Blues 5, Hurricanes 2
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The St. Louis Blues found offense from a variety of sources as they came back from a first-period deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at PNC Arena.
Right winger Ty Rattie, center David Backes, center Kyle Brodziak, center Robby Frabbri and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo scored for St. Louis, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Brodziak's short-handed goal in the second period broke a 2-2 tie.
The Hurricanes were already reeling from a pregame trade that sent Carolina captain Eric Staal to the New York Rangers. There was speculation that more moves might be in the works.
Left winger Jeff Skinner and defenseman Ron Hainsey scored for the Hurricanes.
Frabbri and Pietrangelo, who had missed the previous nine games with an injury, scored 37 seconds apart in the third period, each picking up an assist on the other's goal for the Blues (36-20-9). They were coming off their most lopsided loss of the season with Saturday's 5-0 setback at Nashville.
Fabbri's goal came as he made a nifty cut toward the net and deposited the puck, providing the game's first two-goal cushion with 13:58 remaining.
St. Louis goalie Jake Allen made 32 saves.
The Hurricanes (28-26-10) have lost four of their last five games, including three defeats during a four-day period.
Carolina goalie Cam Ward stopped 35 shots.
It was the third time in a nine-game stretch in which the Blues scored at least five goals.
The Blues led 3-2 after two periods courtesy of a two-goal second period.
Backes pulled St. Louis even with a goal 20 seconds into the second period.
Brodziak's short -handed goal with 8:50 left in the period regained the lead for the Blues. That was only the second short-handed goal of the season for St. Louis.
The go-ahead goal was set up by a Carolina turnover. Right winger Scottie Upshall ended up with the puck as the Blues skated in on Ward on a 2-on-0 advantage. Brodziak converted after taking a delivery from Upshall.
Brodziak scored his only other goal this season Nov. 21. Coupled with an assist on the game's first goal, he had two points in a game for the first time this season.
After Rattie opened the scoring just 2:17 into the game in only his second NHL appearance after nearly a month in the minor leagues, the Hurricanes responded.
Skinner and Hainsey scored 84 seconds apart, so it was 2-1 less than 10 minutes into the game.
Hainsey, who assisted on Skinner's goal, had two points. He had gone the previous 13 games without a point.
NOTES: The Hurricanes announced the trade of C Eric Staal, the captain, to the New York Rangers about an hour before face-off. Carolina received C Aleksi Saarela and second-round picks in the next two drafts in return. ... Blues D Alex Pietrangelo was back in the lineup after missing nine games with a nine injury. He missed a combined seven games in his previous five full NHL seasons. ... LW Jeff Skinner, 23, played in his 400th NHL game, all with the Hurricanes. ... Former Hurricanes head coach Kirk Muller is an assistant coach with the Blues. ... Blues D Colton Parayko and Hurricanes D Jaccob Slavin both rank among the top five among NHL rookies in ice time per game. ... Carolina won the only other meeting this season, taking a 4-1 decision Jan. 14 at St. Louis. ... The Blues play the third game of a four-game road swing Tuesday night at Ottawa. ... The Hurricanes, who play only one home game in the next 22 days, go to New Jersey on Tuesday night.