• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Ruutu, potent power play help Hurricanes crush Thrashers

Mar 29, 2008 - 4:19 AM RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The Carolina Hurricanes have no intention of coughing up the Southeast Division lead.

Tuomo Ruutu and Jeff Hamilton both scored twice while All-Star Eric Staal added a goal and two assists as the Hurricanes cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Friday.

Trevor Letowski and defenseman Joe Corvo each scored a goal and set up another for Carolina (42-30-6), which moved four points ahead of idle Washington (39-31-8) for first place in the Southeast.

"We got the two points, and that's all we wanted," Letowski said.

The Hurricanes rebounded from a 3-2 overtime loss to the Capitals on Tuesday, which left them with little room for error.

"I was really happy with the way we came out," Carolina coach Peter Laviolette said. "Especially from the game before. I thought we we gave it way too much to Washington in the first seven or eight minutes in the game. Tonight, we came out with a purpose. We got some early goals as a result."

Erik Cole and blue-liners Frantisek Kaberle and Tim Gleason had two assists apiece and Cam Ward stopped 25 shots for the Hurricanes, who play two of their final four games against the last-place Tampa Bay Lightning.

Jim Slater scored a shorthanded goal for the Thrashers, who won the division title last season but will not make the playoffs.

Carolina, which is 9-1-1 in its last 11 games, wasted little time taking the lead as Staal netted his 36th goal of the season just 42 seconds into the contest. The Hurricanes then used their special teams to blow open the game, converting 5-of-12 power-play chances and also scoring once while shorthanded.

At one point early in the second period, Atlanta had five players in the penalty box.

"There was a lot of frustration, and frustration leads to penalties, unfortunately," Thrashers center Brad Larsen said. "Were they all great calls? I don't know. We lost control as a group, and it ended up costing us a chance at getting back in that game."

Atlanta coach Don Waddell said it was just one of those games that got out of hand.

"We got a little out of control there," he said. "We didn't like some of the first calls and we got frustrated. I've seen some bad officiating, and I don't usually complain about officiating, but that's why some officials work in the playoffs and some don't."

Hamilton doubled the lead during a power play at 6:14 of the first, and Corvo blasted a one-timer from the left faceoff circle that beat goaltender Johan Hedberg for a man-advantage goal at 5:29 of the second.

"We had a great start," Hamilton said. "We had a great first shift and just kept following it up, and it's a huge momentum burst for us to get that first goal real early."

Ruutu stretched the lead to 4-0 at 7:50 with a slap shot from the slot during another power play before Atlanta finally got on the board with 3:07 left in the second as Slater scored a shorthander on a wrist shot from the slot.

However, Carolina continued to pour it on as Ruutu netted his second goal of the game and ninth of the season at 10:09 of the third and Letowski tallied on a breakaway with 6:27 left.

Hamilton's power-play goal with 2:19 remaining capped the scoring.

"When you have a good start, you usually finish well," Ruutu said. "I think we played with fire in the second period, and they got a couple of chances and they got one goal."

Hedberg stopped 28 shots for the Thrashers, who lost six of the eight meetings (1-6-1) between the teams this season.