During the Canes' long winless streak, general manager Jim Rutherford said a goal for the team would be to get back to .500 by Christmas time. That would be the first step, and a big one, toward getting back in position to contend for the playoffs.

At 5-12-5 after the win over Tampa Bay, and with 15 games before Christmas, Carolina would have to go 11-4-0 -- or 10-3-2, 9-2-4, etc. -- to reach .500. 

So what do you think? Can the Canes do it? Why or why not?

The floor is open.

For once, or rather twice, the Carolina Hurricanes have won in regulation.

With a 3-1 regulation win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at the RBC Center Saturday, the Hurricanes won only their second game in regulation of the season.

The Hurricanes, who had picked up points in the last four games, with three of those games going to a shootout and the other an overtime loss, might have gone there again if not for forward Chad LaRose. ...

No. 12 is back. At least, back on the ice with the Canes.

Eric Staal took part in today's morning skate at the RBC Center but is not fully ready to rejoin the lineup. Canes coach Paul Maurice said today the center should return in the next 10 days but that Staal would make the trip to Dallas and Anaheim next week.

"It's been tough, no question," Staal said. "It's been a learning experience for me because I've never been through something like this before.

"I'm working and doing everything I can to make sure I'm back in the lineup as soon as I can at 100 percent."

Defenseman Joni Pitkanen will return for Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, coach Paul Maurice said today.

Pitkanen has been out with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Bryan Rodney has been reassigned to the Albany River Rats (AHL), Maurice said.

The Canes had a limited practice today, with just five skaters and goaltenders Manny Legace and Justin Peters.

The Canes' 6-5 comeback win over the Maple Leafs last night was significant on several fronts:

-- Carolina has six points in the last four games and has moved out of last place in the NHL. That's the first step the Canes needed to make.

-- The Canes were 0-4-4 when trailing after the first period and 0-7-3 when trailing after two, so they've ended that and proven they can come from behind and win a game.

-- Stephane Yelle had more ice time (10:14) than Rod Brind'Amour (10:09).

Goals by Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen lifted the Canes to a 6-5 victory in a shootout — the Canes' third consecutive game decided in a shootout.

Erik Cole scored with 2.9 seconds left in the third period to tie the score 5-5 after the Canes pulled goalie Manny Legace for a sixth attacker.

Tim Gleason scored twice in the third — the defenseman's first two-goal game of his career -- as the Canes tied the score 4-4. Ian White's goal with 29.9 seconds left in the htthird pushed the Leafs ahead 5-4, but Cole scored on a rebound to tie it.

The Canes, trailing 3-0 after the first period, fought their way back into the game with second-period goals from Stephane Yelle and Matt Cullen to trail 3-2 after two.

Yelle picked up his first goal of the season with 3:13 left in the second, diving to knock a loose puck past goaltender Jonas Gustavsson. Cullen nearly scored with 2:37 left, the puck eluding Gustavsson but not crossing the goal line. But the Canes kept the puck deep in the zone and Cullen scored with 2:30 remaining off a Tuomo Ruutu centering pass.

Goals by Matt Stajan, Lee Stempniak and Mikhail Grabovski have given the Leafs a 3-0 lead after the first period.

The Leafs, who have lost their last four, needed just 61 seconds to grab a 1-0 lead. Stajan scored on a top-shelf shot past Manny Legace after Alexei Ponikarovsky knocked the puck away from Joe Corvo in front of the Canes goal.

The Leafs had given up the first goal in 17 of 19 games. Now it's 17 of 20.

Stempniak made it 2-0 at 14:21 on Stempniak's blistering shot from the circle.

The Canes' Andrew Alberts hit the post with the Leafs leading 1-0. Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson took care of the rest.

The Hurricanes now have four players on their roster who began the season with the Albany River Rats of the AHL.

Center Brandon Sutter and defenseman Bryan Rodney were the first oo arrive. Injuries to goaltender Michael Leighton and forward Scott Walker now will have goalie Justin Peters and forward Pat Dwyer on the Canes' roster tonight for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dwyer was called up today from the Rats, and center Eric Staal placed on injured reserve.

"We've had some things to maneuver," Canes coach Paul Maurice said today. "But we've had some success bringing in some kids to play.

The Hurricanes have set a target date for goaltender Cam Ward's return -- Dec. 5, against the Vancouver Canucks at the RBC Center.

"We're hopeful of that," general manager Jim Rutherford said Wednesday. "That would be the earliest. It may be longer."

Rutherford also said a decision would be made Thursday on bringing up a forward from Albany (AHL). He said it probably would be either Jerome Samson or Patrick Dwyer.

The Hurricanes have called up goaltender Justin Peters from the Albany River Rats (AHL) and reassigned forward/defenseman Tim Conboy to the River Rats.

Peters' recall comes after a lower-body injury to goaltender Michael Leighton in the second period of the Canes' 3-2 shootout loss Tuesday in Montreal.Manny Legace replaced Leighton with the Canes leading 2-1.

Goaltender Cam Ward still is healing from a leg laceration suffered Nov. 7 at Columbus and may not be available for another couple of weeks.

Peters, 23, is 6-5-2 in Albany this season with a 2.43 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.

Maxim Lapierre's goal in the sixth round of a shootout gives the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory Tuesday at the Bell Centre.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price made great shootout saves on Bryan Rodney
in the fifth round and Matt Cullen in the sixth to finish it off. The
Habs (10-11-0) have won eight times in overtime or a shootout this
season.