ATLANTA - When the Carolina Hurricanes were down early after a fluky goal Wednesday night, they turned to what has become their most reliably energetic line to turn the situation around.

AHL call-ups Ryan Bayda and Keith Aucoin may look like two kids to outsiders, but not to linemate Scott Walker.

"They're not kids anymore," Walker said. "That's what the difference is. I know they're young because they've been called up, but they've been around for a long time. That's what you need. It's kind of nice to have them, because they have the experience of being up here."

The trio answered the Atlanta Thrashers' goal with two of their own before the first period ended, sending the Canes on their way to a 6-3 win and scoring the goals the Canes deserved as they outshot the Thrashers 14-3 in the first.

"They played great," Hurricanes center Eric Staal said. "They played to their strengths: They got the puck deep, they cycled it, they tired them out and they capitalized."

Walker deflected a Frantisek Kaberle shot through a Bayda screen past Kari Lehtonen to tie the score, then set up Bayda at the circle for a wide-open one-timer to give the Canes a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

While Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette wasn't happy with Carolina's effort in the second period, he watched as Bayda, Aucoin and Walker set the tone in the first.

"They've been outstanding when they play that game," Laviolette said. "There's a lot of work involved in that."

FINNISH REUNION: They grew up together, played hockey with and against each other in Finland, won three World Junior medals together and spend their summers training together in Helsinki.

On this side of the Atlantic, at least, Carolina forward Tuomo Ruutu and Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen had never played against each other -- until Wednesday, their first meeting since the 2002-03 season, when Lehtonen was playing for Jokerit and Ruutu for HIFK in the Finnish league.

"It's kind of exciting, because growing up we played against each other, we played on the same team, we had a couple shootout competitions against each other," Ruutu said. "It's fun to play against him and I'm kind of excited to do it again."

Ruutu didn't score on Lehtonen, but he didn't have much of a chance. He missed the net on his only attempt against Lehtonen before Thrashers coach Don Waddell mercifully yanked his goalie with six minutes to play in the second period and the Canes up three goals.

TAILWINDS: Frantisek Kaberle's three-assist and three-point night was his first in a Carolina uniform and fourth of his career. The last came when he played for the Thrashers in November 2003. ... Center Eric Staal has 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) since captain Rod Brind'Amour was injured on Feb. 14.