-----------------------------
Carolina 0 0 1--1
Ottawa 0 0 0--0
-----------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: G Wesley, Car (interference),
2:24; Hatcher, Car (holding), 7:37; Vasicek, Car (holding), 11:14; Roy,
Ott (elbowing), 13:48; Oneill, Car (holding stick), 15:12; Karpa, Car
(Delay of game), 16:52.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: Hatcher, Car (slashing),
5:59; Rivers, Ott (high sticking), 8:27; Ozolinsh, Car (roughing), 9:39;
Kapanen, Car (roughing), 9:39; Zamuner, Ott (roughing), 9:39.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Carolina, Willis 7 (power play) (Francis,
Ozolinsh), 9:47. Penalties: Roy, Ott (roughing), 0:16; Roy, Ott
(roughing), 9:20; Roy, Ott (slashing, misconduct), 9:47.
Shots on goal:
---------------------------------
Carolina 5 7 13--25
Ottawa 12 10 5--27
---------------------------------
Power-play Conversions: Car - 1 of 5, Ott - 0 of 7. Goalies: Carolina,
Irbe (27 shots, 27 saves; record: 5-6-3). Ottawa, Lalime (25, 24; record:
3-3-1). A:15,211. Referees: B Mccreary, Warren. Linesmen: Champoux,
Henderson.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Carolina Ottawa
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
Adams 0 0 even 0 Arvedson 0 0 even 1
Battaglia 0 0 even 1 Bonk 0 0 even 1
Brindamour 0 0 even 1 Dackell 0 0 even 0
Francis 0 1 even 1 Emmons 0 0 even 1
G Wesley 0 0 even 1 Forbes 0 0 even 2
Gelinas 0 0 even 3 Havlat 0 0 even 2
Halko 0 0 even 0 Hossa 0 0 even 0
Hatcher 0 0 even 1 Mceachern 0 0 even 3
J Daniels 0 0 even 0 Phillips 0 0 even 0
Kapanen 0 0 even 4 Rachunek 0 0 even 0
Karpa 0 0 even 1 Redden 0 0 even 2
Langdon 0 0 even 0 Rivers 0 0 even 1
Oneill 0 0 even 2 Roy 0 0 even 0
Ozolinsh 0 1 even 1 Salo 0 0 even 3
T Westlund 0 0 even 0 V Prospal 0 0 even 3
Tanabe 0 0 even 4 Yashin 0 0 even 3
Vasicek 0 0 even 0 York 0 0 even 2
Willis 1 0 even 5 Zamuner 0 0 even 3
Dimaio Back Injury Alfredsson Hip Injury
Malik Healthy Fisher Shoulder
Wallin Healthy Oliver Hip Injury
Persson Ankle Injury
Hnidy Healthy
Game Story
KANATA, Ontario (Ticker) -- Arturs Irbe stopped 27 shots en
route to his second shutout of the season and rookie Shane
Willis scored midway through the third period as the Carolina
Hurricanes posted a 1-0 win over the slumping Ottawa Senators.
Irbe, who blanked the Senators on Sunday, was at his best early,
stopping 12 shots in the opening period and 10 in the second.
His 26th career shutout featured a number of great stops,
including two early against rookie Martin Havlat and one apiece
against Radek Bonk and Rob Zamuner in the third period.
"It was a good, solid, defensive effort," Irbe said. "That
helped because I wasn't worried about second and third saves."
"We didn't get anything going until the third period,"
Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said. "We played a great third
period, but tonight, Irbe gets the win."
The Hurricanes took advantage of a roughing penalty on Andre Roy
to score the game's only goal. Ron Francis was stationed in the
lower left corner and found Willis at the left point. The
23-year-old right wing rifled a slap shot on net that beat
Ottawa goaltender Patrick Lalime high to the glove side.
"On the power play, Francis and I passed it around, and when it
came back to me at the point, I just let a shot go that caught
the far right post," Willis said. "I don't think the goalie saw
it."
Willis leads all rookies with seven goals and 14 points. Four
of those goals have come with the man advantage and three of the
points came in Sunday's 4-0 victory over the Senators.
Coincidentally, Havlat is second among rookies with six goals
and 13 points. He had two chances to add to that total but
failed to capitalize against Irbe.
"I had a lot of chances to score tonight, but Irbe read me
well," Havlat said. "I haven't scored in the last three games
and I have no explanation for it. I am getting a lot of
chances."
"We almost doubled them in chances tonight," Senators coach
Jacques Martin said. "Havlat alone had two to three
opportunities to score. You have to give full credit to Arturs
Irbe. He stole the win for them."
Ottawa has lost four straight, matching its longest slide since
November 17-26, 1997.
The Hurricanes won for only the second time in nine road
contests.
Havlat had a shorthanded breakaway attempt with 4:48 left in the
opening period but shoveled the puck wide to the right after
drawing Irbe out of the net. The 19-year-old center had another
mini-break with 12 minutes to go in the second period but shot
into Irbe's pads.
"On my first breakaway, Irbe went to the left and the puck
fluttered," Havlat said. "I got the shot off, but he did manage
to get a piece of it with his glove."
"It benefited me to have played against Havlat on Sunday," Irbe
added. "I got a little idea of how he likes to play the goalie
after playing against him for the first time in Raleigh."
Irbe also denied Andreas Dackell with five minutes left in the
second period, poke-checking the puck away after he had been
deked out of the crease.
Willis had a chance to pad the lead in the third period but was
denied by Lalime, and Zamuner led a rush. But the Senators'
left wing was wide with his shot and the game remained 1-0.
Irbe kept it that way by stopping Bonk on a stuff attempt near
the right post with just under three minutes remaining and
covering the puck during a goalmouth scramble with 93 seconds to
go.
The Hurricanes are 27-10-5 all-time against Ottawa, which lost
for the first time in eight home games (4-1-3).
"Tonight was just one of those games," said Lalime, who finished
with 24 saves. "I thought we played good for the first two
periods. We wanted to come out strong on Carolina and we did do
that, but Irbe was great in keeping them in the game."