Ray Whitney celebrates
© AFP/Getty Images Bruce BennettRALEIGH, United States (AFP) - Cam Ward made 16 saves and Glen Wesley made a pivotal defensive play in the third period for second-seeded Carolina, which will try and regain home-ice advantage on Wednesday, when the National Hockey League teams reunite in Buffalo for game three.
Ryan Miller turned aside 31 shots for the fourth-seeded Sabres, who had won six of their last seven games but ultimately were doomed on Monday by bad penalties against a Hurricanes team that came out with more energy and appeared determined to come away with a victory.
The key in the first half of the contest was Carolina rediscovering its power play after going 0-for-4 in the series opener.
The Hurricanes, who converted 9-of-24 (37 percent) of their power plays in the conference semifinals against New Jersey, netted a pair of man-advantage tallies in this one.
Defenceman Frantisek Kaberle gave Carolina a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, beating Miller to the near side with a slap shot from the left faceoff circle.
Rookie Thomas Vanek drew the Sabres even in the final minute of the opening session, but Whitney regained the lead for the Hurricanes 6:03 into the second period.
Twenty-four seconds after Buffalo's Jochen Hecht took an undisciplined tripping penalty, Whitney made him pay by deflecting a wrist shot by Eric Staal between Miller's pads.
Whitney tallied again just under seven minutes later with the teams skating 4-on-4. Matt Cullen possessed the puck by the right boards and sent a centering feed to the high slot for Whitney, whose one-timer got past Miller high to the glove side.
It was the the sixth goal of the postseason and 12th career playoff tally for Whitney, who never has reached the Stanley Cup Finals in his 14-year career.
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