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Ryder, Wheeler lift Bruins past Hurricanes

Dec 28, 2008 - 4:13 AM RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Michael Ryder scored to snap a tie with just over six minutes remaining in the third period as the Boston Bruins extended their season-high winning streak to seven games with a 4-2 triumph over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

Rookie Blake Wheeler scored twice, Chuck Kobasew added an empty-net goal and Tim Thomas finished with 29 saves for Boston, which had not won seven contests in a row since closing the 1992-93 season with eight straight victories.

Marc Savard and defenseman Dennis Wideman notched two assists apiece for the Bruins, who improved to 21-2-1 in their last 24 games.

"They (the Hurricanes) probably deserved a little better. I'm sure they're going to say that and rightfully so," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "We found a way to win. We didn't have our `A' game tonight, but we found a way to win and that's what's important I guess right now."

"They came out hard in the first two periods and limited us on offense," Ryder said. "We knew we had to outwork them in order to get the chances."

Matt Cullen and defenseman Anton Babchuk scored and Cam Ward turned aside 18 shots for Carolina, which lost for the third time in five contests after going 0-for-4 on the power play.

"We didn't score on our power plays," Babchuk said. "That's what this game was all about. We've got to use our chances."

"Overall, you'd sit there and say you played a (heck) of a game tonight," Maurice said. "We did some good things but there's more to the way they beat us than 'they got a couple of lucky breaks' and 'we'll get 'em next time.'"

With the game tied at 2-2 with 6:14 remaining in the third period, Savard brilliantly wristed a cross-slot feed to Ryder, who tapped it past Ward for his 13th goal of the season - and sixth tally in seven games.

"Michael was there on the backside and he does what he does best, which is rip it home," Savard said. "It was a little awkward to make the pass but he was all alone over there. I did everything I could to get it to him."

After Cullen opened the scoring with 3:54 remaining in the first period, Wheeler tallied twice in a 3:33 span to give the Bruins a 2-1 advantage.

On his second tally, Wheeler collected a loose puck in the right faceoff circle and wristed it past an out-of-position Ward for his 13th goal of the season.

"We've developed a lot of good chemistry," Wheeler said. "We're moving the puck to each other. We feel confident that the other guys are going to do to a good job with it. That's what you've got to do to get on a roll and stay on a roll."

Babchuk leveled the contest midway through the second period after unleashing a slap shot from the right point that beat Thomas for his second tally of the campaign.