Canes 1, Flyers 0

AP photo

RALEIGH —  The Canes, with center Eric Staal in the lineup for his first preseason game, finally have a preseason victory.

The Hurricanes got a goal from Sergei Samsonov midway the first period and goalie Michael Leighton made it stand up against the Flyers.

The biggest concern for the Canes: center Matt Cullen leaving the game for precautionary reasons after a collision in the first period, and defenseman Josef Melichar being helped to the locker room after taking a puck in the face in the third.

Cullen, sidelined with vision problems at times last year because of  concussions, was blindsided by the Flyers' Nathan Guenin in the first period. Melichar was injured early in the third period and was bleeding when he was helped from the ice. He had a gash over his left eye but returned to the game.

Leading 1-0 after Samsonov's goal midway the first, the Canes had a two-man advantage for 1:18 of the second period but couldn't score despite some good shots and good puck movement. Staal had a few big blasts at it. After the Flyers killed off the penalties, Brandon Sutter twice fired away in close quarters but couldn't squeeze it past Flyers goalie Jean-Sebastien Aubin. ...

Samsonov's back-hander against Aubin put Carolina up in the first. Samsonov was the most active player on the ice for the Canes in the first, controlling the puck and creating scoring chances. Aubin left for Scott Munroe with eight minutes left in the second period, credited with 18 saves. ...

Leighton didn't have much work in the first with the Flyers -- a 4-2 winner over the Canes on Saturday -- credited with just four shots to the Canes' 12. The Flyers were more active in second and third, with Leighton making key saves against Glen Metropolit and Jonathon Kalinski to preserve the lead -- snaring a high shot by Kalinski with 4:22 left in the game. ...

Leighton had 21 saves, 17 coming in the last two periods.

The Canes' Scott Walker squared off with Guenin in a confrontation that had Walker shaking his left hand -- after landing a few blows. Walker got into it with Guenin after Guenin hit Cullen. ...

Staal started the game with Patrick Eaves and Samsonov, a line that was continually productive. ...

The Canes' first power-play had Staal, Samsonov and Patrick Eaves going out first, with Pitkanen and Joe Corvo. ...

The Flyers lineup included defenseman Sean Curry,  a former Carolina draft choice. ...