PITTSBURGH – Erik Cole scored two goals for the second night in a row before getting hurt in the third period, and the Carolina Hurricanes chased both Pittsburgh goalies in a 7-5 victory over the Penguins.

Cole left the ice in visible pain with 141/2 minutes remaining, clutching his right arm, after being driven into the boards by the Penguins’ Brook Orpik. Orpik drew a five-minute boarding major and a game misconduct. There was no immediate word about the injury to Cole, who is tied with Cory Stillman for second on the team in scoring with 60 points.

Eric Staal had a goal and three assists, giving him four goals and eight assists in four games against Pittsburgh this season.

If Cole’s injury is serious, it could be a major setback to the Hurricanes, who lead the NHL with 88 points after winning four in a row, 10 of 13 and 19 of 23. Cole scored a goal in each of the first two periods Saturday after also scoring twice in a 5-2 victory at home over Florida on Friday night.

Mark Recchi had the Penguins’ first three-goal game since Alexei Kovalev did so on Jan. 25, 2003, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their fifth consecutive home loss and 10th in 11 games in Pittsburgh. They are 7-18-6 at home.

Just as they did in a 4-3 loss to Ottawa on Wednesday, the Penguins fell behind big early – then it was 4-0, this time it was 5-0 – before unsuccessfully mounting a rally.

The matchup of the NHL’s best- and worst-record teams got off to a predictable start as the Hurricanes opened a five-goal lead in less than a period. Sebastien Caron was lifted after allowing power-play goals to Staal and Ray Whitney among the first five shots he faced, but replacement Marc-Andre Fleury was even worse – he also was pulled after allowing goals by Cole, Kevyn Adams and Rod Brind’Amour on four shots. Caron came back to start the second period and finished the game, stopping 21 of 25 shots.

The Hurricanes, who lost to Pittsburgh 4-3 on Feb. 10 in one of only five home losses all season, seemed to relax with such a big lead and the Penguins got goals in the second from Recchi, John LeClair and Konstantin Koltsov – Koltsov’s first since March 27, 2004.

Cole’s second of the game and 30th of the season came midway through the period and made it 6-2. The Hurricanes got the seventh and final goal 35 seconds after Orpik’s hit injured Cole, with Stillman scoring their third power-play goal and fourth special-teams goal of the game. Cole’s first goal came on a short-handed breakaway that made it 3-0 and was followed by Adams’ 11th less than a minute later.

Recchi scored both Penguins goals in the third period, giving him 24 for the season.

Notes: Carolina won three of the four games in the season series, including a shootout victory Oct. 7 in each team’s second game. … Stillman had a goal and two assists, giving him four goals and six assists against Pittsburgh. … The Penguins have allowed seven short-handed goals and scored only one at home.

AP-ES-03-04-06 2230EST