Recap: Ducks Can't Overcome Early Deficit in 5-2 Loss to Hurricanes

Jordan Staal scored his fourth career hat trick, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-2 victory over the Ducks tonight at PNC Arena.
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With the setback, Anaheim dropped to 29-33-12 (70 points) on the season, sixth in the Pacific Division, with eight games remaining on the regular-season schedule.
Troy Terry and Josh Mahura scored for the Ducks. John Gibson made 38 saves in his 51st start of the season.
Staal's hat trick led the Hurricanes offensively, his first three-goal game in nearly a decade (April 8, 2012 with Pittsburgh). Jordan Martinook and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for Carolina. Former Ducks netminder Frederik Anderson stopped 23-of-25 shots to earn his fourth career win against his original NHL team.
Carolina raced out to an early two-goal lead, going ahead just over a minute after the opening puck drop and then adding to the advantage minutes later.
Svechnikov started the scoring with a deflection of Brady Skjei's point shot, lifting a low shot up high over Gibson to give the Canes an early lead. Staal scored his first of the evening shortly thereafter on a centering pass from Nino Niederreiter, quickly getting rid of his shot from the low slot while fighting off checks from two Ducks defenders.
Anaheim answered quickly though, getting right back in the game when Mahura danced away from trouble just inside the Carolina blue line and snuck a wrist shot through traffic in front and past Andersen.

Dominik Simon collected the primary assist and now has points in back-to-back games.
The see-saw action continued when Martinook scored the home team's third of the period, temporarily restoring the two-goal cushion off a backdoor pass by trade deadline acquisition Max Domi.
Domi, who's one goal short of 100 in his NHL career, has four points in 10 games as a Hurricane.
Back in a two-goal hole, the Ducks again responded quickly, this time on an impressive individual effort by Terry, who lunged at a loose puck in the slot and angled into the net with one hand on his stick.

Trevor Zegras grabbed the primary assist and now has points in three straight games (3-1=4).
After a five-goal back-and-forth opening period, Carolina held the 3-2 edge until late in the third when Staal delivered a crucial insurance tally. The Hurricanes collected a dump-in deep in the offensive zone, working the puck to Jesper Fast for a shot from the right circle. Gibson made the first save but could not control the rebound, which bounced right to Staal for his second goal of the night, deflating Anaheim's comeback hopes.
Staal then selaed the hat trick and Carolina's 5-2 victory with a shorthanded empty-netter. Carolina's captain has five goals in his last three games and seven points in his last four appearances (5-2=7).
The Ducks continue their four-game road trip Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.