Brind’Amour Finally Shows Hurricanes That He Belongs

This is the Rod Brind’Amour the Carolina Hurricanes wanted when they traded Keith Primeau to Philadelphia.

Brind’Amour broke out of a month-long scoring slump with three goals as the Hurricanes extended their home unbeaten streak to six games with a 5-2 victory Sunday over the New York Islanders at Raleigh, N.C.

Brind’Amour had one goal in his last 14 games and only two points in 15, but recorded his first three-goal game since Dec. 29, 1992, with Philadelphia. He had 13 points in 33 games last season after being traded for Primeau on Jan. 23.

“It’s a strange game, really,” said Brind’Amour, who has two career three-goal games. “You can play a long time and not seem to get a break and I got three tonight. It’s nice to get a couple of breaks.”

It was the first hat trick by a Hurricane player since Bates Battaglia did it March 8 against Chicago.

New York has given up hat tricks in two of three games. New Jersey’s Alexander Mogilny scored three times Thursday in a 4-2 victory.

The Islanders have lost five in a row and eight of nine, and have won only five of their last 28 games. Their 28 points are the fewest in the NHL.

“If you had told me at the beginning of the year that we would be the last-place team in the league, I would have been the most surprised guy in the world,” Islander Coach Butch Goring said. “I believe we have a better hockey team than that.”

Detroit 4, Colorado 3--Steve Yzerman’s second goal 1:08 into overtime gave the Red Wings the victory at Detroit.

Yzerman stole the puck from Ray Bourque in the Avalanche zone, faked Patrick Roy to the ice and lifted a shot over the prone goalie.

Colorado’s Chris Drury tied it with 11.5 seconds left in regulation when he got the puck in the Red Wing zone and beat goalie Manny Legace with a low shot.

The Red Wings improved to 24-13-3-4 and with 55 points are in fourth place in the Western Conference. The Avalanche lead the conference with 60 points.

Chicago 7, Tampa Bay 4--Michael Nylander and Tony Amonte each scored twice at Chicago as the Blackhawks spoiled John Tortorella’s debut as coach of the Lightning.

Tortorella, formerly a Lightning associate coach, replaced Steve Ludzik, who was fired Saturday.

Dean McAmmond, Eric Daze and Jaroslav Spacek also scored for the Blackhawks, who outshot Tampa Bay, 43-20, and are 6-2-1 in their last nine games.

Edmonton 4, Columbus 2--After Espen Knutsen put the Blue Jackets ahead, 1-0, at Edmonton, the Oilers scored four consecutive goals for their biggest offensive output since a 6-2 victory at Nashville Dec. 14.

The Oilers’ Doug Weight had an assist, giving the league leads with 38 and extending his point streak to five games.