RALEIGH, N.C. – Rookie Jeff Skinner scored in the shootout and Cam Ward stopped Calgary cold to lift the Carolina Hurricanes past the Flames 6-5 on Tuesday night.
Jussi Jokinen had two goals and an assist. Erik Cole, Tuomo Ruutu and Eric Staal also scored for the Hurricanes, who blew a three-goal lead but won their third straight and sixth in eight games.
Jarome Iginla and Niklas Hagman each had a goal and an assist. Jay Bouwmeester, Curtis Glencross and Rene Bourque each scored a goal and Olli Jokinen had two assists for the Flames, who lost their fourth straight and second in a row in a shootout.
The 18-year-old Skinner had the only goal in the shootout when he snapped the puck high past Henrik Karlsson. Ward stopped a wrist shot from Alex Tanguay and a backhand from Ales Kotalek before Hagman sent a wrist shot into his pads to end it.
Calgary trailed 5-2 late in the second period but reeled off three goals in an 11-minute span. Hagman started the rally with a slap shot with about 3 minutes left in the second, Glencross made it a one-goal game 1:31 into the third, and Bourque tied it at 5 with a wrist shot with 12:21 remaining.
Carolina had a chance to win it in overtime, taking the only four shots of the extra session, but came up empty on a power play before Karlsson stuffed Jussi Jokinen from point-blank range with about 10 seconds left.
Ward, who along with Staal will play in the All-Star game later this month on home ice, returned after missing two games with a lower body injury and finished with 27 saves for Carolina. Miikka Kiprusoff made just four saves for Calgary, giving up four goals before he was pulled early in the second for Karlsson, who finished with 21 saves.
The Hurricanes appeared to have things under control in the second, scoring two goals seconds after power plays expired and building a three-goal lead.
Cole gave Carolina a 3-2 lead 8 seconds after a Calgary penalty expired by poking the puck past Kiprusoff. Then, 5 seconds after the Hurricanes came up empty on another power play, Staal made it a two-goal game, chasing Kiprusoff by beating him with a backhand with 14½ minutes left.
Jussi Jokinen then stretched it to 5-2 when he deflected the puck past Karlsson with about 5 minutes left in the second. Jokinen, who missed six games with a lower body injury, tied it at 2 late in the first with a wrist shot that beat Kiprusoff.
Iginla, named an All-Star for the sixth time, registered the 500th assist of his career on Bouwmeester's goal just over 4 minutes in. The Calgary captain made it 2-1 later in the first when he backhanded in a rebound for his team-leading 18th.
Notes: Ward was credited with his first assist of the season on Staal's goal. ... Kiprusoff has allowed 11 goals in his last three starts. ... An announced crowd of 10,096 braved a winter storm that coated some roads with ice.
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