NHL: Carolina 3, Boston 2 (OT)

RALEIGH, N.C., May 6 (UPI) -- Jussi Jokinen scored just 2:48 into overtime Wednesday, lifting Carolina to a 3-2 win over Boston in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Carolina grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and will try to move within one win of a spot in the conference finals when it hosts Game 4 Friday.

Jokinen gathered up the rebound of a blast by Sergei Samsonov and put a wrist shot by Tim Thomas for his fifth goal of the playoffs.

Samsonov also had a goal with 2:02 left in the second period that gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead, but Mark Recchi scored on a tip-in midway through the third for his first of the playoffs to tie it.

Cam Ward got the win by making 21 saves and Thomas was beaten three times on 41 shots.

Boston has now lost two games in a row after sweeping Montreal in its opening series and capturing the first contest against Carolina.

The Hurricanes are in excellent position to earn a berth in the conference finals after being only 80 seconds away from elimination in the seventh game of their first-round series against New Jersey.