Canes fend off Predators

Carolina makes a strong start for a 3-0 lead, but Nashville comes back

NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Strong start, scary finish. But for the Carolina Hurricanes, it all added up to a victory.

The Canes defeated the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Thursday night in an NHL exhibition game at the Sommet Center, jumping in front 3-0 on early goals by Brandon Sutter and Ryan Bayda in the first period and then a power-play goal by Eric Staal barely a minute in the second.

After a solid 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, Carolina (2-3) made the most of its offensive opportunities and was active defensively in a crisp first period.

But a goal by the Predators' Joel Ward in the second period fueled a Nashville comeback and it made for a tight, tense finish until Staal's empty-net goal in the final seconds.

"We got off to a good start and we had a real good tempo," Canes goalie Cam Ward said. "Especially for the first couple of periods we really had a jump on them, especially in the offensive zone."

Vernon Fiddler's goal early in the third made it 3-2, and suddenly the home team appeared to have all the jump. But Canes goalie Michael Leighton, who came in for Ward in the second period, turned back enough shots to keep the Predators at bay.

"I thought we came out hard skating," Staal said. "Once you get ahead like that, sometimes it's too hard for the other team to get out of the hole.

"It was a good win for us. It's what you're building for -- you're building for the regular season. We're playing the style of game we need to win games."

The Canes end their exhibition schedule Sunday with a game against the Predators at the RBC Center in Raleigh.

Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour, who has missed most of training camp after arthroscopic knee surgery, may play, and forward Ray Whitney also could return.

It took the Canes less than three minutes of the first to wrest control against the Predators. First, Sutter posted up in front of goalie Dan Ellis and redirected a hard shot by Anton Babchuk from the right circle.

At 2:05, make it 1-0, Carolina.

Nine seconds later, the Canes' Trevor Gillies was called for an interference penalty.

But Bayda soon struck, wheeling past defenseman Ryan Suter and whistling a quick low shot past Ellis for a short-handed goal. At 2:59, make it 2-0, Carolina.

Cam Ward, who had some shaky starts in two previous preseason games, was sharp in the first. He cooly knocked away a Preds shot on a two-on-one rush after Staal tripped and lost the puck. Moments later, he was in position to stop a slap shot by J.P. Dumont.

Ward split time with Leighton as planned, leaving the game with 11:39 left in the second. Leighton, coming off a 1-0 shutout of the Flyers, was touched for a goal early in the third. Fiddler wristed a shot from the left circle that Leighton couldn't corral.

Soon after Fiddler's goal, Ellis turned away two shots on a breakaway by Staal to keep it a one-goal game. Late in the period, Staal hit the post with another shot.

"It got a little up and down there from the 17-minute mark to the 12-minute mark, a little too high risk," Canes coach Peter Laviolette said. "But it was a good road win and a good job of putting it away.

"I thought that we stopped our attack a little bit in the third. Maybe too protective, too defensive. You need to play the game for 60 minutes the way you started the game."

Had the Hurricanes been more effective on the power play, they may have led by more than two goals after the first. Nashville was able to kill off penalties and stay in it in the first, but the Canes struck quickly in the second period.

But Staal scored 1:11 into the second after Babchuk was wide-right on a hard shot. The puck ricocheted off the boards and bounced back to Staal, positioned at the post, for an easy goal.

The Preds' penalty came at 19:34 of the first on Rich Peverley's hooking penalty against Chad LaRose.

Joel Ward then got Nashville on the board, racing in after a pass from Shea Weber. Cam Ward got a glove on the shot, but the puck popped out.

While the Hurricanes got the strong first-period start to grab the lead, Gillies also won a square-off early with the Preds' Josh Gratton. Gillies got in the heavy blows, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.