*Helminen helps Hurricanes top Maple Leafs*
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Dwight Helminen had a goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes scored four times in the second period en route to a 6-4 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday in the opener of a home-and-home series.
Chad LaRose and Tuomo Ruutu also both scored a goal and set up another and defenseman Joe Corvo and Ray Whitney each netted power-play goals for Carolina, which improved to 3-1-1 in its last five games.
Eric Staal added an empty-net tally with 22 seconds remaining in the third period and Michael Leighton finished with 29 saves for the Hurricanes, who will visit Toronto on Tuesday.
"You know what, I thought in the second half we came alive," Carolina coach Peter Laviolette said. "We started skating better. We generate offense. We were pressing down in the offensive zone. We picked up a little better defensively. That was the difference. It usually is.
"You know, we've talked about it before - energy and execution. We found energy in the building and we able run with it there for 25 or 30 minutes."
Mikhail Grabovski had a pair of tallies, Niklas Hagman had a goal and an assist and Ian White netted his first tally of the season for the Maple Leafs, who fell to 4-2-0 in their last six games.
"You know, you're not got to have the same energy level in a game like this, second in 24 hours," Toronto coach Ron Wilson said. "I thought we were doing a great job. Two or three minutes into the second period, we had a two-goal lead, then a couple of bad penalties and that pretty much did it."
Playing in just his fourth game since being recalled due to the injury of rookie Brandon Sutter, Helminen scored his first NHL goal with 2:43 remaining in the second period to tie the contest at 3-3.
"I think I've shown I can compete at this level and make some plays," Helminen said. "And I've just got to continue doing the little things and making things happen."
After Ruutu gave the Hurricanes the lead with 30 seconds left in the session, Helminen assisted on LaRose's tally just 75 seconds into the third.
"They're both really good players, and it's always fun to play with good players," Ruutu said of Helminen and LaRose. "All four lines, we started working together and we started forechecking with five guys. After we started doing our forecheck with the five guys, that's the way we got pucks and that's the way we got opportunities as well. "
Grabovski scored twice in under four minutes to give Toronto a 3-1 advantage midway through the second period.
"I feel much better especially when I feel the confidence from the coach," Grabovski said.
Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, the defense broke down and goaltender Curtis Joseph couldn't keep the Hurricanes off the board.
"It was the second period that lost us the game, I guess," said Joseph, who finished with 24 saves. "It just a couple of tough bounces, too. It is a game of inches sometimes. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way tonight. We had the momentum last night and won the game and lost it tonight on that very same momentum."
