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Wednesday, Mar. 22 7:00pm ET
MacInnis' late goal deflates 'Canes

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Trying to hang on in the third period against the best team in the NHL isn't good strategy. The Carolina Hurricanes found out the hard way Wednesday night.

Al MacInnis scored a power-play goal with 2:13 left as the St. Louis Blues tied a franchise record with their 47th victory, beating Carolina 2-1.


	St. Louis' Al MacInnis helped out goalie Roman Turek in his own end, but it was his offensive punch that made all the difference.

"It's kind of been that type of year where we're getting the timely goals and the big saves," St. Louis coach Joel Quenneville said after the Blues raised their NHL-leading points total to 103.

With Gary Roberts off for holding, MacInnis' shot from the point was accidentally tipped through goalie Arturs Irbe's legs by Hurricanes defenseman Marek Malik.

"Toward the end of the third, I think their game last night (a 5-0 win at New Jersey) started to take a toll," Blues captain Chris Pronger said. "With the way we cycle the puck it really starts to tire out a defense. We just tried to be patient."

The Hurricanes managed just three shots on goal over the final 20 minutes to see a valuable point slip away. The loss hurts Carolina's chances to sneak into the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Hurricanes were incensed by a pair of penalties in the final eight minutes -- one each called by referees Blaine Angus and Rob Shick. In fact, Roberts and Carolina captain Ron Francis chased the referees down after the game and had a long discussion on the ice about the calls.

"We're in a playoff type of hockey game, clutching and grabbing at both ends, and we seemed to get shafted," Roberts said. "You say too much and you get suspended.

"They can say what they want about the two-referee system, but it's a joke. We've got two guys out there competing with each other, and in my opinion there is no consistency to the game whatsoever. There are too many inexperienced referees out there."

The Blues won their NHL-best 25th road game and tied the franchise victory mark set in 1990-91. St. Louis is 13-1-1 in its last 15 road games.

The goal was MacInnis' ninth of the season and the 1,100th point of his career.

"I guess we have to start getting a 5-1 or 6-1 lead in the third period to avoid whatever happened there at the end," Carolina's Jeff O'Neill said, tongue-in-cheek. "I don't want to comment on the referees any more or my mother will phone me and tell me to watch my language."

O'Neill scored his team-leading 24th goal of the season two minutes into the second period after St. Louis defenseman Marc Bergevin failed to clear the zone. O'Neill's shot from the top of the circle beat Roman Turek through the legs.

Irbe kept the Hurricanes in front with a pair of spectacular saves less than two minutes apart on MacInnis and Jamal Mayers. But a shot by Todd Reirden midway through the second came off the back wall and right to Marty Reasoner, who easily beat a helpless Irbe.

Irbe played in his 67th game, breaking the franchise record for appearances for a goalie, previously set by Sean Burke in 1995-96.

St. Louis killed two Carolina power plays. The Blues have killed 73 of their last 76 shorthanded chances.

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