Staff photo by Chris Seward

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RALEIGH — Talk about a badly needed and well-earned victory.

The Carolina Hurricanes outlasted the Washington Capitals 3-1 Sunday night at the RBC Center, giving Paul Maurice his first victory as coach -- in his second stint behind the bench -- and closing the gap on the Southeast Division leaders.

Eric Staal's goal with 4:09 left gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead. Ray Whitney then added a third goal -- his second of the game -- to seal a victory that trimmed the Caps' lead in the division to four points and ended a three-game losing streak.

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Staff photo by Jason Arthurs

RALEIGH — Washington's Alexander Semin tormented the Canes again. The forward, the NHL scoring leader, had two goals and three assists as the Capitals ripped the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 at the RBC Center.

The Caps (9-4-2), the Southeast Division leaders, moved two points ahead of the Canes (8-6-2), who have lost the last two games and three of the last four.

"It's not a matter of systems or any design out there," Canes forward Scott Walker said. "You have to want the puck more than they do, you have to want to get back before they get back, you have to want to get on the forecheck.

"We're just not getting it done. It's not one guy; it's everybody. We're all a step behind. It's unacceptable. We have to take a pretty long look in the mirror at ourselves."

AP photo

WASHINGTON -- It was a game that won't soon be forgotten, by either team. It also is a game that likely will be repeated every time the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals play this season -- brutally intense and physical.

The Caps won the Southeast Division battle 3-2 and did it in dramatic fashion. Alexander Semin first tied the score 2-2 with 2:43 left, then won it on a blast from the slot with 10.9 seconds remaining.

"He's one skill guy who can move both ways with the puck and be able to get a shot away pretty much every time he comes inside the blue line," Canes defenseman Niclas Wallin said of Semin.

AP photo

WASHINGTON — Washington's irrepressible Alex Ovechkin, oozing energy, itching to play, was the first skater on the Verizon Center ice Thursday for the Capitals.

But the Carolina Hurricanes showed up with plenty of energy, too.

And fight. A lot of fight.

The Capitals won the preseason game, just as they did Wednesday night at the RBC Center. But the Canes made the Caps work — and rally — for a bruising 5-2 victory.

Staff photo by Chris Seward

RALEIGH — The Washington Capitals didn't need the heavy shot or scoring touch of Alexander Ovechkin in the preseason opener against the Carolina Hurricanes, winning 4-1 Wednesday before a crowd of 11,431 at the RBC Center.

Washington, the defending Southeast Division champion,
scored on two of its first three shots against Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward for a 2-0 first-period lead, and led 4-1 after two periods.

Forward Tomas Fleischmann had a pair of power-play goals for the Caps, who face the Canes again Thursday at 7 p.m. in Washington's Verizon Center.