Recap: McGinn, Canes Top Avalanche

Brock McGinn scored two goals to help lead the Carolina Hurricanes to their second straight victory, a 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
Jeff Skinner scored his 16th goal of the season to give the Hurricanes some extra padding in the third period, and Cam Ward made 29 saves as the Canes vaulted their way back in to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Here are five takeaways from tonight's game.

One
The Hurricanes snapped a three-game winless streak with a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night. For that to be meaningful, the Hurricanes needed to back it up with another solid effort tonight against the Colorado Avalanche.
Mission accomplished, as the Hurricanes put forth a solid 60 minutes of hockey in front of a raucous crowd at PNC Arena.
"You've got to be ready any given night, especially at home," Ward said. "We're trying to build something here. I thought the crowd was fantastic tonight."
"I liked the effort from everyone. I thought everybody contributed," head coach Bill Peters said. "I thought it was a complete effort."
Two
The Avalanche struck first when Tyson Barrie scored off a forced turnover with just over three minutes left in the first period.
That lead lasted just 18 seconds. McGinn netted his first of two on the next shift when Elias Lindholm won a board battle behind the net and found McGinn open in the slot for the one-timer.

"When you get scored on, you wonder how the team is going to respond," Ward said. "We scored the next shift, so that cancels out that one and you're able to start off fresh again. It's great he was able to cash in."
"I think we came out and did a great job tonight with our first period," McGinn said. "We were really buzzing around there."
Three
McGinn, who earned first-star honors, was the best player on the ice for the Hurricanes tonight. He finished the night with two goals, a team-high five shots on goal, a plus-2 rating, two hits and a blocked shot, all in 15:45 of ice time.
"Ginner had a heck of a game. He was the man tonight. Clearly he was feeling it," Ward said. "The kid plays the right way. It's nice to see him get rewarded with some goals."
It was a 1-1 game heading into the third period, but it took just 35 seconds for McGinn to find the back of the net again and give the Hurricanes a lead they wouldn't relent. Again, it was Lindholm behind the net dishing the puck right onto McGinn's tape for his 10th goal in what is a career season for the 24-year-old forward.

Four
After not scoring in his last six games, Skinner stretched the Hurricanes' lead to two goals when he banged in a rebound along the far side of the net with just about seven minutes left in the third period.

"Skinny, you know he's going to get those opportunities," Ward said. "He's a guy who wants to score goals. That's his forte, so it's great to see him get that one in."
Five
Just as Scott Darling was solid in net on Friday night against Vancouver, so too was Ward tonight. Ward made 29 saves on 30 shots, and he now owns a 1.39 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage in his last five starts.
"He keeps us in every game," McGinn said. "He battles so hard out there, and when he makes those saves we really build off of it."
"Both goaltenders were real good this weekend, and the team effort in front of them was more committed," Peters said.
"Guys had a big effort last night and came up with two big points. Darls played great," Ward said. "It was my turn to respond tonight, and fortunately I was seeing the puck real well and felt really smooth in my movements. It's great we were able to cash in in the third period."

Ward was critical to the Hurricanes' penalty kill, too, which was a perfect 5-for-5 that included a double-minor kill in the second period. The Canes have not allowed a power-play goal in their last seven games (17-for-17), a stretch that dates back to the All-Star break. When this was pointed out in his postgame press conference, Peters knocked on wood.
"There have been some adjustments made," he said. "Just more trust and familiarity with each other in the units of four."
"I think we're just outworking the power plays out there. We're really following our systems and working as a four-man unit," McGinn said. "When we get the saves from Wardo it helps us out, and when we have the opportunities to get it 200 feet, we are right now."
"I feel like our penalty kill has been really good lately," Ward said. "The guys are committed to working and sacrificing the body. … We were able to hold the fort."
Up Next
The Hurricanes' season-long, eight-game homestand comes to a close on Tuesday when they host the Los Angeles Kings.
"I think everybody is looking at the standings," Ward said. "You've got to take care of business right now."
"We've got to do it right each and every night. We know how to play," Peters said. "When we're committed to doing in the right way, we get positive results."