For Salei and Ducks, It’s Finer in Carolina

With all the trouble the Mighty Ducks have had on the road this season, they’ll certainly take a lucky bounce.

Ruslan Salei scored a fluke short-handed goal, and the Ducks won consecutive road games for the first time in two months by beating the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-1, Wednesday night.

It was the first time since Dec. 10 that the Ducks scored at least three goals.

Goaltender Kevin Weekes has been Carolina’s most valuable player in the first half this season, but his blunder on the power play gave the Ducks the go-ahead score less than two minutes after the Hurricanes tied the score.

Weekes came out of the net to play Salei’s bank shot off the boards. However, the puck took a crazy bounce and Weekes couldn’t recover to make the save early in the second period.

“The rule is when the puck is on the glass, the goalie can’t leave the net,” Duck Coach Mike Babcock said. “A real tough break for them, a real good break for us.”

Salei didn’t hesitate to say his game-winner was mostly the result of good fortune.

“A lucky goal is a lucky goal and we’re all excited about it,” Salei said. “We’re trying to get on a roll and this is huge for us.”

Weekes said the bad bounce was one in a 100.

“After you’re out there and you’re anticipating the wraparound there is no way you can physically get back if you’re behind the net,” Weekes said. “It’s frustrating, but those are bounces, and the majority of times that’s not going to happen.”

The Ducks limited the Hurricanes to 18 shots. Carolina has scored only 12 goals in nine games.

“We got out-skated. The team that worked harder and won those one-on-one battles and skated harder won the game,” Coach Peter Laviolette said. “It’s pretty simple for me.”

Carolina fell behind for the fifth consecutive game when Andy McDonald tipped in a centering pass from Steve Rucchin midway through the first period.

The Hurricanes lost any hope of a third-period rally when Josef Vasicek and Erik Cole took penalties 28 seconds apart midway through the period. Sergei Fedorov made the Hurricanes pay, scoring his team-leading 13th goal with seven seconds left on the power play.

“We took penalties that by no means a team in our position should be taking,” Laviolette said.