Canes find offense in season opener

Dan LaCouture gets the game-winning goal in his regular-season debut with the Hurricanes

RALEIGH -- The season opener had been played at a rapid pace, back and forth, the two teams answering goals with goals, hard hits with hard hits.

The Carolina Hurricanes finally won it Friday night, rallying from an early two-goal deficit for a 6-4 win over the Florida Panthers at the RBC Center. And the Canes, denied a playoff berth by the Panthers at the end of last season, would find an unlikely hero to begin the new season.

Dan LaCouture wasn't in the NHL last season, playing in a Swiss league. He came to the Canes' training camp as an unsigned free agent, winning a roster spot and contract with grit and determination -- that and a need at forward after injuries to Justin Williams and Scott Walker.

Now, LaCouture has a game-winning goal in his first game.

LaCouture ripped the puck past Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun at 3:32 of the third period off the rebound of a Niclas Wallin shot, giving the Canes a 5-3 lead. After a power-play goal by the Panthers' Nathan Horton made it 5-4, LaCouture's goal was the difference, with Matt Cullen adding an empty-netter in the final seconds.

"I don't know that it's quite set in yet, but I'm just happy for the opportunity," LaCouture said. "The biggest thing is I'm happy we won the game.

"Home opener, first game of the season, it's a good way to start the season."

Asked if he could recall his last NHL goal, LaCouture was stumped.

"Offhand, no. Definitely a couple of years ago," he said, smiling.

It was Feb. 11, 2006, when he scored for the Boston Bruins. His last game-winner was in March 2004, when he was with the New York Rangers.

"I'm just happy to contribute," LaCouture said.

So many Hurricanes did against the Panthers, who were playing their first game under coach Peter DeBoer and got a goal from former Canes forward Cory Stillman. And, like LaCouture, some weren't with the Canes last year.

Joni Pitkanen, the smooth-skating defenseman who came to Carolina in the trade with Edmonton for Erik Cole, had a second-period goal for a 4-3 lead. And rookie center Brandon Sutter made his NHL debut memorable with an assist on LaCouture's goal.

Not that it was all about the new guys. Tuomo Ruutu scored the Canes' first goal of the season, redirecting a shot by Dennis Seidenberg. Ray Whitney, energetic and effective, tied it 2-2 late in the first period.

Goalie Cam Ward made some timely saves, one on a blast by Florida's David Booth with 3:15 to play and the Canes leading 5-4.

Then there was the captain, Rod Brind'Amour. His power-play score in the second period gave the Canes their first lead, 3-2, and was his first goal since Jan. 31.

"We just got it done. I don't know that anything was real pretty," said Brind'Amour, who missed the last 22 games last season after a severe knee injury. "Cam was good. He made some good saves for us because they were running around in our end.

"But you know what? I'd rather win ugly than lose nice."

So would Canes coach Peter Laviolette, who admitted that last loss to Florida last season ate at him for months.

"There were some good things and certainly some things we can do better," Laviolette said. "It's a starting point. I thought it was important for us to come back from 2-0, and we showed some character."

The Canes play at Tampa Bay tonight, against another Southeast Division rival. By the way, that last LaCouture goal? It was against the Lightning.