RALEIGH, N.C. -- Carolina defenseman Brian Pothier scored from the right dot 23 seconds into overtime to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory against the Penguins at the RBC Center tonight.

The Penguins, who lead the Atlantic Division by four points, will play second-place New Jersey at 7:08 p.m. Friday in Newark.

Tyler Kennedy, who normally plays right wing on the No. 3 line, was a healthy scratch (although he has a minor groin problem) and was replaced in that role by Pascal Dupuis.

It didn't long for that move to pay off for the Penguins.

Just 64 seconds into the game, Jordan Staal took a feed from Dupuis and threw a shot by Hurricanes goalie Justin Peters from just inside the left circle for his 19th of the season. Defenseman Mark Eaton got the second assist.

Bill Guerin, back in the lineup after sitting out three games because of back spasms, made it 2-0 during a power play at 5:29, as he chipped in a loose puck from the left side of the crease.

Assists on the goal, Guerin's 18th, went to Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, who stretched his scoring streak to seven games.

Carolina countered with a man-advantage goal of its own at 7:45, as Ray Whitney beat Penguins goalie Brent Johnson from above the left circle.

Whitney scored on Carolina's first shot of the game, and did it 10 seconds after Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar was penalized for boarding Chad LaRose of the Hurricanes.

Zach Boychuk pulled Carolina even at 9:11 by beating Johnson with an across-the-grain backhander to the stick side as he skated through the slot.

Johnson did not have a good first period, and the second didn't start off much better as Eric Staal picked up Carolina's third unanswered goal at 2:09 by scoring from the right side of the crease.

The Penguins, though, tied the game again six minutes into the period.

Matt Cooke got the goal, his 13th, by backhanding a Dupuis rebound behind Peters. The second assist went to Alex Goligoski.

As the game progressed, Dupuis got work in Guerin's spot with Crosby and Chris Kunitz, while Guerin slid down to the third line with Staal and Cooke.

The Penguins came thought with a sensational penalty-kill as the period was winding down. Eaton was sent off for interference at 15:38 and Gonchar followed 21 seconds later after he shot the puck over the glass, but the Hurricanes were held without a shot during a five-on-three that lasted 99 seconds.

Johnson came up with a huge play of his own about 6 1/2 minutes into the third, when he denied Erik Cole on a breakaway to preserve the tie.

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