RALEIGH, N.C. -- Left winger Michael Cammalleri knew someone needed to spark the New Jersey Devils from their recent doldrums.

He was happy to be that guy.

Cammalleri produced a hat trick and the Devils won for the first time in six road games, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Sunday night at PNC Arena.

"A few of us felt we needed to do something to help the team win," Cammalleri said. "We didn't like the way things were going the last couple (of games). We all want to do something to help the team."

Cammalleri, who hadn't scored this season entering the game, scored twice in the first eight minutes of the second period and added his third goal 8:30 into the third period. The 34-year-old has six career hat tricks.

The Devils (5-3-3), who improved to 1-3-2 on the road, scored on their only two second-period shots. Defenseman Andy Greene added an empty-net goal with 28 seconds to play.

Right winger Beau Bennett assisted on two of Cammalleri's goals, the latter coming when he dumped a pass to his linemate, who blasted it past Carolina goalie Eddie Lack.

"It's his shot that makes him dangerous," said Devils center Travis Zajac of Cammalleri.

Carolina avoided a shutout when center Andrej Nestrasil scored his first goal of the season off a rebound with 6:59 remaining.

"We need to get on the board a little earlier and get a little momentum," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said.

Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid, playing in only his second game of the season, made 33 saves.

"It was a great game," Kinkaid said. "We were challenged and we responded."

Lack, playing for the first time in six games, stopped 17 shots. His record dropped to 1-2-1.

The Hurricanes (3-5-3) have points in six of 11 games, but they've yet to win consecutive games.

Peters said he didn't have an update on defenseman Justin Faulk, who left in the third period with an undisclosed injury.

It was a strange second period, but Carolina mostly controlled play.

"I don't mind we gave up minimal shots in the second," Peters said. "So we're doing something right."

Kinkaid had a somewhat busy workload, but he said his teammates were limiting Carolina's quality opportunities.

"They were taking away second chances and that makes my job easier," Kinkaid said. "They cleared out second chances and let me see the puck."

New Jersey opened the scoring when Cammalleri delivered off Zajac's pass through the slot.

Cammalleri scored again less than 3 1/2 minutes later, this time bursting down the right side and shooting the puck past Faulk.

On Cammalleri's second goal, the Hurricanes used a coach's challenge to determine if the Devils were offsides on the sequence, but the ruling on the ice of a goal stood.

The three goals give Cammalleri 18 points in 21 all-time meetings with Carolina.

The Devils didn't score on two power-play chances in the first period, falling to 2 of 19 in man-advantage situations on the road this season.

In the second period, the Hurricanes came up empty on three power plays. They put 14 shots on goal in the period.

"If you're going to have a good power play, you have to exceed their effort and you have to execute," Peters said.

Carolina has scored a total of four goals in regulation across the last three games.

NOTES: This was New Jersey's first game against another Metropolitan Division team. ... D Andy Greene moved along into fourth place for the longest games-played streak in Devils' history by appearing in his 322nd consecutive game. ... Hurricanes C Jordan Staal played in his 700th career NHL game. ... New Jersey D Damon Severson, with nine points through the first 10 games, began the day as one of six NHL defensemen to leader his team in scoring. ... Devils RW Devante Smith-Pelly was a lineup scratch for the first time Sunday. ... Hurricanes RW Lee Stempniak played part of last season with the Devils, producing 16 goals and 25 assists in 63 games. ... This was the first of four meetings between the teams this season. They meet again Tuesday night at Newark, N.J.