Sutter, Cullen score in 26-second span, Hurricanes beat Blackhawks 4-2

Sutter, Cullen lift Canes past Blackhawks

RALEIGH, N.C. — Brandon Sutter and Matt Cullen scored in a 26-second span in the third period, and Cam Ward made 39 saves to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Saturday night.

Only 6,896 fans attended the game after snow and ice blanketed the area.

Sergei Samsonov and Jussi Jokinen also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won five of their last six. Ward has stopped 129 of 134 shots in his last four games.

Marian Hossa and Andrew Ladd scored for Chicago, and Cristobal Huet made 20 saves. Ladd, who beat Ward with a wrist shot in the third period, helped Carolina win the Stanley Cup in 2006 before he was traded to Chicago for Tuomo Ruutu last season.

Chicago was 5-3 on its season-high, eight-game trip.

Ward repeatedly foiled one of the NHL’s most dangerous offenses to negate a 41-24 Chicago shot advantage.

After Ladd tied it at 2, LaRose took a slap hot from the left boards that Sutter deflected past Huet with 10:52 remaining.

On the next shift, Tom Kostopoulos rushed up the right side and centered the puck to Cullen, who tipped it past Huet’s blocker.

With Chicago perched near the top of the standings and Carolina trapped near the bottom, the game had the looks of a mismatch. But the Blackhawks’ exhausting trip — they beat San Jose on Thursday night — combined with the Hurricanes’ recent surge, made for an entertaining game.

Near the end of a fast-paced opening period, Samsonov scored on a rebound.

After Andrew Alberts took a slap shot from close to the blue line, Kostopoulos tipped the puck to Samsonov in the crease. Samsonov had no trouble smacking the puck in the open net for his third goal in three games.

Chicago asserted itself in the second, controlling the majority of the action.

The Blackhawks tied it when Hossa took a pass from Patrick Sharp and cut to center of slot before backhanding the puck through Ward’s legs.

The Hurricanes got a boost late when Jokinen one-timed a cross ice pass from Eric Staal past a sprawling Huet. Huet originally stopped the shot, but the puck dribbled over the goal line, giving the Hurricanes a goal that survived video review.

Carolina is 11-1-3 when Jokinen scores.

Alberts and Kostopoulos finished with two assists.

NOTES: It was Chicago’s first trip to Raleigh since December 2005. The Blackhawks haven’t won in Raleigh since Jan. 14, 1998. … Staal had his five-game goals streak snapped.