Cal Clutterbuck gets overtime winner; Minnesota Wild defeat Carolina 3-2

Clutterbuck goal in OT lifts Wild past Hurricanes

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Cal Clutterbuck scored 1:55 into overtime and the Minnesota Wild beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 Saturday night.

Andrew Brunette and Kyle Brodziak also had goals for the Wild, who are undefeated in three home games, but are pointless in seven road contests. Sergei Samsonov and Joni Pitkanen scored for the Hurricanes.

Carolina earned two points on a four-game road trip, and remained winless in seven games away from the RBC Center.

In his first game back after missing five games with a high ankle sprain, Clutterbuck knocked in a rebound of a shot by Greg Zanon, who hit the pipe as Cam Ward was sprawling back across the crease for Carolina.

Minnesota, which remained winless in regulation, has won twice in overtime at home and once in a shootout.

Samsonov tipped in a pass from Ray Whitney midway through the opening period for a 1-0 lead. It was the first power-play goal allowed by Minnesota in 24 chances. Brunette tied it two minutes later with a power-play goal.

A fortuitous bounce led to a 2-1 Wild lead early in the second.

Preparing to make a line change, Owen Nolan tried to dump the puck in from in front of the Wild bench, but the puck deflected off a Carolina skate to Brodziak, who went in alone and beat Ward with a forehand-backhand move.

Pitkanen tipped the puck past Niklas Backstrom to complete a 2-on-1 less than six minutes later.

Backstrom, 11-0-4 in his past 15 home decisions, finished with 21 saves, including a sprawling stop on Eric Staal early in the third, a glove save on Matt Cullen late in the period and a right pad stop of Cullen in the final minute of regulation.

Notes: RW Petr Sykora (groin) also returned for Minnesota after missing five games. … Minnesota D Kim Johnsson, checked awkwardly into the boards Friday in St. Louis, was placed on injured reserve. He’s expected to miss a couple weeks. … Carolina RW Tuomo Ruutu served the first game of a three-game suspension for Friday’s boarding infraction against Colorado’s Darcy Tucker. … Carolina D Tim Gleason missed his second straight game with an upper body injury.