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Hurricanes edge Maple Leafs

Jan 25, 2011 - 4:45 AM Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Brandon Sutter had a pair of goals in the third period while Jeff Skinner scored the game-winner as Carolina took a 6-4 slugging match over Toronto at RBC Center.

Joe Corvo had a goal and an assist while Cam Ward stopped 26-of-30 shots for the Hurricanes, who had dropped four of six coming into the game.

"It was a pretty tight game there and we exchanged chances all night," said Sutter. "They have a quick team over there and they caught us standing still, but we managed to battle it out. This was a big win."

Tim Brent had two goals and an assist while Mike Brown added a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped five of six. Jean-Sebastien Giguere was charged with five goals on 27 shots in the loss.

"We took some penalties that seemed kind of borderline," said Brent. "It kind of killed our momentum when that happens. We didn't give it and can take some positives out of this. But at the end of the day we didn't get the two points."

Holding a one-goal lead in the third, Carolina opened a two-goal advantage 1:49 into the period when Sutter scored his ninth of the season.

However, Brent scored on a backhander from the left circle on the fly at the 3:18 mark and added a shorthanded goal on a breakaway where he faked the shot to get the goaltender out of position 1:11 later to tie the game.

The Hurricanes, though, made it a 4-3 game at 8:55 when a turnover in the neutral zone popped into the air and into the Toronto end where Sutter caught up with the puck and snapped it in from the left circle.

Skinner's power-play goal at the 11:02 mark of the third gave Carolina a 5-3 advantage.

Toronto again made it a one-goal contest on the power play as Brown tipped in a Brent backhand pass with 5:45 to play.

However, Erik Cole put the puck into the empty net with Giguere pulled for the extra attacker inside the final minute of play to seal the win.

The Hurricanes struck first at the 12:16 mark of the first period when a shot by Corvo at the right boards went into the net for a power-play marker.

Toronto, though, got it back with nine seconds left in the first as Tomas Kaberle's slow backhand in the slot trickled into the net with a screen in front.

The only goal of the second period was Carolina's as Jamie McBain's slap shot from the right point off a loose puck sailed into the left corner with 8:44 left in the frame.

Game Notes

Toronto plays at Tampa Bay on Tuesday...Carolina visits the Islanders on Wednesday...Carolina has won both games this season and five straight over Toronto...Carolina was 2-for-7 on the power play while Toronto was 1-for-7.