Ray Whitney scored 3:45 into overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes earned a split of their home-and-home series against the New York Rangers with a 2-1 victory on Saturday.
Whitney controlled the puck amid pressure along the left wing boards, moved it to Matt Cullen behind the New York net and then took a return feed in front for his 11th goal. Carolina, which has an NHL-worst 29 points, won on the road for just the third time this season (3-13-4).
Cam Ward made 27 saves, and Tom Kostopoulos staked the Hurricanes to a 1-0 lead in the second period.
Henrik Lundqvist, who appeared to be shaken up after making a save late in regulation, kept the Rangers in it by stopping 17 shots. Lundqvist, in his 15th straight start, allowed two goals or fewer for the 11th time in 14 games.
Marian Gaborik scored the lone goal for the Rangers, 5-1-2 in their past eight.
New York opened the series with a 2-1 win at Carolina on New Year's Eve. The Rangers are 2-0-1 against the Hurricanes this season.
Gaborik, who moments earlier fired the Rangers' fifth drive off the post in the game, got a puck past Ward to tie it 1-1 at 9:08 of the third period.
After Brandon Dubinsky's shot from the boards hit traffic in front, Gaborik - the NHL leader with 27 goals - sent a blind backhander from the slot into the net. Gaborik was met with a big bear hug from Dubinsky as the Rangers celebrated their first goal at home in 114 minutes, 4 seconds over three games.
Gaborik has scored 25 percent of the Rangers' 108 goals this season. He turned boos that had rained down on the home team during the uninspiring first two periods into cheers.
Kostopoulos broke the scoreless deadlock with 45.9 seconds left in the middle period when he got to a loose puck in the slot - after Jiri Tlusty's shot was blocked in front - and swept it past Lundqvist.
Kostopoulos had gone 16 games since his previous goal on Nov. 29 at Anaheim. He has three goals this season and 43 in 417 NHL games over eight seasons.
The Rangers outshot the Hurricanes 18-14 through the first two periods, but again had nothing to show for it. Including an embarrassing 6-0 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night, New York had gone five straight periods without scoring at Madison Square Garden.
Even a 4-minute high-sticking call against Jussi Jokinen 7:32 into the second couldn't spark the Rangers' offense. The long power play only created one shot on Cam Ward.
New York ran into some misfortune, however, as four drives in the opening 40 minutes hit either the post or crossbar behind Ward.
NOTES: Carolina right wingers Sergei Samsonov and Scott Walker missed the game because of upper body injuries. Walker was placed on the injured list. Tlusty and C Zach Boychuk were recalled from Albany (AHL) on Friday and were in the lineup. ... Tlusty's previous NHL assist was earned Jan. 16, 2009, at Atlanta, but that was only five games ago for the 21-year-old center. ... Gaborik's goal was only his second at even-strength in 14 games. ...
