Hurricanes 4, Penguins 2
Jiri Tlusty scored a pair of goals and set up another as visiting Carolina snapped its three-game losing streak.
Nathan Gerbe scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Patrick Dwyer also tallied as the Hurricanes won for only the third time in 14 road games (3-9-2). Defenseman Justin Faulk notched two assists while Cam Ward halted a three-start skid with 20 saves to boost his career mark to 13-6-3 versus Pittsburgh.
Defenseman Kris Letang and Patric Hornqvist scored for the Penguins, who suffered their first regulation defeat at home since Oct. 22. Captain Sidney Crosby assisted on both goals and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 31 shots on his 30th birthday.
Although Carolina dominated the opening 20 minutes, a fortunate carom led to the opening goal as Tlusty's centering pass banked off Pittsburgh defenseman Olli Maatta's skate and past Fleury at 15:47. The Penguins tied it only 43 seconds later, when Letang swooped in and shoveled a rebound into an open net.
Dwyer reclaimed the lead for the Hurricanes at 2:54 of the second, going top shelf with a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot, but Crosby fed Hornqvist for a bullet from the right circle 13 minutes later. Elias Lindholm set up Gerbe's go-ahead tally on the power play at 3:10 of the third and Ward made it stand until Tlusty scored into an empty net during a man advantage with 13 seconds remaining.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Crosby has recorded seven points in his last three contests to boost his league-high total to 33, but Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin had his six-game point streak halted. ... Hurricanes C Jay McClement assisted on Tlusty's first goal for his second point in 15 games. ... Penguins C Marcel Goc did not return after being hit by a puck in the first period.