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 up the script.
The Canes won 4-2 on Sunday at PNC Arena, getting a shorthanded goal from Sebastian Aho and then a transition score from Warren Foegele in the third period as they picked up their fifth straight win and moved 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 what counted -- the game. The Panthers won the first game this season in overtime, then the Canes won a shootout and in overtime, but the Canes got it done with a decisive victory Sunday.
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 had a 2-0 lead.
The Panthers pushed back, 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, 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 the franchise’s history.
Foegele then struck for a goal for a 4-1 lead, 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 when 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. The Canes enjoyed a rarity -- two days between games after their 5-2 win over Detroit on Thursday.
