(Sunday, November 2nd)

Final Score: Carolina 6, Toronto 4

Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - Chad LaRose picked up the game-winning goal in the third period as Carolina outgunned Toronto, 6-4, in the opener of a home- and-home set between the clubs at RBC Center.

Eric Staal, Ray Whitney and Tuomo Ruutu each contributed a goal and one assist for the Hurricanes, who have won three of five. Dwight Helminen, in his fourth career game, recorded his first career points with a goal and a helper.

Michael Leighton picked up the win with a 29-save performance.

Mikhail Grabovski netted a pair of goals for the Maple Leafs, who lost for the second time in the last six games. Ian White and Niklas Hagman also tallied.

Curtis Joseph remained winless on the year after allowing five goals on 29 shots.

"You're not going to have the same energy level in a game like this, second in 24 hours," said Leafs head coach Ron Wilson about his team, which used a five- goal third-period blitz on Saturday to beat the Rangers. "I thought we were doing a great job. Two or three minutes into the second period we had a two- goal lead, then a couple of bad penalties and that pretty much did it."

A scramble in the crease resulted in LaRose's goal 1:15 into the third which put the Canes up 5-3, but Hagman buried a one-timer from the right circle at 8:44 for the Leafs.

Joseph was pulled for an extra attacker with almost two minutes remaining, but the advantage was negated when Nik Antropov was sent off for tripping with 48 seconds to play. The goaltender remained on the bench and Staal hit the clincher into an empty net at 19:38.

"You know what, I thought in the second half we came alive," noted Hurricanes head coach Peter Laviolette. "We started skating better. We generated offense. We were pressing down in the offensive zone. We picked up a little bit better defensively. That was the difference. It usually is."

White roofed a shot from the slot 6:28 into the contest to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead.

Less than a minute into the second, Carolina drew even on the power play as Joe Corvo's shot from the bottom of the right circle deflected twice and sailed past Joseph.

Grabovski's shot from inside the left circle zipped over Leighton's glove and the Leafs went ahead 2-1 at 7:41. He followed with another tally, off a rebound at 11:38 to put Toronto up by two.

Whitney's second-chance rebound goal with the man advantage pulled Carolina within 3-2 with 3:50 to play in the second and Helminen's first NHL goal 67 seconds later tied the game.

"It got us going," Laviolette said of the burst. "The energy in the building and some life, you know, we needed that."

Ruutu's sharp-angle goal with 30 seconds to play capped the rally and gave Carolina a 4-3 edge heading into the third.

Game Notes

Both clubs meet again on Tuesday in Toronto...It was Grabovski's first multi- goal game in the NHL...Carolina forward Sergei Samsonov picked up his first point of the season on Corvo's goal...Hurricanes forward Patrick Eaves left game with and undisclosed illness after one period and did not return...Carolina scored a season-high three power-play goals.

11/02 20:40:20 ET