Music: {allcanada} Dwyer, Staal carry Canes to 4-3 win over Leafs

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

{allcanada} Dwyer, Staal carry Canes to 4-3 win over Leafs

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TORONTO (AP)—Patrick Dwyer scored the winner with just over five minutes remaining, and Eric Staal (notes) had two goals in the Carolina Hurricanes' 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

Jeff Skinner (notes) also scored for the Hurricanes, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Cam Ward (notes) stopped 34 shots.

Phil Kessel (notes) scored twice and Mikhail Grabovski (notes) added a goal for Toronto. Jonas Gustavsson (notes) made 23 saves.

The Maple Leafs worked hard under tough circumstances after being stuck on a bus in a winter storm for five hours Sunday following a victory in New Jersey. The team didn't arrive in Toronto until Tuesday morning.

Dwyer's goal with 5:11 remaining came off a scramble in front of Gustavsson.

The game began fast and furious with five goals scored in the final 13 minutes of the first period.

After Skinner made it 1-0 at 7:34, Kessel answered less than five minutes later with a one-timer from the left circle during a 5-on-3 power play.

Staal's first came off a giveaway by John Mitchell (notes) in the Hurricanes zone. The Carolina captain stripped the puck from Mitchell and streaked down the wing before cutting in front to beat Gustavsson at 14:08.

Kessel tied it 2-2 with his second of the night 1:22 later. Tyler Bozak (notes) stole the puck from defenseman Jay Harrison (notes) in the corner. Joey Crabb (notes) shoveled it to Kessel for a backhander from the high slot.

Stall added his second goal with 10 seconds left in the period when Sergei Samsonov (notes) made some shifty moves before passing to Staal for a one-timer.

Mikhail Grabovski made it 3-3 on a power play at 8:17 of the second. A tipped point shot fell to Grabovski, who beat Ward.

After being outshot 25-15 through two periods by Toronto, the third was all Carolina with the tough travel seemingly catching up to the Leafs.

The Toronto finished 2 for 8 on the power play. Carolina was 1 for 3.

NOTES: Toronto D Tomas Kaberle (notes) added to his team-leading point total against Carolina. He has 29 points in 40 games. … Crabb's assist on Kessel's second goal was his first point with the Maple Leafs.