• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Ward shines in goal as Hurricanes edge Devils

Jan 7, 2009 - 5:00 AM RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Even a shoddy third period did not keep Cam Ward and the Carolina Hurricanes from solving the New Jersey Devils.

Ward made 26 saves as the Hurricanes extended their winning streak to four games with a 3-2 victory over the Devils on Tuesday.

Ray Whitney opened the scoring just 63 seconds into the game and Sergei Samsonov and Tuomo Ruutu added tallies to help the Hurricanes continue their sparkling defensive play before entering a stretch that has them playing seven of their next eight games on the road.

"It's going to be a tough road trip for us, there's no question about that," Ward said. "We've been much better at home. We've put on a good show for the fans and given them something to cheer for."

Ward, who has yielded just six goals during Carolina's current run, lost a bid for his second shutout of the season when Devils defenseman Paul Martin scored on the power play with 7:48 left in the third.

"It's too bad that we waited to the end to flip the switch," Devils goaltender Scott Clemmensen said. "You can't win games in this league trying to do it that way. Give them credit, they played well for the most part of the game. They really frustrated us through it."

Patrik Elias tallied in the waning seconds and added an assist and Clemmensen made 25 saves for the Devils, who fell to 8-2-1 in their last 11 overall meetings with the Hurricanes and 9-3-1 at Carolina since the start of the 2001-02 season.

"We haven't played all that well in the last five. We've had one decent game in the last five," Devils coach Brent Sutter said. "We've been fortunate enough to win two of the last four. When you play a team like this, you're not going to get away with it."

Since returning from a groin injury that sidelined him for five games, the 24-year-old Ward has gone 8-2-1, allowing more than two goals just twice.

However, the 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy winner entered this contest lacking recent success against New Jersey, posting a 2-4-1 record and a 3.14 goals-against average.

Whitney got Carolina on the scoreboard first, receiving a backhand pass from captain Rod Brind'Amour and wristing a shot past Clemmensen from in front of the net.

With 4:45 remaining in the second, Samsonov netted his 200th career tally to double the lead. During a man advantage, the Russian deflected the puck past Clemmensen while positioned on the doorstep for his eighth of the season.

Carolina's Eric Staal, who recorded 10 goals and 16 points in his previous 14 games, notched an assist on Ruutu's 12th goal of the campaign midway through the final session, which proved to be the game-winner.

"Tonight was a huge win," Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said. "It's important to beat teams that are ahead of you in the standings. It gives you confidence that you're in the chase. You're not just necessarily fighting the teams that are behind you."

Martin fired a wrister from the right faceoff circle past Ward late in the third to cut the deficit to 3-1, and Elias scored with 22 seconds remaining, although it was not enough to prevent New Jersey's two-game winning streak from ending.

"When we played with urgency, we scored two goals in (seven) minutes," Clemmensen said. "We got the puck in their end. We have to try and not wait until the end."

Sutter also felt the Devils' slow start doomed them, especially against a surging Eastern Conference foe.

"We played a team that is vastly improved," Sutter said. "They're playing very good defensive hockey. We had to fight through things tonight. We just didn't do enough of it. We all, as a group, have to pick it up a notch. Everyone has to get it going."

Hurricanes rookie center Brandon Sutter recorded three shots on goal in his first NHL game against his father.

Brandon Sutter became the fifth player to skate in a game with his father as the opposing coach, joining Los Angeles' Brady Murray (2007), Phoenix's Landon Wilson (2002), Ottawa's Gord Dineen (1993) and Mark Johnson, who accomplished the feat 15 times while with two different teams.

"It was a little weird, but once the game got going, I was fine," Brandon Sutter said. "As of right now, we got the first one, so that's a good start to the season series. Hopefully the next time we play them, we can bring the same effort."