Hurricanes skate past Panthers 4-2 for fifth straight victory

Just when it seemed every game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers this season would need more than 60 minutes to decide, the Canes changed the script.

The Canes won 4-2 on Sunday at PNC Arena, getting a shorthanded goal from Sebastian Aho and a transition score from Warren Foegele in the third period to pick up their fifth straight win, moving into second place in the Central Division.

In the final seconds, a melee broke out in the Panthers’ zone as emotions took over, but the Canes won where counted — the scoresheet. The Panthers won the first game between these clubs this season in overtime, then the Canes won in a shootout and in overtime. This time, the Canes won decisively in regulation.

Vincent Trocheck, who has scored in all four games this season against his former team, banged in a power-play goal in the first for the Canes (17-6-1). When Nino Niederreiter scored off the rush in the second, Carolina pushed the lead to 2-0.

The Panthers shoved back when MacKenzie Weegar scored on a blast after a faceoff win in the Canes zone. Had Canes goalie James Reimer not made his biggest save of the game, it would have been tied 2-2 entering the third period.

After a bad turnover by the Canes, the Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau had the puck all alone in front of the net. But Reimer, who had 21 saves in his 11th win of the season, made the stop with four seconds remaining in the period.

Aho scored 38 seconds into the third on the Canes’ second shorthanded goal of the season. It was the 10th shorty of his career, tying Aho with Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour for third place in franchise history.

Foegele then made it 4-1, busting down the ice and beating goalie Chris Driedger.

Mason Marchment’s goal for Florida at 9:09 of the third made it a 4-2 game and Reimer robbed the Panthers’ Gustav Forsling of a goal later in the period with a glove save while seated in the crease.

The Panthers emptied their net and had a 6-on-4 advantage in final two minutes of regulation after the Canes’ Jordan Staal was penalized. But the Canes’ penalty killers — and Reimer — refused to allow a goal.

The Panthers (15-5-4) were in the second game of a back-to-back, having won 6-2 on Saturday against the Nashville Predators.

Updates from earlier in the game:

Second period: Canes lead 2-1

Nino Niederreiter has scored off the rush as the Canes have moved ahead 2-1 in the second period.

Niederreiter, on the left wing, took a pass from Martin Necas and beat goalie Chris Driedger with a high shot to the glove side at 4:52 of the period. for a 2-0 lead.

It was Niederreiter’s 11th goal of the season as Necas and Sebastian Aho picked up assists. Niederreiter scored 11 goals in 67 games last season.

The Panthers then made it a one-goal game as MacKenzie Weegar scored seconds after Florida won a draw in the Canes zone.

The Panthers had a chance to tie it with four seconds lefrt in the period. After a bad turnover by the Canes, Jonathan Huberdeau suddenly had a point-blank shot in front of the net but was denied by goalie James Reimer.

The Canes began the second by killing off the last 1:12 of a Vincent Trocheck penalty and later killed off a delay-of-game call against Jaccob Slavin for flipping the puck over the glass.

First period: Trocheck scores

Vincent Trocheck continues to score goals against his former team, the one that traded him away last year to the Canes.

Trocheck’s power-play score has given the Canes a 1-0 lead after the first period. Trocheck, set up near the crease, took a pass from Andrei Svechnikov, wheeled and whipped the puck past Driedger at 15:55 of the first. Dougie Hamilton also earned an assist and has assists in five straight games.

Trocheck has a team-leading 13 goals this season and has scored a goal against the Panthers in each of the four games with Florida. He has a five-game point streak.

Canes captain Jordan Staal left the ice after taking a puck in the face 3:39 into the game. Staal was injured when defenseman Brady Skjei tried to lift the puck out of the Canes zone, but soon returned to the game.

Canes goalie James Reimer was popped on the helmet by the knee of the Panfhers’ Aleksander Barkov with 22 seconds left in the period as Barkov was pushed by Nino Niederreiter.

The Canes had the game’s first power play but did not have a shot as both teams have closed up gaps and cut off shooting lanes. Midway through the first, both the Canes and Panthers each had one shot.

The Panthers will have power-play time to begin the second after a late penalty against Trocheck.

Game setup

Carolina Hurricanes fans will again be back at PNC Arena on Sunday, hoping for another win, hoping to see another postgame Storm Surge celebration.

The Canes surged in the third period Thursday to smack the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 in the first game this season in which fans had been allowed in the building. A good time was had by all, and the players used the Surge to lift their sticks and salute the frontline workers and their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The game Sunday is against the Florida Panthers (15-4-4), who sit in second place in the Central Division with 34 points, one point ahead of the Canes (16-6-1.), who have won their last four. They’re coming off a 6-2 beating of the Nashville Predators on Saturday and is 8-1-1 on the road this season.

“They’ve been doing it all year and I think they’ve bought in to what they’re doing, maybe a little more than in the past,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said on a Sunday media call. “They’re playing their system to a ‘T’ and it’s getting results.”

The Panthers are averaging an NHL-best 39.2 shots in their past 10 games. Jonathan Huberdeau has six goals and six assists in his last 11 games, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad three goals and three assists in his past two games.

The Panthers’ Keith Yandle is scheduled to play his 1,000th career game on Sunday, always a milestone event. The Canes’ Jordan Staal is closing in on it and will be playing his 983rd career game.

And Brind’Amour will be after career coaching win No. 101.

The lineup

Brind’Amour said Sunday that goalie James Reimer would be the starter. Reimer has a 10-3-0 record, 2.90 goals-against average and .902 save percentage, and has won his last two starts.

Forward Teuvo Teravainen will sit out the game. Teravainen returned from a concussion to play Thursday against the Wings and Brind’Amour said he would be a game-time decision.

Brind’Amour said defenseman Jake Gardiner would return to the lineup after missing five games with an upper-body injury.