Pothier’s goal defeats Pens in overtime at Carolina

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C.

Brian Pothier scored at 23 of overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

Eric Staal and Ray Whitney had a goal and an assist each, and Zach Boychuk also scored for the Hurricanes, 13-3-1 in their last 17 games.

Justin Peters made 37 saves — including a late gem on Pascal Dupuis — to help Carolina survive a 40-21 shot disadvantage.

Pothier took a pass from Whitney from behind the net and snapped it past Brent Johnson to help the Hurricanes complete a rally from an early two-goal deficit.

Matt Cooke, Jordan Staal and Bill Guerin scored for the Penguins, who had their post-Olympic winning streak snapped at four. Johnson made 17 saves.

Pittsburgh had been 10-1-1 this season in games when it was tied after two periods before it stumbled against the team it swept in last season’s Eastern Conference final.

The teams combined for four goals in the first 9:11.

Pittsburgh got the first two, with Staal and Guerin sneaking pucks past Peters in quick succession. It was Guerin’s first game back after missing three with back spasms.

The Hurricanes, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit the night before in Washington, scored the next three. Whitney scored the first with a one-timer on the power play; Boychuk added the second when he grabbed the puck off a faceoff, accelerated into the Penguins’ zone and backhanded the puck past Johnson’s blocker.

Staal then gave Carolina a 3-2 lead early in the second period when he banked the puck in off Johnson’s legs from a sharp angle.