Crosby's shootout goal lifts Pens
PITTSBURGH — Carolina was cruising. Then Scott Walker got hurt, and everything went downhill in a hurry.
Walker left the ice and was taken to a hospital because of a torso injury in the second period. The team said he was OK, but the Hurricanes melted down after that, allowing two goals in 2Z\x minutes and eventually losing 4-3 in a shootout to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.
"Obviously after (the injury), I don't know what happened," Carolina defenseman Glen Wesley said. "It was bang-bang, but we can't use that as an excuse."
Walker left the ice with 2:34 to play in the second period with a torso injury, and Adam Hall and Petr Sykora scored before the end of the period to tie the game.
In the shootout, Sidney Crosby had the decisive goal for Pittsburgh, ending Carolina's three-game winning streak.
Justin Williams had a goal and an assist and Rod Brind'Amour two assists for the Hurricanes, who were playing the fifth game of a six-game road trip.
Sykora had two goals in regulation and Crosby had two assists for Pittsburgh, which took part in a shootout for the first time this season.
All three Penguins shooters scored in the shootout against goalie Cam Ward. Erik Christensen went from his backhand to his forehand to score the first goal. After Sykora scored the second, Crosby also went backhand-to-forehand.
"I watched (Christensen's) move all the way, just took a page out of his book a bit," Crosby said. "You've got to just trust your move and hope it works."
After Crosby's goal, Pittsburgh goalie Dany Sabourin made the first save of the shootout, using his glove on Ray Whitney's wrist shot to seal the victory.
Matt Cullen and Jeff Hamilton scored for Carolina in the shootout.
"That was a great feeling, first win on a glove save," said Sabourin, the Penguins backup who played a complete game for the first time this season. "Our guys had three good moves against Ward."
On March 4, 2006, in Pittsburgh, Carolina winger Erik Cole fractured a vertebra in his neck after a check from Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik. Walker's injury apparently was not as serious. He was said to have been released from the hospital and joined the team for the postgame flight to Philadelphia.
"Who knows how to explain that?" Cole said of the multiple Hurricanes injures at Mellon Arena. "Those are things you can't really control. I just hope Walks is O.K."
While skating to the bench during a stoppage in play, Walker fell to his knees. A stretcher was brought out and play was delayed for several minutes, but Walker ultimately skated off slowly with the aid of team personnel. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
After Whitney gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead 59 seconds into the game, Sykora scored the 250th goal of his career off a rebound of a Crosby wraparound with 1:02 left in the first period.
"Tonight I just went to the net and got a couple rebounds," Sykora said.
