came from behind with a pair of late third-period goals to win the first

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jim Rutherford stepped down as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, and the team promoted Hall of Fame player Ron Francis to replace him. In a series of moves, the Hurricanes also hired Mike Vellucci as assistant GM and director of hockey operations and promoted Brian Tatum to assistant general manager. Rutherford, who also owns part of the team, will remain in an advisory role as team president. He assembled the teams that won one Stanley Cup, played for another and reached the Eastern Conference final in 2009. The Hurricanes havent made the playoffs since then, the longest active drought in the East. "I look at this as a fresh start," Francis said. "I dont want to just kind of build a team that gets into the playoffs for one year. I would like to build it so that its a very solid franchise and we can do it on a yearly basis." Francis had long been considered the teams GM-in-waiting. The former team captain holds team records with 382 goals, 793 assists and 1,186 games played. He has been the teams vice-president of hockey operations since June 2012. He took over as the teams director of player development in 2006 and was an assistant coach under Paul Maurice from 2008-11 before returning to the front office that June as director of hockey operations. Now that hes running a team for the first time, it remains unclear just how much financial flexibility Francis will have. The four highest-paid players -- forwards Alexander Semin and Eric and Jordan Staal, and goalie Cam Ward -- are coming off subpar seasons. They made a combined $28 million last year and will do so again in 2014-15. "This year we were at the (NHL salary) cap, I believe. Didnt make a heck of a lot of difference, did it?" owner Peter Karmanos Jr. said. "Well set the budget wherever we think we can have the most competitive hockey team." One of Francis first jobs will be deciding whether Kirk Muller will receive a fourth year as coach. Muller is 80-80-27 in three seasons and the Hurricanes finished 13th in the 16-team East this year with a 36-35-11 record. "In fairness, I think its a decision that kind of needs due process," Francis said. Rutherford, 65, is a former NHL goalie who spent two decades as the clubs GM, and helped shepherd its move from Hartford to North Carolina. He said he and Karmanos casually discussed stepping aside and those talks grew increasingly more serious beginning in January and February and continued through the early off-season. "Twenty years is a long time for me," Rutherford said. "Ive thought about this for a few years, and certainly the time is right now." Vellucci, 47, will oversee the teams scouting and player development after spending the past 14 seasons as head coach and general manager of the Plymouth Whalers -- the Ontario Hockey League team owned by Karmanos. Tatum, 40, is entering his 17th year with the team and has been its vice-president of team operations since 2012 after spending five years as its senior director of team operations. Thomas Meunier Jersey . Toronto announced the deal with the restricted free agent on Saturday. The terms were not disclosed. Axel Witsel Jersey . Lost to Los Angeles in first round of playoffs. http://www.belgiumsoccerpro.com/Simon-Mignolet-Belgium-Jersey/ . The team announced that it exercised the options on 15 players including goalkeepers Evan Bush, Maxime Crepeau and Troy Perkins, defenders Matteo Ferrari, Karl W. Marouane Fellaini Jersey . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Youri Tielemans Belgium Jersey . Chelsea took until the second half to trouble the leagues bottom team, but Schuerrle then ripped through the defence with ease at Craven Cottage to keep Jose Mourinhos side on track for the title. EDMONTON -- It never hurts starting a road trip against the leagues worst home team. Mike Ribeiro and Mikkel Boedker each had a goal and two assists as the Phoenix Coyotes started off a four-game trip on solid footing with a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Radim Vrbata, Shane Doan, Keith Yandle and David Moss also scored for the Coyotes (16-7-4), who had lost four of their previous five games. "Obviously after the Chicago game (a 5-2 loss on Saturday on home ice), we wanted to make sure we came out and played more to our identity, especially on the road," said Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett. "Were starting a tough trip, we wanted to come in and play well tonight. I thought for the most part, we did a lot of good things. "I was glad the way our guys killed the penalties in the second and then responded in the third. Thats what we needed to start the trip." Ribeiro said that his team was confident they could get the Oilers running around in the third. "We knew if we stayed patient in the third that they would probably try to open up and thats what happened," he said. "We had our chances, were able to score and well take those two points, especially on this road trip." David Perron scored a pair of goals for the Oilers (9-18-2) who dropped to 3-9-0 on home ice this season as they began a five-game stay in Rexall Place. The Oilers trailed 3-2 heading into the third period, but the wheels came off from there. "In the third there were three or four areas where we got out-battled," said Oilers forward Jordan Eberle. "You can look at every goal and there is probably a play where they won a battle and got it to our net and scored. Thats what it came down to. Thats what pisses you off when you come into the room. It isnt a technical thing, its not a bouncing puck, you got out-battled. You cant have that." Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins was especially disappointed in the defence. "The fourth goal, the fifth, the sixtha that is about as bad as I have seen three or four of our defencemen play this year and it cost us," he said. "They are individual mistakes and things that the individual has to correct. Some of the plays tonight had nothing to do with systems. It was all about a misread, or more importantly, a no-read. Just being so focused on the puck. "Its tragic when you are still in the game and then you go into the third period and that happens. It tears your heart out, it tears your guts out." The Coyotes started the scoring three-and-a-half minutes in on the power play as Boedker was left all alone in front to pick up a big rebound and wrist it past Oilers starter Devan Dubnyk. It was just Phoenixs second first-period goal in the last six games. Edmonton tied the game up midway through the first period as Phoenix defenceman David Schlemko coughed up the puck to Mark Arcobello. Arcobello used a drop pass to leave the puck open for a trailinng Perron, who rifled his 10th of the season past Coyotes goalie Mike Smith.dddddddddddd. The Oilers started the second period well, but suddenly found themselves behind 3-1 after goals just under a minute apart. Seven minutes into the second period, another Coyotes player went to the front of the net unmolested as Ribeiro passed through the crease to a wide-open Vrbata, who scored his ninth of the season. Just 58 seconds later the Coyotes had a two-goal advantage as Ribeiro floated a shot from the point that was deflected on the way to the net by Doan and completely fooled Dubnyk. Edmonton got one of those goals back on the power play with just 52 seconds left in the middle period as Ales Hemsky made a nice pass from behind the net to Perron, who scored his second of the game with a quick shot off Smiths shoulder and into the net. After having what initially appeared to be a goal by Moss called back on a high stick, the Coyotes went up 4-2 on another Edmonton defensive breakdown as Ribeiro was left alone in front to take a Doan pass and score his eighth of the season. Phoenix put the game out of reach midway through the third period with another pair of quick-strike goals just 42 seconds apart. Yandle got the fifth goal as he undressed Edmonton defender Jeff Petry and beat Dubnyk with a slapshot to the top corner. "Keith Yandle is one of those guys in the league that everybody is looking for, that everybody is trying to find," Doan said. "We are so thankful to have him and any other team in the league would be so thankful to have a D-man that can make those plays." Moss deflected a shot on net and then swatted in his own rebound as he was getting hauled down to make it 6-2. The Coyotes play the second match of a four-game road trip in Calgary on Wednesday. The Oilers host the second game of a five-game homestand on Thursday when they welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Notes: It was the second of five meetings this season between the Pacific Division rivals. Phoenix came from behind with a pair of late third-period goals to win the first contest 5-4 at home on Oct. 26a The Coyotes came into the game having won six of their last eight games in Edmonton and were 12-2-2 against the Oilers under coach Dave Tippetta Devan Dubnyk got the start for Edmonton after coming in to relieve and injured Ilya Bryzgalov in Sundays 3-2 shootout win in Dallas. Bryzgalovs status is unknown as he continues to be evaluated for concussion/whiplash symptoms after taking a hit in the crease from the Stars Ryan Garbutta Oilers centre Boyd Gordon remained out of the lineup with a myriad of minor injuries. Gordon is fifth in the NHL in face-off winsa Coyotes defenceman Zbynek Michalek (lower body) and winger Lauri Korpikoski (upper body) did not play, but are expected to join the team on its road tripa The Oilers announced on Tuesday that their new downtown rink will be named Rogers Place. The new building is slated to be completed in the fall of 2016. ' ' '