Ruutu’s goal in shootout lifts Carolina to a 2-1 victory over the Lightning

Ruutu’s goal in shootout lifts Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. — Tuomo Ruutu scored the final goal for the Carolina Hurricanes in a shootout, giving them a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

Sergei Samsonov began the shootout by beating Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith, wrapping the puck around him left to right, before Cam Ward stopped the Lightning’s Martin St. Louis. Smith then stopped Jussi Jokinen, and after Vincent Lecavalier hit the right post the left-shooting Ruutu beat Smith stick side.

The win was Carolina’s first in three games this season, while Tampa Bay is 0-1-1.

Jokinen got the regulation goal for Carolina while Ryan Malone scored for Tampa Bay, both on the power play.

The Hurricanes were playing their first game since forward Erik Cole, who is expected to be out 4-6 weeks, suffered a broken leg in Saturday’s 7-2 road loss to the Boston Bruins.

Carolina won all six of the teams’ meetings last season.

Jokinen, obtained in a trade with the Lightning in February, gave the Hurricanes their first lead of the season on their first power play at 13:12 of the first, scoring on a rush off Joni Pitkanen’s lead pass.

Tampa Bay tied it in a 5-on-3 at 6 minutes of the second, as Malone scored on a rebound of Steven Stamkos’ shot.

Notes: Defenseman Pitkanen was in the lineup for Carolina for the first time after missing the first two games following his knee surgery of Sept. 10. But he left the game during the second period with a lower body injury and did not return. Carolina’s Tim Conboy and Tampa Bay’s Zenon Konopka fought in the first period. Lightning forward Andrej Meszaros played in his 300th NHL game, while Smith was playing in his 100th. The teams will meet again in Tampa on Saturday night.