Boston, MA (My Sportsbook) - Cam Ward made 36 stops for his fourth career playoff shutout, helping the Carolina Hurricanes take a 3-0 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal at TD Banknorth Garden.

Eric Staal had a goal and an assist while Joe Corvo and Matt Cullen each lit the lamp for the Hurricanes, who evened this best-of-seven series at a game apiece.

"We held on, even though we sat back a little in the third," said Ward. "But we worked hard tonight and some of the bounces went our way and we scratched out a win."

Tim Thomas gave up two goals on 24 shots for the Bruins, who lost for the first time in the playoffs after having swept the Canadiens in the opening series and winning Game 1 on Friday.

"We weren't playing our game," said Thomas. "We were stuck in our zone a lot of the time. We tried to get a little too fancy instead of just playing the game we've been playing. They took advantage of it."

The series heads back to Raleigh for the next two games with Game 3 scheduled for Wednesday.

Carolina grabbed the lead 2:30 into the second period. A good keep along the right boards by Erik Cole resulted in the puck getting pushed behind the net. From there, Staal grabbed it and slid it to the high slot, where Corvo unleashed a shot that beat Thomas.

"We were on the attack, we were skating, we were playing our game," said Staal. "We needed to be better than we were in Game 1 and we fought hard."

Skating shorthanded, the Hurricanes made it a 2-0 game. A cross-ice pass at the point was tipped away by Chad LaRose and he eventually caught up with it. LaRose's initial shot was denied, but he grabbed the puck behind the net and sent it to the left circle where Cullen one-timed it past the glove of Thomas at the 7:32 mark of the second.

Carolina nearly took a commanding three-goal lead in the waning moments of the second period. LaRose cranked a shot on net that hit off the crossbar, then the right post and skirted the goal line. The official on-ice called it no- goal and after a lengthy review, the call stood.

Boston poured it on in the third period in an attempt to get back into the contest.

The Bruins had a great opportunity when Tim Gleason was called for delay of game after clearing the puck over the glass with 7:45 to play. Ward, though, was outstanding during one sequence of events as he made several nice saves, with the best coming on a stop of a Michael Ryder offering down low.

Boston got another power play when Joni Pitkanen was called for cross-checking and later pulled Thomas, but Staal's empty-netter with 27.1 to play sealed the victory.

It was a scoreless first period in thanks to some nice saves from the goaltenders.

Thomas made 13 saves in the frame and his best came with a bit less than nine minutes in as he stopped a pair of shots from Patrick Eaves down low at the left side.

Ward, who had eight stops in the period, made a nice stop about a minute later as Milan Lucic came skating down the left wing and let fly with a wrister from the circle that Ward turned aside.

Game Notes

It was the first time in the playoffs the Bruins were held scoreless in the first period. Also, it was the first time in the playoffs that the Bruins allowed more than one goal in a period...Boston went 0-for-4 on the power play while Carolina failed to score on its lone man advantage...Carolina also won Game 2 of its series against New Jersey in the opening round.