TORONTO

Skinner's goal, assist helps Hurricanes hold off Leafs

The Associated Press Published Sunday, November 20, 2011 7:56PM EST

Carolina Hurricanes' Tomas Kaberle (51), of the Czech Republic, and goalie Cam Ward (30) combine to block the shot of Toronto Maple Leafs' Tim Connolly (12) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

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RALEIGH, N.C. - Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist, and Jay Harrison and Jussi Jokinen also scored to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night.

The Hurricanes had been shut out in their previous two games but found their offence against Toronto, with captain Eric Staal contributing a pair of assists. Cam Ward stopped 23 shots for Carolina, which won for only the second time in nine games.

Phil Kessel scored both goals for the Leafs, giving him an NHL-leading 16 goals and 29 points this season, and Ben Scrivens had 38 saves.

Carolina has won 12 of the last 17 meetings with Toronto.

The Hurricanes led 1-0 after the first period after outshooting the Leafs 10-4, then 2-0 after tying its season high with 19 shots in the second. They improved to 5-5-1 at home and are now 7-0-0 when leading after two periods.

Harrison gave Carolina the lead with 29 seconds left in the first period, picking up a loose puck at the top of the left circle on a rebound of a Skinner shot and blasting it past Scrivens to the glove side. The goal ended a scoring drought of nearly 155 minutes.

Jokinen made it 2-0 on the power play at 7:05 of the second, throwing the puck at the net from the right circle and getting a lucky ricochet off the skate of Luke Schenn. Justin Faulk had the primary assist for his first NHL point on the goal, which snapped Carolina's 0-for-23 slump on the power play.

Kessel cut it to 2-1 on a 4-on-3 at 4:31 of the third, picking up the loose puck on the left doorstep and slamming it home with Dion Phaneuf on the primary assist.

The Hurricanes got the clincher on a rush with just under seven minutes to go when Skinner followed a rebound of a Staal shot and slid it in on the glove side.

Kessel scored his second on a 6-on-5 with a minute remaining, with John-Michael Liles getting the assist.

Notes: Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice was the Leafs' head coach from 2006-08. . Leafs LW Clarke MacArthur (upper body) and RW Mike Brown (undisclosed) each missed his third straight game. . Carolina D Joni Pitkanen (lower body) missed his fourth straight. . Hurricanes D Tomas Kaberle played for Toronto from 1998-2011, while teammates C Tim Brent, LW Alexei Ponikarovsky, C Jiri Tlusty and D Jay Harrison are also former Leafs.