Hurricanes 6, Canadiens 2
Rookies Jeff Skinner and Jamie McBain each scored a pair of goals as the Carolina Hurricanes kept pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a 6-2 win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
Joni Pitkanen and Cory Stillman added goals for the Hurricanes (36-30-10), who remained three points back of Buffalo for eighth place in the conference. The Sabres blanked the New York Rangers 1-0 .
Mike Cammalleri and P.K. Subban replied with power-play markers for the Canadiens (41-29-7), who now lead the Sabres and Rangers by just two points for the sixth spot in the East.
Skinner put the Hurricanes on top early with a pair of goals three minutes apart in the first period. The 18-year-old has 58 points on the season, tops among-first-year players.
After Cammalleri halved the deficit early in the second frame, McBain and Pitkanen scored less than three minutes apart to put Carolina in control.