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Corvo's power-play goals lift Hurricanes past Lightning

Feb 21, 2009 - 3:29 AM RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Defenseman Joe Corvo made sure the Carolina Hurricanes capitalized on their 5-on-3 advantages.

Corvo netted a pair of power-play goals early in the third period during a two-man advantage as the Hurricanes cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

Eric Staal recorded a goal and an assist and Jussi Jokinen also scored for Carolina (30-25-5), which moved within one point of the eighth-place Buffalo Sabres (30-23-6) in the Eastern Conference.

Captain Ray Whitney and Sergei Samsonov collected two assists apiece and Cam Ward made 12 saves for the Hurricanes, who ended a three-game home losing streak.

"Just everybody's more relaxed on the road, and we're here to please the masses, I guess, in Carolina," Corvo said. "So that makes it a lot easier for us to play - we don't have anything to worry about."

Vaclav Prospal tallied and rookie Mike McKenna stopped 37 shots for the Lightning, who have lost four contests in a row.

"The one positive, I thought McKenna - other than letting that bad goal in - battled," Tampa Bay interim coach Rick Tocchet said. "I've got to give that kid credit. I like seeing that in a kid. It was a great job for him to battle."

"I can't imagine being any more down than this," center Jeff Halpern added. "Any time you lose and you're not in the playoffs, it's a miserable feeling. We've got some injuries, but the guys who are playing are doing a good job."

Jokinen, who played for the Lightning last month, snapped a 1-1 tie with 5 1/2 minutes left in the second period, when he fired a rolling puck from the slot past McKenna for his first goal since joining the Hurricanes on February 7.

"I think every player who has been traded, they want to win their first game so badly," Jokinen said. "I'm not the exception of that."

Corvo provided some breathing room after Tampa bay committed three quick penalties early in the final session, giving Carolina an elongated 5-on-3 power play.

"For me, it's either a positive or a great negative if we don't score, because that's such a big opportunity for our team," Corvo said. "Just to take the momentum and take over the game. It was good that we scored on those."

After taking a pass from Whitney in the slot, Corvo skated to the left point and unleashed a slap shot past a thoroughly screened McKenna to extended the Hurricanes' lead to 3-1 at 3:38.

Just 39 seconds later, Corvo added another goal while still on the two-man advantage. He blasted a one-timer from the right slot off a pass from Whitney.