NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Eric Staal scored two goals and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 Thursday in a preseason game.
Brandon Sutter and Ryan Bayda also scored for Carolina.
Joel Ward and Vernon Fiddler had the Predators' goals.
Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, scoring twice in less than a minute against Dan Ellis.
Sutter scored first with a shot from the right point that went through traffic to beat Ellis at 2:05. Just 54 seconds later, Bayda skated through the left circle and fired a one-timed from close range that went between Ellis' legs for a short-handed goal.
Carolina extended its lead to 3-0 in the second period. Anton Babchuk bounced the puck off of the back wall, and Stall, stationed near the right post, shot the puck behind Ellis for the power-play goal at 1:11.
The Predators got on the board at 7:19 of the second. Shea Weber passed the puck to Ward, who skated alone through the slot and beat Cam Ward on a breakaway with a one-timer that between the goalie's leg pads. Full story
Blackhawks 4, Stars 3 (SO)
DALLAS -- Andrew Ladd scored in the second round for the only goal of the shootout, lifting the Chicago Blackhawks to a victory over the Dallas Stars.
Ladd's shot from the slot went in off goalie Marty Turco. Chicago's Antti Niemi stopped Sean Avery in the third round to clinch the win for the Blackhawks.
Kevyn Adams scored the tying goal late in regulation, Aaron Johnson had a power-play goal, and Kris Versteeg scored short-handed for Chicago (4-1-1).
Brad Richards had a goal and an assist, and rookies James Neal and Fabian Brunnstrom also scored for the Stars (1-4-1).
Canucks 3, Sharks 2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Canucks' top line of Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Steve Bernier each scored a power-play goal, lifting Vancouver to a victory over the San Jose Sharks.
Evgeni Nabokov made 17 saves for San Jose (2-4), but more important was the absence of Sharks star center Joe Thornton, who didn't take a shift after the second period. There was no obvious injury and no immediate update.
Backup goalie Curtis Sanford made 31 saves, and the Canucks improved to 6-0 in the preseason.
Rookie Riley Armstrong opened the scoring for San Jose late in the first period, but Bernier and Daniel Sedin scored three minutes apart in the second to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead.
Sabres 5, Blue Jackets 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jochen Hecht and Ales Kotalik had a goal and an assist each to lead the Buffalo Sabres past the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Thomas Vanek, Teppo Numminen and Nathan Gerbe also scored for Buffalo.
Derek Dorsett and Rick Nash netted Columbus' goals.
Patrick Lalime made 26 saves for the Sabres (2-3-1), and Columbus counterpart Fredrik Norrena had 19.
