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 "Yeah, I'm starting to get going," said Kris Versteeg, who won two
championships with Chicago and scored twice Sunday night for the
Carolina Hurricanes in a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. "When
you get to a new team, sometimes people think it's going to be right
away, but it's a new system here; a lot of things I've never done as
a hockey player before. I learn every day, little new things about
the way Bill (Peters) coaches and what he likes out of guys."
Centers Victor Rask and Elias Lindholm scored first-period goals to
get Carolina off to a quick start, and then Versteeg took over with
goals in the second and third period to give him 10 goals and 20
assists now with his new team through 50 games. In fact, Versteeg
has five goals in his last eight games as the Hurricanes are
starting to make a playoff push in the Eastern Conference.
"Kris is what we needed; he's got skill, he's got patience and poise
with the puck," coach Peters said of the September trade that
brought Versteeg to the Hurricanes. "We knew that coming into the
season. We wanted to get our skill level increased and he provides
that. He's got some swagger too; he's been around, won two Cups and
made some money. So, he's in a good spot in his life. He's in a good
spot. Coach plays him and coach likes him. Now he's got to have a
good second half."
Left winger Joakim Nordstrom also scored a late goal for the
Hurricanes (22-20-8), who rebounded from a 4-1 home loss to the New
York Rangers on Friday night -- a game in which they were thoroughly
outplayed. Carolina had just one goal in regulation in its last
three games before jumping on the visiting Flames in the opening
period to eventually build a three-goal lead.
Meanwhile, Calgary (21-22-3) had been off for three days, but
couldn't muster much offense and fell behind early despite a pair of
power-play opportunities in the opening nine minutes. The Flames,
last in the NHL with the man advantage, ended up 0-for-5 on the
power play.
"Well, we were not ready -- plain and simple," said Calgary coach
Bob Hartley. "You have to forget about this, and the next day you
start again. We can't replay this game. That's the bottom line in
this business."
After the Flames closed to 3-2, Versteeg and Nordstrom added goals
32 seconds apart midway through the third period to seal the
Carolina win as goalie Eddie Lack stopped 33 shots.
"Our penalty kill the last month or so has been playing really,
really well," Lack said. "Everyone is kind of buying into the system
and doing what they're supposed to be doing, and obviously the
coaches are doing a great job of scouting. It definitely clicked
today."
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Rask scored his 12th this season just 2:26 in, circling along the
blue line and then cutting into the slot before beating goalie Karri
Ramo between the legs. It was Rask's first goal in nine games and
just the 22nd for the Hurricanes in the first period through 50
games. Rask surpassed his rookie goal total of a year ago with the
score.
The Hurricanes made it 2-0 with 2:33 left in an opening period when
Lindholm scored his seventh on the penalty shot. It was the first
penalty shot for Carolina this season the first of Lindholm's
career.
Carolina took a three-goal lead less than four minutes into the
second when Versteeg added his ninth of the season, connecting on a
2-on-1 play with center Eric Staal, who scored his first point in
six games. The Versteeg goal chased Ramo from the Calgary net in
favor of Jonas Hiller.
Center Jiri Hudler's first goal since Dec. 4 and sixth of the season
got the Flames on the board midway through the second on a delayed
penalty, and center Joe Colborne made it a 3-2 game five minutes
into the third.
NOTES: Carolina G Eddie Lack got his fourth straight start since Cam
Ward went on injured reserve with a concussion. ... Calgary's 21
power-play goals are last in the NHL, and the Flames are also 30th
on the penalty kill. ... Flames LW Michael Ferland sat out with an
upper-body injury. ... Calgary C Lance Bouma returned to the lineup
from a leg laceration after missing four games. ... Hurricanes
captain Eric Staal is four games shy of 900. ... The two teams meet
again in 10 days in Calgary -- the first game for each after the
All-Star break. ... Carolina D Brett Pesce was a game-time decision
and sat out with a lower-body injury.
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reserved.]
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