RALEIGH, N.C. -- It didn't take long for Justin Peters to get settled in.

Recalled Monday by the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday from the Charlotte Checkers, Peters was in goal Tuesday night against the Buffalo Sabres. If there were any nerves to such a quick move, it didn't show.

Peters, calm in net, made several high-quality saves as the Canes topped the Sabres, 4-3, at PNC Arena for their fourth straight victory.

Peters, 26, was an emergency recall from the Checkers, the Canes' AHL affiliate, after No. 1 goalie Cam Ward was lost for six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. Dan Ellis was expected to be the starter Tuesday, but again was ill and unable to play, although he was able to serve as the backup.

Jiri Tlusty scored in the first period and Joe Corvo in the second for the Hurricanes (13-8-1). Cody Hodgson got the Sabres on the board 25 seconds into the third, but the Canes' Jussi Jokinen -- moved to Eric Staal's line with Alexander Semin -- scored 50 seconds later for a 3-1 lead.

The Sabres cut the lead to 3-2 with 5:27 left in regulation on T.J. Brennan's power-play blast. Brennan's score came seconds after a 5-on-3 power play expired. But Alexander Semin answered with his first goal in PNC Arena as a Hurricane.

The Canes completed a three-game sweep of the Sabres this season.

Peters has 22 saves after 40 minutes and several have high quality. None was better than his desperation lunge and blocker save on a shot by the Sabres' Thomas Vanek with 1:17 left in the second period.

Vanek, returning to the Sabres' lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury, was looking at an open net. But Peters, making his first NHL start of the season, made a quick lateral move to his right and reached out to keep the puck from crossing the goal line.

Corvo had scored earlier in the second period on a power-play blast from the left circle. Tlusty, who has been scoring goals at a rapid clip, scored another as the Canes led 1-0 after the first period.

Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller prevented the Canes from taking a 3-0 lead with a terrific save of his own. With the Sabres on the power play, the Canes' Eric Staal corraled the puck along the boards and began a two-on-none rush with Alex Semin. Staal passed to Semin on the right wing but Miller read the player perfectly and was able to make a glove save.

Tlusty picked up his 11th of the season at 1:31 of the first, tipping in a pass from Eric Staal past goalie Ryan Miller as the Canes controlled play most of the period.

Staal earned his 600th career point on the primary assist. Alex Semin also had an assist as the Canes repeatedly kept the puck in the offensive zone -- Semin passing from the boards to Staal, who spotted Tlusty open in the low slot.

Peters faced just six shots in the opening period. He made two sharp glove saves -- on shots by Marcus Foligno and T.J. Brennan -- in a 15-second span with less than seven minutes left in the first, then later kicked out his left pad to deny Foligno at the post.

The Canes had the only power play of the first period but did not have a shot on goal. They finished with 12 shots in the period.

Tlusty has four goals in the last four games and 11 in the past 13 after going the first nine games of the season without a goal.

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