NATIONWIDE ARENA Hurricanes turn back Blue Jackets in 4-2 win

Carolina scored two second period goals and then held off Columbus for the win.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Erik Cole scored two second-period goals Saturday as the Carolina Hurricanes held on to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-2.
The defending Eastern Conference champion Hurricanes moved into first place in the Southeast Division. Columbus has lost four of five.
Carolina's Jesse Boulerice one-timed Craig MacDonald's feed from behind the net over the glove of goaltender Marc Denis at 6:13 of the first period to make it 1-0.
The Hurricanes scored twice in the second period behind five power plays -- including a two-man advantage for 17 seconds and a double minor, and outshot Columbus 20-8.
Cole then scored twice to build the lead to 3-0.
Columbus forward Geoff Sanderson tried to skate away with the puck but had it poke-checked into the slot. Denis stopped Cole's first shot but his second attempt sneaked between Denis' pads for a power-play goal at 3:02.
He made it 3-0 when his hard-angle shot from the corner got between Denis' pads just 10 seconds after Carolina's power play expired. Cole has eight goals this season.
Jackets cut lead
Matt Davidson scored less than three minutes later to cut the Hurricanes' lead to 3-1. Davidson put back a rebound off a shot from Lasse Pirjeta after defenseman David Tanabe turned the puck over at the left circle.
David Vyborny scored his fourth goal in six games, a power-play tally, at 5:29 of the third period to make it 3-2.
Ron Francis scored his ninth goal into an empty net with 18 seconds remaining to seal Carolina's victory.
Notes
Columbus, which entered with the league's fourth best power play, scored its first man-advantage goal in five games, ending the club's longest drought of the season.
Espen Knutsen, the Blue Jackets' leading scorer through their first two seasons, will have abdomen surgery early next week and is expected to miss two to three months. He's already missed 13 games.
Carolina's Arturs Irbe started in place of G Kevin Weekes who sustained a concussion Friday against Detroit. Weekes, who won the starting job from Irbe, might be out over a week.