PHILADELPHIA -- Sundays regular-season finale felt almost like a playoff game for Carolina Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller. Trent Murphy Jersey . Its the closest his team will get this year. Eric Staal scored twice in regulation and had the only goal in the shootout to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in regular-season finale Sunday. Jeff Skinner added a pair of goals for the Hurricanes, who finish the season in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division, outside of the playoff picture. Wayne Simmonds scored twice for the Flyers, who had already wrapped up third place in the Metropolitan Division and a date with the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs later this week. "Games like this are good for our team," Muller said. "Not that its a playoff game or anything or but this is a tough rink to play in, it was sold out and the guys were intense until the end. For our guys to find a way to win was what we like to see as coaches. It was a good finish for us." Cal Heeter made 33 saves in his NHL debut for the Flyers, before stopping one of two shots in the shootout. Heeter was recalled from the Philadelphia Phantoms and given the start after Steve Mason suffered an upper-body injury in Saturdays win over the Penguins. Mason is day-to-day but the Flyers are hopeful hell be able to return to net for Game 1 of their series with the Rangers. "He battled back," Flyers head coach Craig Berube said of Heeter. "Its tough for a kid like that coming in here. Hes nervous obviously and this is probably not the best situation (for his NHL debut). But it is what it is and the kid hung in there and did a good job." Anton Khudobin made 39 saves and stopped all three of shots in the shootout for the Carolina. Skinner scored his 33rd goal of the season on a power play with 4:21 left, giving the Hurricanes a 5-4 lead after the puck took a weird carom off the boards and left him shooting at an open net. But Simmonds tied the game, scoring on a rebound with 9.5 seconds left for his career-high 29th of the season. Fighting back in the final minute felt like a positive sign to the Flyers heading into the post-season. "If we play as a team and keep doing what weve been doing the past few months, well be a really tough team to beat," Flyers defender Kimmo Timonen said. Trailing 4-1, the Flyers went on a second-period offensive, scoring three goals to tie the game, including two within 10 seconds of each other -- on a power-play slap shot from the point from Kimmo Timonen and a wrister from Simmonds. With less than five minutes remaining in the period, Sean Couturier tied the game with a steal and pretty move on a breakaway, matching his career high with his 13th goal. "I thought we skated and were competitive the whole game," Berube said. "We were just looking for good habits and getting our skating legs, and I thought that they did that." Heeters debut got off to an inauspicious start as he failed to stop the first shot he faced, with Skinner beating him with a wrist shot. The Hurricanes scored twice more before the first period ended, with Staal beating Heeter on a low shot from the left circle and Manny Malhotra going five-hole on the rookie for his first goal since Jan. 25. Staal scored his second just 17 seconds into the second period on an easy shot from the right circle. "In my dreams, Id say I didnt give up six goals," Heeter said. "But its a fabulous experience. Ive been working my whole life to get to here and to finally get the opportunity to play a game and to have the support of the management, players, coaches, fans, everybody here . its a dream come true." The Flyers scored their first goal midway through the first period when Matt Read blasted in a one-timer from Jason Akeson, who logged his first NHL assist. Akeson, who was called up from the Phantoms for Sundays game, has two points in two career NHL games. Notes: Before the game, Claude Giroux was presented with the Bobby Clarke Trophy, given to the teams MVP as voted on by local sports writers and broadcasters. Mason, Timonen, Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl also won team awards, and Vincent Lecavalier was honoured for recently reaching the 400-goal milestone. . The Flyers finished 0-2-2 against the Hurricanes this season, marking the first time they went an entire season without beating the Carolina/Hartford franchise since 1991-92. Kyle Williams Jersey . Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist as the Kings stretched their streak to seven wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Star Lotulelei Jersey . Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds made his longshot request of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit upheld Bonds conviction in September. http://www.thebillsgearshop.com/Bills-Thurman-Thomas-Draft-Jersey/ . "I love the game, its the best job you can have," he explained Tuesday as the players left Joe Louis Arena for the summer. "Ill sit down with my wife and well go from there.College Station, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Tre Mason scored a go-ahead 5-yard touchdown with 1:19 remaining and the Auburn defense denied Johnny Manziels late comeback bid, as the 24th ranked Tigers edged No. 7 Texas A&M, 45-41, on Saturday at Kyle Field. Manziels fourth touchdown pass of the day to Mike Evans gave the Aggies a 31-24 lead late in the third, but the reigning Heisman Trophy winner went down with a right shoulder injury on the first play of the fourth quarter with Texas A&M deep in Auburn territory after being driven hard into the ground on his throwing shoulder by Auburns LaDarius Owens. With backup Matt Joeckel in, the Aggies were forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal from Josh Lambo that made it 34-24 before the Tigers roared back with consecutive scoring drives. Nick Marshall capped the first march with a 13-yard TD run, and after Joeckel and the Aggies went three-and-out, Mason ripped off a 53-yard run that set up Cameron Artis-Paynes 2-yard TD surge that gave Auburn a 38-34 lead with 9:06 left in the game. After leaving the sideline area briefly for further evaluation, Manziel returned to the playing field and went right to work, going 7-for-7 on a 12- play, 75-yard trek that he capped with a 1-yard TD run off the right end to put the Aggies on top, 41-38, with 5:05 remaining. Auburn (6-1, 3-1 SEC) had the final say however, as Marshall converted a pair of third downs on the Tigers ensuing touch, including a 3rd-and-9 from the Aggies 39, when Marcus Davis made a 27-yard grab down the right sideline. Two plays later, Mason surged up the middle and appeared to be stopped short of the end zone, but the Auburn running back was able to stretch the ball across the goal line while laying on top of an offensive lineman to give the Tigers a four-point edge with 1:19 remaining. Manziel moved the Aggies (5-2, 2-2) inside the Auburn 20 with a pair of completions to Evans, but on 4th-and-13 from the 21-yard line, Manziel was sacked for a 22-yard loss to seal the outcome. Mason carried the ball 27 times for 178 yards and the decisive score, while Marshall finished 11-of-23 passing for 236 yards with two touchdowns and added two more scores and 100 rushing yards on 20 totes for the Tigers, who have won threee straight games. Kelvin Benjamin Jersey. Manziel put forth a valiant effort in defeat, racking up 454 yards on 28-of-38 passing with two interceptions while adding 48 yards and a score on 18 carries for the Aggies, who had a three-game win streak halted. Evans broke his own team-record set earlier this year against Alabama with 287 receiving yards on 11 catches and caught the first of his four touchdown grabs on the games opening drive to put the Aggies in front. Auburn answered with a 10-play, 86-yard march that Marshall capped with a 16- yard TD run before Ryan Smith picked off Manziel on Texas A&Ms next touch to set up Cody Parkeys 27-yard field goal that gave Auburn a 10-7 lead. Manziel and Evans hooked up for another score two plays later to put the Aggies back in front, with the lanky wideout hauling in a bubble screen and tightroping the sideline en route to a 64-yard score that made it 14-10. Manziel was intercepted deep in Auburn territory on the Aggies next drive before Marshall led the Tigers on a lengthy 12-play, 96-yard scoring march. Mason converted a 4th-and-1 from the Aggies 4-yard line with a 3-yard surge to keep the march moving, and after a sack left Auburn facing 3rd-and-goal from the 13, Marshall found Quan Bray on a 13-yard scoring strike to give Auburn a 17-14 lead early in the second. Lambo nailed a 37-yard field goal later in the frame to even the score before Manziel went back to Evans to break the tie, as the Aggies wideout took a screen pass down the right sideline, stiff-armed a defender and reached the ball across the goal line to send the Aggies into the break with a 24-17 lead. Auburn pulled even again on their second drive of the third quarter when Marshall hit Sammie Coates for a 43-yard score, but Manziel answered with a 33-yard scoring strike to Evans to restore the Aggies seven-point edge. Game Notes Manziel racked up over 500 total yards for the fifth time in his career ... The Aggies scored 40-plus points for the 10th straight game ... Auburn rushed for 379 yards while holding Texas A&M to 133 rushing yards ... Texas A&M finished 5-of-13 on third downs ... Evans set the Texas A&M single-game receiving record with 279 yards against the Crimson Tide on Sept. 14. Cheap Red Sox Jerseys Cheap Orioles Jerseys Cheap Mets Jerseys Cheap Phillies Jerseys Cheap Nationals Jerseys Cheap Cubs Jerseys Cheap Reds Jerseys Cheap Brewers Jerseys Cheap Pirates Jerseys Cheap Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Rockies Jerseys Cheap Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Padres Jerseys Cheap Giants Jerseys ' ' '