Hurricanes win NHL’s Metro Division with 6-4 win over Panthers on final day of season

It’s on to the playoffs for the Carolina Hurricanes, and they’re going in again as the Metropolitan Division champions.

The Canes took care of their business Thursday against the Florida Panthers, taking a 6-4 victory over the Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

The Hurricanes (52-21-9) finished with 113 points, holding off the New Jersey Devils for the Metro title. Carolina will face the New York Islanders in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Devils, playing their last regular-season game Thursday in Washington, trailed much of the game before tying the score 4-4 in the third to force overtime.

The NHL has not set the schedule for the opening round, but the Canes will play Game 1 against the Isles at PNC Arena either Monday or Tuesday.

Of interest will be which goalie Brind’Amour decides will be the Game 1 starter — Frederik Andersen or Antti Raanta.

Andersen, who started Thursday, missed the playoffs last year with an injury as Raanta and rookie Pyotr Kochetkov were used in net, Raanta winning Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in the opening round.

Brent Burns and Jesper Fast scored in a 21-second span in the third period after the Panthers, with a strong push, had tied the score 2-2.

The Canes built the lead to 5-2 as Shayne Gostisbehere scored an empty-net goal. But the Panthers, with goalie Alex Lyon out of net for an extra attacker, scored twice before Sebastian Aho’s empty-netter made it 6-4.

The Canes led 1-0 after the first and 2-0 after two, harnessing the Panthers’ transition game. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his 18th in the second, and the cushion could have been larger.

But things can change quickly in hockey — and did — in a wild third period.

The Panthers struck early in the third as Aleksander Barkov scored his 23rd of the season. After Andersen was indecisive in handling the puck behind the net, Florida tied it 2-2 on a Ryan Lomberg goal.

Make it two goals in the first 3:33 of the period. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour used his timeout after the Lomberg score giving his team time to reset and refocus.

Burns’ second of the game pushed the Canes back in front at 6:07 of the third, and Fast followed up the rebound of a Jordan Staal shot for a 4-2 lead at 6:28.

Gostisbehere’s empty-net goal appeared to settle it before the Panthers’ Anthony Duclair and Carter Verhaeghe scored rapid-fire goals in 38 seconds.

The Canes showed some early jump, forcing a Panthers penalty seconds after the opening faceoff, winning puck battles and staying positionally sound most of the opening period.

Burns scored at 8:21 of the first after a faceoff win in the Florida zone by center Sebastian Aho. The puck went back to Burns, whose long shot glanced off a Panthers player and past Lyon.

For Burns, it was the 17th goal in what has been a highly productive season for the veteran D-man and former Norris Trophy winner in San Jose.

Kotkaniemi, one of six Canes to play all 82 games, picked up his 18th at 1:12 of the second as the Canes again had a quick start.

After defenseman Brett Pesce got the puck deep in the Florida zone, Martin Necas fought for the puck behind the net and the Panthers then turned it over on a pass. Kotkaniemi hopped on the loose puck for the shot from the top of the right circle as Necas screened Lyon.

Lyon made some strong saves to keep it a 2-0 game as the Canes continued to attack in the second, and Andersen also was on point.

Lyon twice made stops on Seth Jarvis in front during the second period. Andersen, staying calm in net, also made some key saves to keep it 2-0 after two.

The game Thursday offered some nice story lines other than the myriad playoff scenarios.

Canes captain Jordan Staal played against older brothers Eric Staal and Marc Staal of the Panthers — Eric a former Hurricanes captain and member of the 2006 Stanley Cup champs. Panthers coach Paul Maurice had two stints coaching Carolina, taking the Canes to the 2002 Stanley Cup final.

Then there was Lyon. He played two games for the Hurricanes last season while also helping the Chicago Wolves of the AHL win a Calder Cup title.

Lyon signed a one-year free-agent contract with Florida in July. He has evolved late in the season as the Panthers’ No. 1 goalie ahead of Sergei Bobrovsky, going 6-0-1 before Thursday’s game as Florida clinched a wild-card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.