NHL: Columbus 3, Carolina 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Columbus beat Carolina 3-2 Saturday -- the 12th straight loss for the Hurricanes, whose goalie, Cam Ward, left with a leg injury 7 1/2 minutes into the contest.

Rick Nash's third-period goal proved to be the eventual game-winner. Nikita Filatov and Jared Boll also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have notched at least a point in five straight games, going 3-0-2 in the span.

But the story of the game was the injury to Ward, the 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

As he stretched to make a save on Nash in the first period, it appeared that Nash or a Carolina defenseman cut the netminder in the leg with a skate. Ward's blood spilled onto the ice, and he was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

"I don't know any more now," Carolina head Coach Paul Maurice told reporters. "I know (Ward) went to the hospital. I haven't gotten a call back. It's a significant injury.... There was a fair amount of blood on the ice."

Erik Cole and Tim Gleason each scored their first goals of the season for the Hurricanes (0-9-3), who continued a franchise-record losing streak.