Hurricanes Dominate OT, Even Series

After a rather lifeless performance Wednesday in Game One, the Carolina Hurricanes were on a mission Friday night. They were out to prove themselves a worthy opponent for Eastern Conference third seed New Jersey, and to even the series on the road.

They got it done. After the teams traded some great scoring chances but only one goal apiece in regulation, the Hurricanes took charge in a short overtime. The extra frame was ended by Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason, whose blast beat Martin Brodeur for a 2-1 Carolina win.

Hurricanes 2, Devils 1, OT: Recap | Box Score | Friday's Scores

The game was a classic goaltender's duel, with Brodeur and Cam Ward trading saves on each end of the rink. Neither guy could do much about the goals that were scored in regulation, and they did plenty to prevent others.

Similar to the Hurricanes' regulation goal, a power-play marker from Eric Staal off a rebound, Brodeur was left helpless on the winner. Gleason's shot appeared to glance off the skate of Devils defenseman Niclas Havelid before eluding Brodeur. Staal was right there, battling with Havelid for position and possibly preventing Brodeur from getting a good view of the puck.

For Carolina, it was a huge performance. The Hurricanes had struggled to generate any real offense in the opener, and while they didn't score much in this game, they were better with and without the puck. The Devils didn't dominate like they did Wednesday. While Ward was great, give credit to the skaters. They were more active in the defensive zone, and they appeared to play a much smarter defensive game.

Then came the overtime, which was dominated in all ways by Carolina. They played with a purpose, had good puck possession, and outshot the Devils 5-0 in the period.

The Devils have to deal with the first notable injury of the series, as captain Jamie Langenbrunner left the game in the second with a lower body injury. He did not return.

This best-of-seven series is tied at a win apiece. Game Three will be played Sunday night in Raleigh.