Carolina Gets Emotional Win

The Carolina Hurricanes, playing through the emotion of a pregame ceremony and a 90-second scoreboard retrospective remembering defenseman Steve Chiasson, started slowly Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames.

“It’s tough going out on the ice after you’re almost crying on the bench,” said Carolina’s Jeff O’Neill, responding to the game dedicated to Chiasson, seven months after the 13-year defenseman died in a single-car accident. “We all wanted to play well and remember him in the right way.”

O’Neill did his part, matching a career high with four points--two goals and two assists--as the Hurricanes rallied for a 4-3 victory before a season-low crowd of 7,903 at Raleigh, N.C.

O’Neill’s eighth goal of the season, with 6:18 left in the third period, was the go-ahead goal for the Hurricanes, who came back from a 3-1 deficit. It was their first victory when trailing after two periods this season.

Chiasson’s blood alcohol level was 0.27 when he died on May 3, the morning after the Hurricanes were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. He was returning home from a late-night party at teammate Gary Roberts’ house.

“I think because of how everything went down in May it’s nice to come back and have a little bit of closure and put things in perspective,” Chiasson’s wife, Susan, said. “Lots of people needed to know we’re OK.”

Paul Coffey assisted on Carolina’s two third-period goals to move past Mario Lemieux into eighth place on the NHL’s career-scoring list with 1,495 points.

Phoenix 6, Nashville 3--Shane Doan scored twice and added an assist as the league-leading Coyotes won for the seventh consecutive time in the game at Nashville. Phoenix scored three goals in a span of 1:25 in the first period to grab a 3-0 lead. The Predators cut the Coyotes’ lead to 4-3 with 4:54 left, but Keith Tkachuk scored less than a minute later and then added another with 1:43 remaining.

Colorado 4, Vancouver 2--The Avalanche broke a 2-2 tie with an unassisted goal by Shjon Podein 45 seconds into the final period and a goal by Brian Rolston with 13:06 remaining to win at Vancouver, Canada.

Dallas 2, New York Islanders 1--Power-play goals by Brett Hull and Mike Modano carried the Stars at Uniondale, N.Y. Manny Fernandez relieved Ed Belfour and stopped 31 shots for his second win of the season.

Ottawa 2, Chicago 1--Andreas Dackell and Magnus Arvedson scored 27 seconds apart early in the third period to help the Senators beat the Blackhawks at Kanata, Canada.

Pittsburgh 4, Buffalo 1--Jaromir Jagr scored his league-leading 20th goal and Tom Barrasso made 32 saves to give the Penguins their first victory at Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. Pittsburgh won in Buffalo for the first time since Jan. 17, 1996.

Notes

The prognosis for Gordie Howe is excellent after surgery Monday in Detroit to remove a cancerous spot on his left shin. “This is minor, minor, minor compared to some of the things he’s been through,” Howe’s wife, Colleen, said. “He’s just doing really well.”