Winger nets winner in return from injury

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Game Information

Arena: Mellon Arena Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Referees: WesMcCauley, IanWalsh Linesmen: DerekAmell, JonnyMurray

Attendance: 10,098 (59.5% full)

Team Stat Comparison
172	Goals	190
209	Goals Against	303
41	Power Play Goals	65
66	Power Play Goals Allowed	84
9	Shorthanded Goals	7
9	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	15
1102	Penalty Minutes	1270
13	Average Penalty Minutes	15

Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD			CAR	PIT
7:54		Jon Sim Assists: Tom Kostopoulos, Brooks Orpik	0	1
12:24		Bret Hedican (Power Play) Assists: Justin Williams, Sean Hill	1	1
17:21		Ryan Malone (Power Play) Assists: Ric Jackman, Rico Fata	1	2
2ND PERIOD			CAR	PIT
12:53		Sean Hill (Power Play) Assists: Justin Williams, Mike Zigomanis	2	2
3RD PERIOD			CAR	PIT
9:47		Kevyn Adams Assists: Niclas Wallin, Radim Vrbata	3	2
14:45		Dick Tarnstrom Assists: Ryan Malone, Aleksey Morozov	3	3
OT			CAR	PIT
1:17		Aleksey Morozov (Power Play) Assists: Ric Jackman, Dick Tarnstrom	3	4

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Aleksey Morozov wanted everyone to know how much fun the Pittsburgh Penguins are having these days.

So after scoring a power-play goal at 1:17 of overtime Friday night for a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, Morozov grabbed the front of his jersey and displayed the Penguins' logo to fans at Mellon Arena.

"I was just trying to show the fans that we're hot," Morozov said after his 14th goal helped the Penguins push their home unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1). "We're good and they should come to the games.

"It's really fun to be here right now. There are a lot of good guys in the dressing room. Everybody is happy, everybody's smiling."

Pittsburgh remains last in the NHL's overall standings but is 8-3-2 in its last 13 games and has moved within three points of Columbus.

Pittsburgh coach Ed Olczyk didn't see Morozov's celebration, but he understood it.

"To me, it's about respect and not only representing our city, but Mario (Lemieux) and the Penguins," Olczyk said.

The Hurricanes have earned at least one point in 10 consecutive road games (6-0-1-3) but are 11 points behind the New York Islanders and the playoff cutoff in the Eastern Conference.

Carolina had a 3-2 lead when Dick Tarnstrom beat goaltender Kevin Weekes with a backhander from the left circle with 5:15 to play in the third period.

"This was a tough one to let slip through our fingers because we needed it bad," said Kevyn Adams, whose goal at 9:47 of the third period gave Carolina its first lead of the game, 3-2. "But you have to give them credit -- they played hard. They've been playing real well the last 10, 12 games."

Carolina, whose power play ranks last in the league, got power-play goals from Sean Hill and Brett Hedican.

Jon Sim and Ryan Malone also scored for Pittsburgh.

Morozov, returning to the lineup Friday after missing two games with a sore back, scored his third career overtime goal and second this season after the rebound of a shot by Ric Jackman bounced right to him at the bottom of the right circle.

"He's been playing great for us," Tarnstrom said of Morozov, who has scored a goal in each of his last four games. "It's not surprising that he scored the last goal."

The goal came with Hill in the penalty box for hooking. With 2:04 to play in regulation, Carolina failed to convert a power play after the Penguins' Mike Eastwood was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"We had some chances. But we had the lead with five minutes to go in the game," said Hurricanes' coach Peter Laviolette. "We ended up in a two-on-two battle, one of our guys got picked and (Tarnstrom) came out of the corner and made a real nice shot."

Hill snapped a shot past Sebastien Caron from the right circle at 12:53 of the second period during a two-man advantage for his 11th goal, tying the game 2-2.

The Penguins took a 2-1 lead late in the first period on Malone's power-play goal at 17:21. Malone swept a forehand shot past Weekes from his knees after being knocked down in the slot by Niclas Wallin, scoring his 22nd goal and first in six games.

Sim scored his eighth at 7:54 of the opening period, going to the net and firing a shot that hit the right post and bounced off the back of Weekes' right leg and in.

Hedican tied it when his shot from the center point squirted between Caron's pads on the power play at 12:24. It was Hedican's fifth of the season and broke Carolina's 0-for-17 drought on the power play.

Game notes
Carolina rookie Eric Staal (torso) missed his first game of the season. Brett Lysak, a 1999 draft choice, was recalled from Lowell of the AHL and played his first NHL game. ... The Penguins have scored a power-play goal in nine straight games, their longest streak of the season.