'Canes, Stillman rally by Thrashers

RALEIGH, N.C. - Cory Stillman had two goals and two assists to run his point streak to nine games, and the Carolina Hurricanes rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 on Wednesday.

Erik Cole and Andrew Hutchinson also scored for the Hurricanes, who won at home for the first time in three games against Atlanta this season. The Thrashers won the first two by a combined score of 14-2, and it appeared they were headed for another easy victory with three consecutive goals.

Ilya Kovalchuk had two on the power play, and Jim Slater got the other at even-strength to help Atlanta take a 3-1 lead. Kovalchuk's second came on a 5-on-3 after Carolina's Chad LaRose got 17 minutes in penalties for going after Karl Stewart.

Seconds earlier, Stewart leveled Matt Cullen in the neutral zone with a vicious but clean hit, and LaRose took exception. He immediately dropped his stick and gloves, then left Stewart bloodied after a brief encounter.

Kovalchuk took advantage and beat Martin Gerber short-side, but that was the final goal allowed by Gerber. He finished with 23 saves to help the Hurricanes increase their lead in the Southeast Division to nine points over Tampa Bay.

SENATORS 3, CAPITALS 1

In Washington, Chris Phillips, Patrick Eaves and Peter Schaefer scored, and Dominik Hasek made 23 saves to lead Ottawa past Washington.

Matt Pettinger scored for the Capitals, but the Senators (28-7-1-2) sealed the win with Schaefer's empty-net goal with 22 seconds left. Ottawa improved its NHL-best point total to 59.

The Senators played without leading scorer Daniel Alfredsson, who missed his second game in a row with a cracked rib, but his teammates picked up the slack. During a 4-on-4 sequence in the first period, Zdeno Chara's shot was saved by Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig, but the rebound went directly to Phillips, who scored his first goal of the season at 19:08.

ISLANDERS 4, PANTHERS 3 (OT)

In Uniondale, N.Y., Wade Dubielewicz played only 2:24 but earned his second NHL victory when Mark Parrish scored in overtime, lifting New York to a victory over Florida and snapping the Islanders' five-game losing streak.

Dubielewicz, recalled after Rick DiPietro's knee injury last week, made his NHL season debut with 8.5 seconds left in regulation after Garth Snow left with an apparent leg injury. He made three saves and became a winner when Parrish took Shawn Bates' pass and beat Roberto Luongo with a changeup shot 2:15 into the extra session.

Snow was injured after stopping Martin Gelinas' rush. With the puck still loose, Florida forward Nathan Horton and Islanders defenseman Alexei Zhitnik fell onto Snow as he kneeled and leaned backward. He was helped off the ice after making 36 saves.

DEVILS: In East Rutherford, N.J., Alexander Mogilny was placed on waivers by New Jersey, a day after the return of Patrik Elias.

Elias was back in the lineup Tuesday night against Florida after missing several months with hepatitis.

With Mogilny on the bench, Elias took his place and assisted on one of Brian Gionta's two goals in the 3-0 victory.

After the game, coach Lou Lamoriello would only say that Mogilny was a healthy scratch. On Wednesday, he said the move was "strictly a personnel decision."