National Hockey League Capsules for Friday.
CAROLINA 5, PHOENIX 2
RALEIGH, North Carolina The Carolina Hurricanes were in search of their first three-game winning streak of the season. Eric Staal did his best to make it happen.
Staal recorded his fifth career hat trick as the Hurricanes posted their third straight win, a 5-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.
Ray Whitney added a pair of goals and defenseman Joni Pitkanen collected three assists for the Hurricanes, who improved to 3-0-0 on their four-game homestand.
Kevin Porter and captain Shane Doan scored for Phoenix, which has lost four straight (0-3-1).
After Porter gave the Coyotes the lead nine minutes into the contest with a power-play goal, Staal drew the Hurricanes even with 4:44 remaining in the first period, firing the puck past goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov from the doorstep after Sergei Samsonovs backhander from the high slot was blocked.
Doan put Phoenix back in front less than two minutes later with his team-leading 11th goal of the season, but Staal netted two straight tallies to give Carolina the lead for good.
Exactly eight minutes into the middle session, Staal converted a backhand pass from the right side of the net by Pitkanen, beating Bryzgalov with a backhander for his seventh of the campaign. The 24-year-old completed his hat trick with 46 seconds left in the period, depositing the puck inside the right goalpost after receiving a backhand feed from below the end line on the left side by Scott Walker, who notched a pair of assists.
Whitney made it 4-2 with 2:21 remaining in the third, burying a one-timer from the top of the slot off a feed from captain Rod BrindAmour. The veteran then sealed the win with an empty-netter in the final minute.
Cam Ward made 26 saves for the Hurricanes, turning aside the final 14 shots he faced.
Making his 11th consecutive start, Bryzgalov stopped 28 shots for Phoenix.
BOSTON 4, FLORIDA 2
BOSTON Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard each recorded a goal and an assist as the Boston Bruins extended their home winning streak to seven games with a 4-2 triumph over the Florida Panthers.
Phil Kessel and David Krejci also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 8-0-1 this month. Boston has not lost in regulation since suffering a 3-2 setback at Calgary on October 30.
David Booth and Ville Peltonen tallied for Florida, which has lost three of four.
NEW JERSEY 5, NY ISLANDERS 2
NEWARK, New Jersey Captain Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise each recorded three assists and five different players scored goals as the New Jersey Devils cruised to 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders.
David Clarkson and Travis Zajac each tallied in the first period, while defenseman Bryce Salvador netted his first goal as a member of the Devils early in the second.
Brian Gionta notched a shorthanded goal and an assist and blue-liner Paul Martin scored on the power play for the Devils, who extended their winning streak to three games.
After three straight starts by Scott Clemmensen, Kevin Weekes got the call for New Jersey and made 25 saves. Weekes had started four of the Devils first five contests in the wake of Martin Brodeurs elbow injury.
Andy Hilbert and Sean Bergenheim scored for the Islanders, whose three-game winning streak came to an end.
TAMPA BAY 4, NASHVILLE 1
TAMPA, Florida Captain Vincent Lecavalier scored two goals and Ryan Malone notched three assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning rolled past the Nashville Predators, 4-1.
Mark Recchi and Vaclav Prospal also tallied as the Lightning won for the first time under interim coach Rick Tocchet, who took over for the fired Barry Melrose on November 14. Tampa Bay suffered shootout losses in Tocchets first two games behind the bench.
The top overall pick in last Junes draft, Steven Stamkos set up two goals, giving him three points in his last two games following an eight-game drought.
Jordin Tootoo scored and Dan Ellis made 20 saves for the Predators, who dropped their second straight game after winning three in a row.
PHILADELPHIA 3, BUFFALO 0
BUFFALO, New York Jeff Carter scored a pair of goals and Martin Biron made 40 saves Friday as the Philadelphia Flyers skated to a 3-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
Scott Hartnell also tallied for Philadelphia, which has won three in a row and four of five.
Biron turned aside 12 shots in the first period, 13 in the second and 15 in the third en route to his first shutout of the season and 24th of his career. Eighteen of his blankings came while the 31-year-old was with Buffalo, where he played from 1998-2007.
Ryan Miller made 22 saves for the Sabres, who have lost four straight games.
ST. LOUIS 3, ANAHEIM 2 (OT)
ST. LOUIS Lee Stempniak scored 2:39 into overtime as the St. Louis Blues overcame a game-tying goal with one second left in the third period to post a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
David Backes and Steve Regier scored power-play goals for the Blues, who improved to 2-4-2 this month. For Regier, it was his third goal in two career games as he tallied twice in St. Louis 3-2 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
Chris Kunitz scored midway through the third period and defenseman Scott Niedermayer netted the controversial equalizer for the Ducks, who lost for the fifth time in six games (1-4-1).
