Brind’Amour Goal Caps Atypical Tie

Carolina Coach Paul Maurice used the word “strange� three times. Hurricane forward Rod Brind’Amour settled on “weird.�

Sunday’s 5-5 tie between the Hurricanes and Capitals at Washington was anything but run-of-the-mill. The first two periods were wild; the third one was sedate. There were 10 goals, yet neither team could convert a five-on-three power play.

“That was more like a Dec. 26 game,� said Maurice, a reference to the rusty outings that often follow the mandatory two-day Christmas break. “Strange. It was a very, very unusual game.�

The final goal? Brind’Amour, behind the goal line to the right of the net, flipped the puck at goalie Olaf Kolzig’s left shoulder. The puck trickled down Kolzig’s body and over the line with 4:28 remaining for Brind’Amour’s second goal of the game and 13th of the season.

“I’ve tried that probably 100 times, and it never worked,� Brind’Amour said. “He was off his post just a little bit. It was lucky that it bounced the right way.�

The Hurricanes led, 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2, before three consecutive goals put Washington ahead, 5-4, at the end of the second period. Brind’Amour scored the first and last goals of the game, with Josef Vasicek, Sandis Ozolinsh and Ron Francis scoring in between for Carolina.

St. Louis 7, Nashville 2--Pavol Demitra and Scott Young each scored two goals for host St. Louis.

Demitra has a team-leading 20 goals and 38 points. Twelve of his goals have come at home.

Young, who scored 40 goals last season, has 12.

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Phoenix 4, San Jose 2--Teppo Numminen scored the go-ahead goal with less than seven minutes to play at San Jose.

Claude Lemieux scored an empty-net goal and Krystofer Kolanos and Landon Wilson also scored for the Coyotes.

Phoenix ended a nine-game road winless streak.

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New Jersey 2, Edmonton 1--Martin Brodeur made 23 saves, and Bobby Holik and Randy McKay scored second-period goals for New Jersey at Edmonton, Canada.