Peters, Hurricanes beat Islanders 1-0

[November 08, 2013]  RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Justin Peters stopped 21 shots in his third career shutout and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 1-0 on Thursday night.

Radek Dvorak scored a deflected goal in the first period to help the Hurricanes win their second straight following a five-game slide that coincided with a lower-body injury to starting goalie Cam Ward.

Peters, making his sixth straight start, made one of his best saves in the final minute of the second period when he stopped a streaking Michael Grabner after a turnover.

Peters finished with the Hurricanes' first shutout of the season and his first since blanking Washington last March 12.

All six of Carolina's wins have come by one goal.

Backup Kevin Poulin made 23 saves in his second start in six days for the Islanders. They have lost two straight and four of six, and were shut out for the first time this season.

At the very least, their penalty-kill unit showed improvement. They shut down both of Carolina's power plays after giving up four goals with the man disadvantage in a 6-2 loss to the Capitals two nights earlier.

The Hurricanes, who have made a habit of falling behind early, scored the first goal of a game for the first time since mid-October - and needed a deflection to do it.

Poulin tried to clear the puck from behind the net but Ron Hainsey kept it in at the blue line, then threw it at the net and Dvorak tipped it in from the side of the net at 6:39.

What turned out to be the game's only goal also marked Carolina's first in a 5-on-5 situation since Oct. 25.

In the four games in between, they scored four goals -- two on the power play, one with a sixth attacker and one in a 4-on-4 overtime to beat Philadelphia two nights earlier.

Meanwhile, the Islanders gave themselves plenty of scoring chances but too few pucks on net: New York took just 12 shots on goal during the first two periods.

NOTES: Hainsey has assists in two straight games -- his only two assists of the season. ... Carolina D Brett Bellemore found himself in two fights in the second, trading punches with Matt Martin before coming to blows with Kyle Okposo. ... New York's Travis Hamonic scrapped with Nathan Gerbe early in the third.

[Associated Press; By JOEDY McCREARY]

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