decision at Washington.

"We didn't play that bad yesterday," Seidenberg said. "It was just a couple of minutes last night that we just kind of collapsed. We just used that anger or that motivation to get going today."

Michael Leighton made 22 saves for Carolina, which won for just the seventh time in its last 25 meetings with Ottawa.

"Cam (Ward) and Leights, they've been unbelievable in our season so far," Seidenberg said. "(We've) just go to try to keep the shots (against) a little bit lower than we have."

Mike Fisher scored and former Hurricane Martin Gerber stopped 28 shots for the Senators, who had won four of five.

"It wasn't our best game, no question," Fisher said. "We didn't create a ton of offensive chances. We scrambled a bit in our own end. You have to give them credit - they forechecked well. We knew what type of game they play. We just didn't handle the pucks that well tonight."

"We lost the game, that's the bottom line," Gerber said. "I think we should have won that game. They pushed hard at the end. They got some chances and scored some goals."

After a scoreless first period in which a video review negated a potential goal for Ottawa, the Senators got on the board late in the middle session. Leighton stopped captain Daniel Alfredsson's shot from the right faceoff circle, but Fisher swept the rebound past the netminder from the doorstep with 1:52 left in the period for his second goal of the season.

The tally stood until Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips was called for interference midway through the third. On the ensuing power play, Seidenberg beat Gerber with a slap shot at 11:06, knotting the contest at 1-1. The Swiss goalie had turned aside the first 24 shots he faced, including seven in the final session.

Acquired from the Senators in February, Corvo grabbed a loose puck in the right faceoff circle and wristed a shot past Gerber late in the third to cap the Hurricanes' comeback and clinch their fourth win in six games.

"It was just a point in the game where I felt like I wanted to get involved and maybe see what would happen in there," Corvo said. "Sure enough, there was a turnover and it ended up on my stick. I just put it on net and it went over Gerber's shoulder."

"The two guys that scored the goals tonight can shoot the puck," Laviolette said. "That's one of their strengths. They can both really bring it to the net."

Ottawa coach Craig Hartsburg believed the hungrier team emerged victorious.

"They probably deserved to win the way they kept at it," he said. "We weren't real sharp all night with the puck. The third period, we were probably sloppier. We turned some pucks over. We weren't strong enough on it to protect it. That's what happens if you're not good with the puck. You're hoping. In the third period, we were hoping to win."

Hartsburg refused to blame Gerber for the loss.

"He did a good job," Hartsburg said. "I think on both goals, they had a guy standing right in his face. You certainly can't fault him on either of the goals."

It was the second time Corvo has burned the Senators since being traded. In his first meeting with Ottawa following the deal on March 16, the 31-year-old recorded his first career hat trick in a 5-1 victory.

"It's just a little extra in the Kool-Aid before the game, I guess," Corvo said. "I'm just up for games like this. I don't want to go out there and not perform well against guys I was close to. I want to show them that I'm still doing well here."