Brian Gionta and William Carrier score for Buffalo in the 5-2 defeat.
By Kurt Dusterberg / NHL.com Correspondent
RALEIGH, N.C. — Jeff Skinner had two goals and an assist, and Brock McGinn scored twice to send the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres at PNC Arena on Friday night.
Cam Ward, playing his 600th NHL game, made 36 saves for the Hurricanes (20-15-7), who are 13-1-1 in their past 15 games at home. Carolina won its third straight and completed a sweep of the three-game season series with Buffalo.
William Carrier and Brian Gionta scored for the Sabres (16-17-9), who have lost two straight.
Buffalo capitalized on a Carolina turnover to take a 1-0 lead at 4:24 of the first period. Ryan O’Reilly intercepted Jaccob Slavin’s pass and quickly got the puck to Carrier at the left post for a tap-in.
Skinner scored twice in a 55-second span in the second period to give the Hurricanes the lead. He made it 1-1 at 1:48 when he scored off Anders Nilsson’s glove after taking a pass from Derek Ryan. Jordan Staal got the secondary assist with a touch pass in the neutral zone. The goal was Skinner’s 300th NHL point.
Carolina took a 2-1 lead on Skinner’s 17th of the season. Justin Faulk made a long diagonal pass from the defensive zone to Skinner at the offensive blue line. Skinner took a wrist shot that went inside the far post at 2:43.
McGinn scored his third of the season to put the Hurricanes up 3-1 at 6:51. Nilsson gave up a rebound on Elias Lindholm’s shot, and McGinn went to his backhand for the goal.
Gionta scored shorthanded to cut the lead to 3-2 at 11:49. After a long aerial pass by Evander Kane from the Buffalo defensive zone, Ward sent the puck behind the net, but the Greece native and teeam captain circled the net and tucked a shot in on his backhand.
Victor Rask scored his 13th goal to make it 4-2 at 4:15 of the third period. After Noah Hanifin missed wide from the slot, Rask jumped on a rebound low in the right circle.
McGinn drove the net for his second of the game to make it 5-2 at 7:58, taking a pass from Staal, who circled the net for the set-up.