Toronto Maple Leafs' Carl Gunnarsson (36), of Sweden, settles the puck in front of Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (30) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Karl B DeBlaker

Toronto Maple Leafs' Carl Gunnarsson (36), of Sweden, settles the puck in front of Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (30) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Hurricanes’ furious rally ends with Staal’s OT winner

The Associated Press

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RALEIGH – Eric Staal scored a power-play goal 3:09 into overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-3 comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
Staal had two goals and an assist, and Zac Dalpe and Brandon Sutter also scored for the Hurricanes, who rallied from a two-goal deficit.
It was the Hurricanes’ third straight home win, their longest streak there since March.
Nikolai Kulemin, Joffrey Lupul and Nazem Kadri had Toronto’s goals.
Two days after allowing three goals on eight shots in a 5-3 loss to Florida, James Reimer made 30 saves for the Maple Leafs. Reimer entered with a 3-0 record against Carolina, and had allowed only two goals to the Hurricanes in his career.
Staal scored the winning goal while Toronto’s Tim Connolly was in the penalty box following a tripping penalty. Staal fired a one-timer from the right circle past Reimer’s shoulder to end it. That put the finishing touch on one of the Hurricanes’ most exciting victories of the season.
With the score tied at 1 midway through the third period, Darryl Boyce nudged the puck at Ward’s left pad after taking a pass on the rush. Carolina’s Alexei Ponikarovsky didn’t wrap up Kulemin in front, allowing the Maple Leafs forward to tap in the rebound for his fourth goal.
Lupul made it 3-1 less than 3 minutes later when he deflected a shot from the point past Ward at the end of a Maple Leafs power play.
The Hurricanes responded quickly.
Staal beat Reimer between the pads during a breakaway 40 seconds after Lupul’s goal, and Dalpe tied it when he finished off a scramble in front.