McBain lifts Hurricanes past Penguins

Credit: AP Photo

Jamie McBain (28) celebrates his game-winning goal.

By: JournalNow Staff | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 21, 2010

PITTSBURGH --

Jamie McBain scored his first NHL goal on a slap shot from above the circles with less than a second left in overtime, and the Carolina Hurricanes rallied from a late deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 yesterday.

Seconds after Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made what looked to be a potential game-saving stop on Chad LaRose's wrist shot, McBain -- getting two points in his third career game -- beat Fleury cleanly with nine-tenths of a second remaining. After the game, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said the shot deflected off his hand.

The Penguins, 2-2-2 in their past six games, led 2-1 on Evgeni Malkin's goal off a hard wrist shot from the left circle with 6:55 remaining. Joni Pitkanen tied the score at 2-2 at the 16-minute mark with a drive from the left circle off Eric Staal's long pass from behind the goal line.

The Hurricanes, 11-3-1 since Feb. 5, won despite losing starting goalie Manny Legace with an unspecified lower-body injury during the second period.

Legace took several minutes to get back to his feet after being upended by Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy during a scramble in front of the net. Kennedy was called for goaltender interference at 6:43 of the period, and Legace, despite initially staying in the game, was lifted after making eight saves when play stopped again 49 seconds later.

Pittsburgh tied it at 1-all on its third shot against backup Justin Peters, by Jordan Staal on a power play with 18 seconds left in the period. Peters made 15 saves.

Carolina 1 0 1 1 -- 3

Pittsburgh 0 1 1 0 -- 2

First Period--1, Carolina, Boychuk 3 (Pitkanen, McBain), 6:48.

Second Period--2, Pittsburgh, J.Staal 20 (Ponikarovsky, Crosby), 19:42 (pp).

Third Period--3, Pittsburgh, Malkin 24 (Fedotenko, Ponikarovsky), 13:05. 4, Carolina, Pitkanen 6 (E.Staal, Whitney), 16:00.

Overtime--5, Carolina, McBain 1 (LaRose, Rodney), 4:59.

Shots on Goal--Carolina 9-4-12-4--29. Pittsburgh 4-7-10-4--25. Goalies--Carolina, Legace, Peters. Pittsburgh, Fleury. A--17,090 (16,940). T--2:24.