Rangers Drop Sixth Straight Game in Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – Doug Weight scored two goals and the NHL-leading Carolina Hurricanes set franchise records for victories, home wins and points in a season with a 5-3 victory over the slumping Rangers 5-3 last night.Matt Cullen, Mike Commodore, and Cory Stillman also scored for the Hurricanes, who earned their 44th victory, 27th home win and 94th point in the standings – surpassing three records set in Hartford during the 1986-87 season.Martin Gerber finished with 41 saves to help Carolina avoid its first four-game losing streak of the season.Michael Nylander scored two goals for New York, which has lost six straight after wining seven in a row. Petr Sykora also scored for the Rangers.Weight, acquired from St. Louis on January 30, scored his first goal with Carolina in a 4-3 overtime loss to Florida on Saturday night. The veteran followed that with his best showing for the Hurricanes, who need extra production after losing Erik Cole (30 goals) to a broken vertebra in his neck earlier this month.Weight scored his first last night when he beat Kevin Weekes from the left side early in the second period, putting Carolina ahead to stay at 2-1. Weight scored again later in the period on a smooth push up the ice by Carolina, with Eric Staal sending the puck to the middle to Ray Whitney, who slipped it to Weight on the right side for the shot by Weekes 11 minutes into the period.Commodore scored early in the third to make it 4-2, and also made a big defensive play by stopping a shot from Martin Straka that slid between Gerber’s legs and nearly crossed the line late in the game.New York twice cut the deficit to one goal, the last time coming at 4-3 when Sykora corralled a loose puck during a scramble in front of the crease and beat Gerber with about 2 minutes left. But Stillman closed the door with an empty-net goal in the final minute, securing the record-setting night for Carolina.***ISLANDERS 6, DEVILS 1 In East Rutherford, N.J., last night, Rick DiPietro made 16 saves and the resurgent Islanders extended their winning streak to four games with a 6-1 victory over the Devils.DiPietro, honored Monday as the NHL defensive player of the week, won his seventh straight start and has allowed one goal or less in the last four games. He lost his shutout bid on a fluke goal by Paul Martin, a flip shot at 10:59 of the third that caromed off the side glass and landed in the net.The Islanders refused to surrender in the playoff chase, despite dealing away four veteran players Thursday at the trade deadline. The win gave the Islanders 66 points, moving them five behind the Montreal Canadiens for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference. Montreal did not play yesterday.Alexei Yashin scored two goals, both set up by Sean Bergenheim, and Bergenheim also had a goal. Jeff Tambellini, one of the players acquired at the trade deadline, and Shawn Bates and John Erskine also scored for the Islanders.The Islanders dominated the season series, finishing 6-1-1 against the Devils.New Jersey dropped its second straight as Martin Brodeur had another tough game in goal. Just as in the Devils’ 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Brodeur was pulled after allowing six goals. He was replaced by Scott Clemmensen.Rookies Tambellini and Bergenheim staked the Islanders to a 2-0 first-period lead.Tambellini, acquired from the Los Angeles Kings, got his first NHL goal at 9:16. Brodeur stopped Bates’s shot and Tambellini pounced on the rebound. The rookie wheeled around Brodeur to deposit the puck into the net.Bergenheim got his second NHL goal, and first this season, when he scored on his own rebound. Brodeur blocked the initial drive and Bergenheim followed up with a sharp-angle shot that glanced off the goalie’s glove.Yashin scored both of his goals in the second period – at 11:09 and 18:18 – to extend the Islanders lead to 4-0.Bates scored 36 seconds into the third, and Erskine followed at 5:01 to put New York up 6-0 and end Brodeur’s night.

Rangers Drop Sixth Straight Game in Carolina

Rangers Drop Sixth Straight Game in Carolina

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