Panthers Blitz Hurricanes

    The Florida Panthers raised their first Southeast Division championship banner prior to the home opener as they charged through the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Saturday night at BB&T Center in Sunrise. The number 93 for Bill Torrey and the 1996 Eastern Conference championship, whose color background was changed from navy blue to red after 16 years, are the other two club banners in the rafters.
    The Panthers shocked everyone as they came up with a four-goal outburst with three power-play goals in the first period. It didn't take long for rookie left wing Jonathan Huberdeau to get noticed as he played in his first NHL game. After recently signed veteran right wing Alex Kovalev pushed the puck behind the Carolina cage, center Peter Mueller sent a pass from behind the net to Huberdeau in the low crease. He hit a one-time shot past Carolina goalie Cam Ward for his first NHL goal at 3:37.
    The Cats converted on their first power play this season at 6:42. Defenseman Brian Campbell stopped a clearing pass at the top of offensive zone, skated with the puck to the top left circle and fired a slapshot into the top right corner of the net by Ward's glove for a 2-0 lead.
    Florida were given a 5-on-3 advantage for 39 seconds later in the first period. They capitalized on it as Campbell scored his second goal of the game with another slapshot from the top left circle at 16:47. Center Stephen Weiss sent a pass to the left point where Campbell played catch on the blue line with Kovalev to set up the goal.
    The power play continued for the Panthers as a 5-on-4 situation. They scored 40 seconds later at 17:27 and extended their lead to 4-0. Left wing Scottie Upshall blasted a one-time slapshot from the low right circle as he got a cross-ice feed from Huberdeau. Left wing Tomas Fleischmann also picked up an assist on the play.
    Kovalev, who played in his first NHL game in two seasons, scored his first goal of the season at 3:35 of the second period for a Panthers 5-0 lead. Huberdeau got his third point of the game and defenseman Filip Kuba, who began his second stint with the Cats, chalked up assist.
    Carolina bottled the Panthers in their end of the ice for a good portion of the second period. The Hurricanes got their lone goal of the game at 9:15 as right wing Patrick Dwyer cut the gap down to 5-1. Defensemen Joni Pitkanen and Justin Faulk were credited with assists.
    Neither team scored in the third period, although the Panthers were outshot 30-13 in the final two periods. Florida goalie Jose Theodore made 41 saves on 42 Carolina shots in his season debut. The Cats were a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill and 3-for-6 on the power play. 
    Several Panthers had multi-point games in the home opener. Brian Campbell scored two goals for only the second time of his NHL career. He previously did it with the Buffalo Sabres on November 17, 2005. Jonathan Huberdeau had a three-point performance with one goal and two assists in his NHL debut. Veteran Alex Kovalev nailed down a three-point game with one goal and two assists. The Cats will try to win back-to-back games to begin a campaign for the first time since the 2005-06 season at Ottawa on Monday.