The Carolina Hurricanes, dejected after three losses to Tampa Bay, had a reason to smile Saturday.
The Canes beat the Florida Panthers, 4-3 in a shootout, for a road victory as Vincent Trocheck won in his return game to BB&T Center against his former team. Another former Panther, Canes goalie James Reimer, also was a winner.
Martin Necas had the winning shootout goal for the Canes (13-6-1). Trocheck, who scored the Canes’ first goal of the game, also scored in the shootout as did Dougie Hamilton as Carolina won for the 10th straight time in a shootout.
Another player celebrating Saturday was defenseman Jake Bean, who scored his first NHL goal.
Warren Foegele’s goal, at 14:05 of the third, pushed the Canes in front 3-2. Brett Pesce earned his second assist of the game and his 10th of the season.
The Canes led 2-0 after Bean’s goal early in the third but the Panthers fought back for a 2-2 tie. Patric Hornqvist scored a power-play goal and Frank Vatrano tied the score at 10:13 of the third.
Hornqvist also scored in the shootout for the Panthers (13-4-3).
The Canes scored twice on the power play. Trocheck scored in the first period, his 10th goal of the season.
Bean, a former first-round draft pick by Carolina, scored in his 13th NHL game for a 2-0 lead. The defenseman’s goal came at 1:30 of the third as Pesce and Necas had assists.
The Panthers scored on a power-play after Andrei Svechnikov was called for holding. Hornqvist was credited with the goal at 8:13 as Reimer couldn’t smother the puck, which slid past his right skate and across the goal line.
Florida then tied it 2-2 on a rush into the Canes end as Frank Vatrano finished off a pass from Mason Marchment.
