Canes' losing skid reaches 13

RALEIGH -- Tuomo Ruutu, sweat dripping off his forehead, had tried his best to explain and analyze the Carolina Hurricanes' latest loss.

The Los Angeles Kings had finished off the Canes 5-2 on Wednesday night at the RBC Center, pushing Carolina's winless streak to 13 games. For those wondering, that's one game shy of the franchise record.

Ruutu had scored twice as the Hurricanes rallied for a 2-2 tie early in the third period, not that he cared about such individual things. He had talked about the bounces and penalties, about the Kings' two power-play goals, and how the Canes battled hard in the final two periods - although not all of the first - and had lost again.

"We can talk as much as we want, but it has to happen on the ice," he said. "It's been a long streak. We've just got to end it.

"Enough is enough."

Canes coach Paul Maurice can only hope that's the case. Yes, his team again played without star center Eric Staal. Yes, goaltender Cam Ward is out after being cut by the skate of the Columbus Blue Jackets' Rick Nash on Saturday, and defenseman Joni Pitkanen missed the game because of a cold and fever.

Goaltender Manny Legace, signed Monday to a one-year contract, started his first game with the Hurricanes. Legace had 26 saves, including a couple of acrobatic stops.

"I liked his game," Maurice said. "That team drives the net real hard. I thought he worked hard and handled the puck well."

But the Hurricanes (2-12-3) lost this game to a team playing its backup goalie, and a defenseman who has been deemed too out of shape to play came up with the winning goal and an assist.

The goaltender was Erik Ersberg, who has sat cap-on-head nearly the entire season watching Jonathan Quick in net. But Ersberg had 22 saves to pick up his first win since December 2008.

The defenseman, Randy Jones, was claimed off waivers Oct. 29 after the Philadelphia Flyers sent him on his way. But playing his first NHL game of the season, Jones was voted the game's first star.

A power-play goal by Ryan Smyth early in the first period and Jarret Stoll's goal early in the second pushed the Kings (11-6-2) ahead 2-0.

The Canes had little jump to open the game and didn't show much life until killing off 1:50 of a 5-on-3 by the Kings to liven up a crowd of 13,510.

"They score a goal and you're feeling sorry for yourself," Maurice said of the first period. "But we didn't hit anything, we didn't skate.

"We have to fight like the last 20 minutes for 60, and then harder, and then some. ... We don't full appreciate that when you're undermanned, exactly how hard you have to fight."

Ruutu's first goal, on a wicked shot from the right wing, pulled the Canes to 2-1 late in the second. Rod Brind'Amour assisted, tying Kevin Dineen for second on the franchise career list with 294 assists.

But less than a minute after Ruutu's second goal, at 4:03 of the third, the Hurricanes' Scott Walker was called for roughing. With 14 seconds left on the power play, Jones was alone on the back door for the easy goal.

"We came back and fought hard to get back into that game," Maurice said. "... But at 2-2 we can't go to the [penalty] box."

Wayne Simmonds made it a 4-2 game with a goal at 10:05, and Justin Williams finished off the victory with a late empty-netter.

Williams was traded in March by the Hurricanes, a team he helped to the 2006 Stanley Cup.

He had said he would have added motivation in his return to the RBC Center, and he was one of four Kings to produce a multi-point night.

As for Legace, the 36-year-old veteran was playing last week for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

But he was hard on himself after the game.

"I just didn't make a big save in the third period to give our guys a chance to win - it's as simple as that," he said. "I've got to have that fourth one [by Simmonds] to keep us in it."

The Canes' Stephane Yelle left the game with a lower-body injury, and Walker was injured in the third period. That's two more injuries.

"It's frustrating," defenseman Tim Gleason said. "We just can't get it together.

"We just want to win. Nobody cares how we do it. If we don't get a win soon, we'll be in big trouble."

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