Carolina Hurricanes

Who: Flyers (9-4-2) at Carolina Hurricanes (8-7-0) When: 7 o'clock Where: RBC Center, Raleigh, N.C. TV: Comcast SportsNet Radio: WIP (610-AM)

A new city, a new name and more fans couldn't prevent a familiar result for the old Hartford Whalers. Tyler Wright scored a pair of goals in a 4-3 victory by the Pittsburgh Penguins that spoiled the Carolina Hurricanes' first home game last night. The contest drew a crowd of 18,661 to the 20,800-seat Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum, the Hurricanes' home base for two years until their new arena in Raleigh is ready. HOWE: MAKES HISTORY Sixty-nine-year-old legend Gordie Howe played 47 seconds for the Detroit Vipers, of the International Hockey League, becoming the first player to compete professionally in six decades.

Kris Versteeg scored 3 minutes, 8 seconds into overtime, giving the host Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night. Stephen Weiss' shot from in front was blocked, but Versteeg found the loose puck and swept it in for his team-leading 16th goal of the season. Elsewhere: Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist, and Joel Quenneville became the 10th coach to earn 600 NHL victories as the host Chicago Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames for their fifth straight win. . . . Jason Arnott triggered a four-goal, third-period rally with the tiebreaking tally to lead the host St. Louis Blues over Columbus Blue Jackets , 6-4.   - Associated Press

Television ratings for the decisive game of the Stanley Cup finals were double the last Game 6 in 2006. The Detroit Red Wings' clinching 3-2 victory Wednesday night over the Pittsburgh Penguins drew a 4.4 overnight rating and a 7 share on NBC, the network said yesterday. The Game 6 between Edmonton and Carolina 2 years ago earned a 2.2. The Red Wings claimed their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years. Detroit has been in the playoffs 17 straight seasons, the longest current run among teams in any North American sport.

It didn't take long for Doug Weight to have an impact on the Carolina Hurricanes. Weight, playing in just his second game for Carolina, scored the game-winning goal in the shootout, lifting the surging Hurricanes to a 4-3 win over host Boston yesterday. Carolina goalie Martin Gerber, who stopped three shots during the shootout, stuffed a Sergei Samsonov attempt to secure the win. He had 24 saves in regulation and overtime. "Martin made a few big stops when we needed him to," Carolina left wing Erik Cole said.

Settling a score with an old nemesis moved the Carolina Hurricanes one step closer to the franchise's first playoff berth in seven years. "The New Jersey Devils had abused us all season, and it was nice to give a little back," Gary Roberts said after the Hurricanes, losers in their previous four games against the Devils this season, defeated New Jersey last night, 4-2, in Greensboro, N.C. Keith Primeau scored his 30th goal and Ray Sheppard got...

ANTHONY STEWART and Jiri Tlusty scored third-period goals to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the visiting Boston Bruins last night, 3-2. Joni Pitkanen scored on the power play and Cam Ward made 26 saves for the Hurricanes (1-2-1). They never trailed, earned their first win and avoided matching their worst start since the lockout. Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand scored and Tim Thomas stopped 31 shots for the Bruins, who have lost two straight and three of four. The reigning Stanley Cup champions' power-play unit remained punchless.

Jeff Skinner scored with 1 minute, 24 seconds left in the third period, and Cam Ward made 39 saves in leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-3 win over the host Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. Brandon Sutter and Tim Brent scored shorthanded goals, while Jay Harrison also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won two straight since getting off to a 0-2-1 start to the season. DiPietro out. New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, who has a history of concussions, is out with a concussion again and there is no timetable for his return.

WITH ONE OF their cornerstones playing like this, the Carolina Hurricanes certainly didn't miss their other one. Eric Staal stayed on his scoring tear with two goals and an assist, and Justin Peters cruised to his first NHL shutout in the Hurricanes' 5-0 rout of the reeling Washington Capitals last night in Raleigh. Justin Faulk and Anthony Stewart scored in an 88-second span and Andreas Nodl added a goal during Carolina's three-goal first period. "I felt like we really initiated the game, right from the beginning, from the first shift . . . and from then on out, we really controlled it and didn't really give them anything," Staal said.

Cam Ward made 47 saves, Brandon Sutter had a goal and an assist, and the Carolina Hurricanes finished their first season sweep of the Bruins with a 3-0 victory Thursday night in Boston. The Hurricanes, who won all four meetings with the Bruins, are 15-25-9 against the rest of the NHL and are last in the Eastern Conference. Carolina outscored Boston 14-5 in the season sweep. Zach Parise scored two goals, including the go-ahead tally with 2:44 remaining, and the host New Jersey Devils beat the Montreal Canadiens, 5-3.   Scoreboard error probed The NHL is investigating a scoreboard error during Wednesday night's game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

James Neal had a goal and an assist, and the host Pittsburgh Penguins fired a barrage of shots at Carolina Hurricanes goalie Justin Peters before finally breaking him in a 4-2 victory on Tuesday night that stretched the Penguins' winning streak to four games. Neal scored his 21st goal, one behind the NHL leaders. He has scored in every game of the Penguins' winning streak and has 14 goals in 16 home games. Pittsburgh outshot Carolina, 52-18, giving Peters a difficult test in his season debut.

Lauri Korpikoski scored his ninth goal of the season early in the third period to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. Ray Whitney, a former Hurricanes player, had a goal and assist for the Coyotes. Cal O'Reilly and Rostislav Klesla also scored for Phoenix. Tuomo Ruutu got his team-leading 11th goal for Carolina, while Andreas Nodl and Jiri Tlusty also scored. The Coyotes won for the first time after trailing going into the third period, while Carolina suffered its first loss in regulation after holding a two-period lead.

Kris Versteeg scored 3 minutes, 8 seconds into overtime, giving the host Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night. Stephen Weiss' shot from in front was blocked, but Versteeg found the loose puck and swept it in for his team-leading 16th goal of the season. Elsewhere: Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist, and Joel Quenneville became the 10th coach to earn 600 NHL victories as the host Chicago Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames for their fifth straight win. . . . Jason Arnott triggered a four-goal, third-period rally with the tiebreaking tally to lead the host St. Louis Blues over Columbus Blue Jackets , 6-4.   - Associated Press

Arron Asham and Pascal Dupuis scored 1 minute, 27 seconds apart in the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins made a late defensive stand to beat the slumping Carolina Hurricanes , 3-2, on Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C. Craig Adams had a goal and an assist, and Sidney Crosby added an assist for the Penguins. They've won five of seven games since Crosby's return, and he has two goals and 10 assists in that span. Brent Johnson stopped 30 shots to win a battle of the backups against Brian Boucher, who made 37 saves.

JASON SPEZZA was overdue for a goal outburst and he timed it just right to record a milestone in the midst of the Ottawa Senators' only stop at Scotiabank Place in a span of 10 games. Spezza scored twice, including his 200th regular-season goal, to lead Ottawa to a 4-3 win over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes last night. The 28-year-old center reached the milestone with his second goal of the game on a power play late in the first period. "It was nice to get my 200th out of the way," Spezza said.

Jason Spezza scored twice, including his 200th regular-season goal, to lead the host Ottawa Senators to a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night. Spezza reached the milestone with his second goal of the game on a power play late in the first period. His first tally, a highlight-reel effort 55 seconds in, ended a personal 11-game goal drought. David Runblad got his first NHL goal, Zack Smith also scored and Craig Anderson made 34 saves for Ottawa. Elsewhere: David Backes scored in the third period to lift the St. Louis Blues over the host Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-1, in coach Ken Hitchcock's first game against his former club.

Jhonas Enroth recorded his first shutout of the season by making 34 stops to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 1-0 win over the reeling Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday. Jason Pominville had the game's lone goal. Enroth is filling in for Ryan Miller as the Sabres' top goaltender recovers from a concussion suffered Nov. 12 against Boston. It was the second career shutout for the Sabres' second-round draft pick in 2006. Carolina has lost seven of its last eight games, prompting speculation about the job security of coach Paul Maurice.

In his first NHL game, Cody Eakin of the Washington Capitals recorded his first goal and first assist - and first faceful of shaving gel, courtesy of Alex Ovechkin - as the Caps routed the Carolina Hurricanes , 5-1, on Friday night. "It'll be something I'll remember," Eakin said. He was talking about his goal. But the rookie, who made his NHL debut Tuesday night after being called up from the minors earlier that day, just as easily could have been talking about the postgame celebration.