Jason Blake scores winner for Toronto's second victory of season

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Jason Blake scored on a power play with 8:24 left and Jonas Gustavsson made 34 saves to help the Toronto Maple Leafs win for the second time in 14 games this season, 3-2 over the Carolina Hurricanes last night.

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The Associated Press

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson makes the stop on Carolina Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour during third-period action in Raleigh, N.C.

John Mitchell and Nikolai Kulemin also scored for Toronto. The Maple Leafs (2-7-5) have earned points in their last six games.

Brandon Sutter and Sergei Samsonov scored for Carolina, off to the worst start in franchise history. Last in the NHL at 2-10-3, the Hurricanes are winless in their last 11 games.

Blake scored on a wicked wrist shot from the slot. With Rod Brind'Amour off for holding, Blake's shot ripped off the right post before ricocheting into the net.

Sutter opened the scoring midway through the first period. Brind'Amour kicked the puck toward Sutter, who backhanded it past Gustavsson's glove from the slot.

The Hurricanes took a two-goal advantage a little less than 10 minutes later when Gustavsson couldn't control Andrew Alberts' shot from the point, allowing Samsonov to clean up the rebound in front of the net.

Toronto tied it early in the second.

Mitchell scored first when he slapped a shot from just inside the blue-line past Cam Ward, who was screened by Brind'Amour. Some six minutes later, Alexei Ponikarovsky set up Kulemin with a nice centring pass from the corner, allowing Kulemin to tip the puck through Ward's legs.

In addition to last place in the overall standings, Carolina also has scored the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference. It hasn't scored on its last 25 power plays.

The Hurricanes were without two of their leading scorers in Eric Staal and Ray Whitney. They are sidelined by upper-body injuries.

In other NHL action:

Devils 2 Islanders 1

At Newark, N.J., Yann Danis made 23 saves and stopped four in-close attempts in the third period against his former Islanders teammates, helping the Devils earn their fourth straight win.

Brian Rolston scored the winner on a power play and defenceman Cory Murphy added his first goal as a Devil. New Jersey has won 10 of its last 12 games.

Frans Nielsen scored for New York, and Martin Biron made 29 saves. The Islanders have dropped two straight after winning four in a row.

The game marked the return of Patrik Elias to the Devils' lineup. He missed the first 13 coming back from hip and groin surgery.

Capitals 4 Panthers 1

At Sunrise, Fla., Jose Theodore stopped 28 shots, Brian Pothier had a goal and two assists and Washington -- playing without injured star Alex Ovechkin for the second straight game -- beat Florida to end a three-game losing streak.

Brendan Morrison scored twice and Tyler Sloan added a goal for the Capitals (9-3-4) in the opening game of home-and-home series with the Panthers.

Nathan Horton scored for Florida.

Flyers 5 Sabres 2

At Buffalo, N.Y., Daniel Carcillo scored twice and Ray Emery made 28 saves to lead Philadelphia Flyers to its fifth straight victory over Buffalo.

Chris Pronger had a goal and assist, and James van Riemsdyk and Darroll Powe also scored. The Flyers (8-4-1) have won three straight by a combined score of 17-5.

Emery improved to 5-1-0 in his last six starts.

Derek Roy had a power-play goal and assist, rookie Tyler Myers also scored with the man advantage for Buffalo, and Ryan Miller made 32 saves. The Sabres (9-3-1) have lost two of their last three after an 8-1-1 start.