Canes' short-handed duo

RALEIGH -- Carolina Hurricanes center Matt Cullen and forward Chad LaRose didn't start the season on the same line, but when coaches reunited them in Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they quickly found the spark they developed last season.

With the score tied and the team going back on the penalty kill with 24.5 seconds left in the second period, the duo forced a turnover, Cullen set up LaRose for a nice shot and Tampa Bay rookie Victor Hedman was called for hooking.

That equalized the Lightning's man-advantage heading into the third period.

"There's something there that works for them," Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said. "They communicate well on the ice together."

Despite their differences regarding a pair of American League Central Division baseball teams that faced each other Tuesday, they have plenty in common.

Both are from the northern Midwest. And both joined the team around the same time.

"We've played together for a long time," Cullen said. "That's part of it."

Cullen said he isn't sure why they, along with forward Ray Whitney, are such good linemates.

"It's one of those things I don't really know," he said. "We enjoy playing together."

Both players credited Whitney, the veteran, as did Maurice.

"Cully is a great skater, Rosey is a real good skater by effort -- it's not easy for him, but he's fast, he's quick -- so Ray plays off of them," Maurice said. "I think he gives them a little bit more room to go."

Cullen's first season with the Canes came in 2005-06, the same season LaRose broke out of the minors to join the team for 49 games.

Cullen was then a member of the U.S. Olympic team.

"Both being American kids ... that was something I could look up to," LaRose said.

Their lockers have been next to each other since, and they're friends, texting each other and grabbing lunch often.

In January, the coaching staff decided to cut the duo loose in short-handed situations.

The Hurricanes were the only team without a short-handed goal. Maurice wasn't looking for recklessness, but when an opportunity presented itself, they had the green light to pounce.

"We were just way too passive on our penalty kill," Maurice said.

In late January, the pair set each other up on short-handed goals in back-to-back games. Maurice said that improved their confidence in their five-on-five play.

They each ended the season with two short-handed goals, and at least one of them was involved with more than half of the team's eight regular-season short-handed goals.

In the second game of the Eastern Conference semifinals series, trailing the Boston Bruins by a game, LaRose jumped a pass from Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and assisted Cullen on a short-handed goal.

The Hurricanes went on to win that game and the next two.

That's what the team hopes has been reignited.

Though they killed penalties together in the first two games this season, they hadn't shared a line in the five-on-five.

Maurice said playing on the same line in the five-on-five seems to have jump-started the penalty kill.

"We were excited about it, but you've got to be excited no matter who you're playing with," LaRose said.

LaRose, who grew up outside of Detroit, was less excited about the outcome of Tuesday's Detroit Tigers-Minnesota Twins one-game playoff, which went 12 innings and saw Minnesota advance.

Cullen grew up in northeast Minnesota and pulls for the Twins.

"He's calmed down in the mouth right now," Cullen laughed. "So, yeah, it turned out pretty good."

Pitkanen questionable: Defenseman Joni Pitkanen didn't practice Thursday but may play tonight against the Florida Panthers, Maurice said.

Pitkanen had knee surgery Sept. 10, missed training camp and was held out of the first two games.

He had 9:37 of ice time Tuesday against Tampa Bay but didn't play in the third period after experiencing stiffness in the knee.

Maurice said Pitkanen's knee was sore but that there was no further damage. A decision was expected to be made after today's morning skate.

If he can't play, the defensive combinations are expected to be Joe Corvo-Tim Gleason, Aaron Ward-Niclas Wallin and Andrew Alberts-Jay Harrison.

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