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Sunday, Apr. 2 1:30pm ET
Irbe keeps 'Canes alive with shutout | |||||
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BOX SCORE
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Arturs Irbe will do anything to help the Carolina Hurricanes win -- even level a former teammate. Irbe stopped 31 shots and Bates Battaglia scored the only goal Sunday as Carolina moved back into playoff position with a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
"If that's what it takes to win, that's what I've got to do," Irbe said of his performance. "This is right up there (among career best games) importance-wise." Irbe had 17 saves in the first period, and was very active. He skated out of the crease and hit former Carolina teammate Kent Manderville low and head-on, springing Manderville up and over him. Manderville was traded by the Hurricanes last month. Irbe said the play was similar to a drill he and Manderville used to practice. "I waited until Mandy lifts his head and looks at me and sees I'm deep in the net," Irbe said. "After he looked down, I took a couple steps out. Basically, it was a head-on collision of two pretty good friends." The Hurricanes won their third straight and jumped over Buffalo into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Carolina, with 80 points, leads the race for the final playoff spot by one point over the Sabres and two over 10th place Montreal, which played later at Detroit. Carolina got into eighth place Friday with a win over the Sabres, but Buffalo jumped back ahead by winning at Montreal on Saturday. Philadelphia, which remained two points behind New Jersey for first place in the Atlantic Division, held Carolina to 16 shots but could not get past Irbe. Flyers center Keith Primeau also played against his former team for the first time since he was traded in January, following a contract dispute. Hurricanes fans showed their displeasure with Primeau by booing every time he stepped on the ice or touched the puck. "Obviously, I expected it. I would have been disappointed if it were any different," Primeau said. "They feel some animosity and I can understand that. It looks like they had fun today." Irbe set a franchise record with his 32nd victory and recorded his fifth shutout this season, one shy of his career-high set last season. "He's fired up, you can tell," Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said. "Things aren't bothering him. Guys are bumping him in the crease and he's just staying focused and making huge saves." Battaglia scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway just 1:18 into the game. He skated down the middle from the blue line, beat two defenders and fired the puck past goalie Brian Boucher. "Archie played tremendously and one was all we needed," Battaglia said. Philadelphia's best scoring chance came during a third-period power play when Daymond Langkow's shot hit the post and bounced outside the net. "Their goaltender was everywhere ... we couldn't seem to get our sticks on rebounds," acting Philadelphia coach Craig Ramsey said. Gary Roberts, Carolina's third-leading scorer with 48 points, was hit in the head by the stick blade of Philadelphia rookie Simon Gagne in the third period. Gagne was called for high-sticking and Roberts was helped off the ice holding a towel over his face. Roberts returned for the game's final minutes after getting stitches under his right eye. The Hurricanes last won three in a row from March 2-8. | ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard Philadelphia Clubhouse Carolina Clubhouse RECAPS Carolina 1 Philadelphia 0
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