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Belanger, Staal lift Hurricanes past Maple Leafs

Jan 10, 2007 - 5:38 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Eric Belanger helped the reigning Stanley Cup champions begin a new winning streak.

Belanger scored the decisive goal and Eric Staal added an insurance tally as the Carolina Hurricanes posted a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Scott Walker scored the tying goal and Justin Williams added his team-leading 21st tally for Carolina, which has won two straight after a three-game losing streak.

"We were outskated a little bit in the first period," Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette said. "In the second period we picked up our intensity and our skating. We tried to get everything to the net."

After Walker tallied 1:51 into the second period, Belanger gave the Hurricanes the lead for good one minute later. On the power-play, Rod Brind'Amour took a pass from Ray Whitney and blasted a shot from the point that was deflected into the net by Belanger, who was lurking just in front of the Toronto goal.

"The goal that I got was a tip in front of the net," Belanger said. "It was just a simple play on a shot to the net from Brind'Amour."

With a two-man advantage with 1:43 remaining in the second session, Staal fired a bullet between the pads of goaltender Andrew Raycroft to give Carolina a 3-1 lead.

"It was a good play by Ray Whitney finding me," Staal said. "I just got a lot on the shot and it ended up beating the goalie. It was a big goal to put us ahead by two and we'll take the win."

"They capitalized on their chances and we took too many penalties in the second period," Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin said. "That was the difference in the game."

Williams added an empty-netter with 16 seconds left and Cam Ward made 29 saves, including a total of 17 in the second and third periods for the Hurricanes, who are 18-2 when they score four or more goals.

Defenseman Brian McCabe tallied in the first period and Raycroft stopped 25 shots for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two straight and fell back to .500 (19-19-6).

"We just spent so much time in the penalty box," Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice said. "Two 5-on-3s, you just can't do that. We were on our heels a little bit, and they skated better in the second. In the third period we didn't have enough possessions of the puck to mount a charge after they went up, 3-1."