|
 Skinner scored three goals and Lack stopped 31 shots for his second
victory in the Hurricanes' 5-1 rout of the Anaheim Ducks on Friday
night in front of 17,174 at the Honda Center.
Right winger Elias Lindholm and center Jordan Staal added goals as
the Hurricanes (11-14-4) secured their third victory in four games.
Lack, who has been alternating with Cam Ward in the net, received
his first start since Dec. 3 after he stopped 10 of 12 shots in
relief of Ward during Carolina's 6-5 loss to the Dallas Stars on
Tuesday night.
"Obviously, I haven't been happy with my performance this season,"
said Lack, who entered the game with a 1-6-1 record. "But I've been
working on a couple of things lately, like puck tracking. I feel
like it's all starting to come into place now and I'm starting to
feel a lot more comfortable. Hopefully, I can get on a little bit of
a roll."
Skinner, who scored just 18 goals last season after getting a
career-high 33 two years ago, now has six goals in his past four
games.
"Part of my job is to produce offensively," Skinner said. "It's been
up and down this year but in the last few games, I've doing a good
job of creating offense and finishing off on it."
Despite right winger Jakob Silfverberg's third goal, the Ducks
(11-13-5) saw their two-game winning streak end.
"They out-worked us," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I thought
this was the game that would catapult us to the next level. We can't
afford to have a lackluster game. We have to find a way to win five,
six, seven in a row, like other teams in our division."
Silfverberg amplified Boudreau's remarks.
"The first two periods weren't the way we wanted to play,"
Silfverberg said. "We didn't finish our checks. We didn't get pucks
deep. We didn't really get into the game. You can't play only one
period; it doesn't work in this league. You've got to work hard for
60 minutes if you want to win. That's what they did tonight."
Skinner's first goal gave Carolina a 1-0 lead with 3:10 left in the
first period. Defenseman Ron Hainsey began the scoring sequence by
banking the puck off the right boards from the right corner in the
Hurricanes' end to create a two-on-one breakaway.
After receiving Hainsey's pass in the neutral zone, Skinner skated
to the right circle and fired a wrist shot inside the left post past
goalie John Gibson.
"You saw them rolling around in our defensive end," Skinner said
about the Ducks. "They've got some big bodies who can protect the
puck pretty well. We just have to weather the storm and try to wait
for our opportunities to counterattack."
The Hurricanes had an earlier chance to move ahead during an unusual
power play. Anaheim center Nate Thompson received a major elbowing
penalty and a game misconduct at 6:25, giving Carolina an extra
attacker for five minutes. But that advantage lasted only 2:28
before Jordan Staal received a slashing penalty.
However, the Ducks failed to score during the ensuing four-on-four,
leaving Carolina an extra 32 seconds of power play when Staal left
the penalty box. But the visitors managed just one shot on goal
while holding a one-man advantage.
Thompson's ejection would prove pivotal for the hosts.
[to top of second column] |
"Our centermen were overworked," Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf said.
"(Boudreau) wanted to move things around so some of the wingers
could share the workload."
Skinner's second goal and 10th of the season survived a coach's
challenge. Boudreau requested a video review after Skinner converted
the rebound of center Victor Rask's shot at 11:36 of the second
period because of potential goaltender interference.
Rask appeared to dislodge the net as he shot. But Anaheim right
winger Andrew Cogliano collided with Rask from behind, rendering
Boudreau's challenge moot.
Nearly 30 seconds later, Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen had a chance
to score, but his slap shot from the blue line deflected off the
right post and through the crease.
Lindholm's fourth goal extended the Hurricanes' lead to 3-0 at 16:53
of the second period, 28 seconds after Cogliano went to the penalty
box for high sticking.
Eric Staal demonstrated his playmaking skills while picking up an
assist. Lindholm converted a wrist shot inside the left post after
Staal passed from the right post through the crease -- and through
Vatanen's legs.
Gibson made just 14 saves in two periods before Frederik Andersen
replaced him. Andersen, who missed six games because of the flu,
made his first appearance since Nov. 21.
Silfverberg broke the shutout by redirecting Vatanen's pass from
behind the net at 14:09 of the third period. Jordan Staal responded
with his sixth goal of the season at 16:43, then Skinner ensured his
hat trick with an empty-net goal for his 11th of the season at
17:36.
NOTES: Thursday marked the 23rd anniversary of the NHL awarding the
Anaheim franchise to Disney. ... Carolina scratched D Michal Jordan
and C Riley Nash. ... Hurricanes C Jordan Staal needs three assists
to reach 200 for his career. ... Hurricanes G Cam Ward owns an .880
save percentage and a 3.06 goals-against average in his previous
nine appearances. ... Anaheim scratched D Korbinian Holzer and G
Anton Khudobin. ... Ducks C Ryan Getzlaf extended his streak of
consecutive games without a goal to 11. ... Ducks LW Jiri Sekac, out
of action since Nov. 1 because of a sprained right ankle, likely
will play on the team's upcoming four-game road trip. ... The Ducks
sent LW Nick Ritchie to San Diego of the AHL on Wednesday. ...
Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau's next game will be his 300th with the
team.
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