Ray Whitney scores in overtime, Hurricanes beat Ovechkin-less Capitals

Whitney scores in overtime for Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. — Ray Whitney scored at 4:02 of overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.

Eric Staal had a goal and set up Whitney’s winner, and Brett Carson and Chad LaRose also scored for Carolina. Eric Fehr forced the overtime for Washington, scoring with 10 seconds left in regulation and goalie Semyon Varlamov off for an extra attacker.

LaRose put the Hurricanes ahead on a breakaway with 1:35 to go. It was LaRose’s fifth goal of the season and 100th NHL point.

Washington played without captain and scoring leader Alex Ovechkin, serving the second of a two-game suspension for his hit on Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell on Sunday. Defenseman Joe Corvo, obtained from the Hurricanes in a March 3 trade and playing his first game back in Raleigh, had Washington’s first two goals.

Carolina goalie Justin Peters and Washington’s Varlamov each made 25 saves.

Carolina was without defenseman Tim Gleason, expected to be sidelined three weeks with a broken foot. He was injured Saturday against Phoenix and played through it Tuesday night against Boston.

The Capitals outshot Carolina 8-6 in a scoreless first period in which no penalties were called.

Corvo broke the shutout 30 seconds into the second when he beat Peters from the slot, on assists from Matt Bradley and fellow former Hurricane Scott Walker. Walker was also playing his first game in Raleigh since the trade.

Staal tied it in a 5-on-3 situation at 4:36 on a tap-in from the left doorstep off Jussi Jokinen’s pass from the right point.

Staal’s 72nd career power-play goal put him into second place on the franchise’s career list, past Kevin Dineen and 60 behind current associate head coach Ron Francis. Corvo scored again from about the same spot on a power-play rush with 12 seconds left in the second.

Rookie Carson tied it for Carolina at 12:44 of the third on a shot from the right circle.

NOTES: Carolina’s Brian Pothier, who came from Washington as part of the trade for Corvo and Walker, was playing his first home game against his former team since the trade. … Washington forward Boyd Gordon was out with a back injury and is listed as day-to-day.