Canes 4, Coyotes 3 (OT)

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Carolina Hurricanes are coming off the road. Finally.

Time to unpack the suitcases after 11 days away. No more series of late-night flights and bus rides. No more hotel food.

The Canes ended a grinding five-game road trip Saturday, edging the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 on Anton Babchuk's goal with 2:08 left in overtime at Jobing.com Arena. That made for a more pleasant trip home, where the Hurricanes will make their first home appearance of the season Wednesday against the Washington Capitals at the RBC Center.

The Canes led 3-0 in the third period and were all but ready to celebrate. But Kyle Turris led a Coyotes comeback, scoring twice, and Scottie Upshall's goal tied it 3-3 with 1:40 left in regulation.

Suddenly, shockingly, the two teams were headed to overtime. But Joni Pitkanen found Babchuk open for the game-winner.

While the Hurricanes' special teams had struggled over the first six game, a shorthanded goal by Patrick Dwyer and power-play goal by Jussi Jokinen in the second period pushed Carolina ahead 2-0. Sergei Samsonov, back in the lineup after missing two games, scored an even-strength goal early in the third after a Coyotes turnover for a 3-0 lead.

Dwyer's goal came after he first blocked a shot in the slot, then chased after it and was off on a breakaway. Dwyer beat goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov with a quick wrister at 4:17 of the period for his second goal of the season.

Jokinen scored after the Coyotes were penalized for too many men on the ice. Joni Pitkanen put a shot on goal and Jokinen, at the doorstep, slammed in the rebound at 9:45.

The Canes were 3-for-28 on the power play this season and gone scoreless on 14 straight in four games before Jokinen's goal.

Samsonov scored early in the third after Brandon Sutter picked up a loose puck behind the Coyotes goal and centered a pass to Samsonov in the slot.

The Coyotes broke through against Canes goaltender Cam Ward on Turris' first goal at 5:45 of the third to make it a 3-1 game. Phoenix picked up a penalty soon after the Turris score, but Oliver Ekman-Larsson hit the post, nearly missing a shorthanded score for the Coyotes.

The Coyotes were surging, with Turris scoring again with 2:02 to play in regulation. Turris then stole the puck from Ward behind the Carolina net and fed Upshall for the tying

During the trip the Canes faced off against players who not only have worn the Carolina sweater but helped win the 2006 Stanley Cup -- Niclas Wallin of the San Jose Sharks and Justin Williams of the Los Angeles Kings. On Saturday, it was Ray Whitney of the Coyotes.

Whitney joked before the game that the Canes probably would have a long line of guys who wanted to paste him into the boards. In the first period, he found himself draped over Ward after a Coyotes shot from the point.

During a brief stop in play, Whitney and Ward appeared to exchange a few words — and both seemed to be smiling in doing it.

Neither team had a penalty during a first period filled with turnovers, and Ward and Bryzgalov turned back every shot. The Coyotes" Taylor Pyatt hit the post following up a Vernon Fiddler shot in the first, and Bryzgalov made some nice stops against Chad LaRose andJokinen in the period.

The Coyotes, who began their season in Prague, Czech Republic, were playing without Martin Hanzal, out with a lower-body injury. Captain Shane Doan is serving out a three-game suspension for a blindside hit to the head on Anaheim's Dan Sexton.

Samsonov had missed the last two games after taking a stick in the face. And Canes coach Paul Maurice wasn't sure if Sutter, who had an upper-body concern, was back to full strength until Saturday's morning skate.

But Samsonov and Sutter were ready and forward Patrick O'Sullivan was made a healthy scratch for the second time in the trip.

Before Saturday's game, Maurice summarized a winding trip that began in Ottawa, continued to Vancouver, then south to San Jose, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

"What could happen on the trip, after Europe, is that it could be a very dangerous start to the season or it could be a great team-building experience," he said. "It turned out we've had a great team-building experience. It has turned out to be a real strong positive for our team."