RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes played the Florida Panthers again Thursday, which means Vincent Trocheck scored again.
That’s the way it has gone this season. The Panthers traded Trocheck to the Canes last year, deeming him expendable, and the center has made his former team pay each time the teams have faced off this season in the Central Division — six games after Thursday.
Trocheck has scored in each game and did it again Thursday as the Canes topped the Panthers, 3-0, to move into first place in the Central with 57 points, moving past Florida. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic earned his ninth win of the season and his third shutout, finishing with 24 saves for the Canes (27-9-3).
Trocheck and Martin Necas each finished with a goal and assist, Trocheck setting up Sebastian Aho for a power-play blast in the first period that gave the Canes a 1-0 lead.
Trocheck then made it 2-0 in the second with a goal that had everyone at PNC Arena shaking their heads. Trocheck’s shot from a sharp angle glanced off the post, the puck bounding up in the air as the players tried to find it. It hit goalie Chris Driedger on the back as it fell, tumbling into the net.
Trocheck has mostly shrugged off his success this season against the Panthers, saying he simply has scored some “greasy” goals. This one, his 16th of the season, was definitely greasy.
It was another intense, tightly contested game between the Canes and Panthers (26-11-4), with open ice hard to find. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour, with the last change at home, had Jordan Staal’s line much of the night out against the Aleksander Barkov line — Barkov scored twice Tuesday in the Panthers’ 5-2 loss.
Panthers coach Joel Quenneville made a change in the third, moving Jonathan Huberdeau on to Barkov’s line, loading up, looking for more punch.
Nedeljkovic faced six shots in the first period and eight in the second as the Canes limited the Panthers chances. At a time when Brind’Amour is mulling over the use of three goalies — Nedeljkovic, Petr Mrazek and James Reimer — he again was cool and steady in the net, even as Patric Hornqvist and others for the Panthers crowded the crease.
