RALEIGH, N.C. — The race is getting tighter at the top of the NHL’s Central Division.
The Carolina Hurricanes did their part to tighten the squeeze Tuesday, fighting past the Florida Panthers with foul goals in the third period for a 5-2 victory at PNC Arena.
The Canes (26-9-3) have 55 points, moved within one point of the first-place Panthers (26-10-4) and have two games in hand on Florida. Tampa Bay, the 2020 Stanley Cup champion, was beaten Tuesday by Columbus and dipped to third place with 54 points.
The Canes trailed 2-1 entering the third period and the Panthers were 18-0-1 when leading after two periods this season. But Dougie Hamilton scored a power-play goal to tie the score 45 seconds into the period and Jordan Staal gave the Canes the lead at 8:52 of the third with the first of his two goals.
Staal’s shot from the left circle slipped through the pads of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Defenseman Radko Gudas tried to clear the puck before it cross the goal line but the puck was then kicked into the net as the Canes took the 3-2 lead.
After the Panthers pulled Bobrovsky for a sixth attacker, Staal fought off two defenders for a tough empty net score. Jesper Fast soon added another as the Canes improved to 4-0-1 against the Panthers this season.
Bobrovsky twice had the puck get past him in the second period but only one hurt him. Vincent Trocheck scored a power-play goal for the Canes, but Sebastian Aho had a goal disallowed earlier in the second because of a quick whistle by referee Wes McCauley.
Canes goalie Petr Mrazek was back in net after his 28-save shutout of the Dallas Stars on Sunday, his first NHL game since Jan. 30. Mrazek had some quality saves Tuesday although Barkov beat him twice.
In the first, Barkov followed up a rebound for his 15th of the season. After Trocheck scored in the second off a Sebastian Aho pass, Barkov was unchecked in the Canes zone and blasted a shot from the right circle past Mrazek for his 16th.
Aho, who had three assists in the game, hopped on a loose puck and appeared to tie the score 1-1, but referee Wes McCauley blew his whistle before Aho’s shot, believing Bobrovsky had stopped the puck.
Mrazek denied Barkov a hat trick in the third when the forward again had an open look from the slot.
Hamilton’s goal initially was credited to Trocheck, who appeared to get a piece of the shot in the slot. Hamilton picked up his fifth of the season on a shot from the point.
