Hurricanes Rally for 3-2 OT Win

Carolina defensemen Mike Commodore and Niclas Wallin scored in the third period, and Cory Stillman netted the power-play winner in overtime for the Hurricanes, who rallied for a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday.

New York seemed well in control after carrying a 2-0 lead into the third period, but Commodore and Wallin each broke 11-game goal droughts to get the Hurricanes even.

Stillman took a pass in front from Eric Staal, during Andy Sutton's cross-checking penalty, and scored past Rick DiPietro with a second whack 52 seconds into overtime.

The Hurricanes didn't have any power-play chances until Staal was crunched into the end boards by Radek Martinek with 1:23 left in the third period. Their second advantage was enough to give them a second consecutive win following a four-game skid.

New York, which blew a two-goal lead for the second straight game, is 3-3-4 in its last 10. Not even the return from injury of Martinek and fellow defenseman Brendan Witt was enough to help. The Islanders had been 15-0 when leading after two periods.

Commodore started the rally 3:39 into the third, and Wallin tied it about 12 minutes later.

Wallin let the puck go from the right point, sending a drive between the legs of Islanders forward Trent Hunter and past DiPietro, who was screened in front by Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour with 4:40 left in regulation.

Andy Hilbert and Miroslav Satan scored second-period goals for the Islanders.

Hilbert took advantage of a fortunate bounce off the glass 3:17 into the period, and Satan doubled the lead near the end of the second. DiPietro shook off an injury to his right leg and was in line for his 20th win.

DiPietro stretched for a shot that sailed wide of the net late in the second period and got up slowly, flexing his right leg. He made a flurry of saves soon after and appeared to be OK. DiPietro, who missed three games last month due to a left knee injury, skated in a hunched position toward the tunnel after the period and resumed his position in the third.

He finished with 26 saves.

Cam Ward stopped 23 shots and helped the Hurricanes build off a 7-2 home win on Friday that ended their skid. Carolina has allowed only four goals in two games after allowing 19 in the four-game slide.

The teams will conclude their four-game season series at Carolina on Tuesday night.

Hilbert was positioned perfectly to score his fifth of the season and first in 13 games. A dump-in off the glass to Ward's left bounced past surprised defenseman Frantisek Kaberle and right to Hilbert in the slot. A quick shift from forehand-to-backhand gave Hilbert the space to put the puck in.

Satan made it 2-0 with 7:03 left in the second, taking a pass in the right circle from Blake Comeau and snapping a shot past Ward for his 11th.

Notes:@ Former Secretary of State Colin Powell dropped the ceremonial first puck. ... The Islanders are 16-2-4 when scoring first. Carolina is 10-20-2 in games it trailed 1-0. ... The first penalties came with 6:05 left in the second when New York RW Tim Jackman fought Carolina D Tim Gleason. Commodore went off for hooking with 16.4 seconds remaining in the period for the first power play.