Hurricanes Hang On Over Panthers

     The Carolina Hurricanes held off the Florida Panthers 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday night at BB&T Center. Former Panther Vincent Trocheck made his first appearance in Sunrise since he was traded to the Hurricanes last season. 

     It was the 10th consecutive shootout victory for the Canes, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Both clubs will meet again on Monday night. 

     Carolina(13-6-1) moved in front 1-0 on the power play with 2:22 left in the first period. Andrei Svechnikov passed the puck from above the right circle to Dougie Hamilton at the top of the zone and he smashed a slap shot that was deflected in by Trocheck in the slot area. past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 10th goal of the season. Trocheck now has four goals in their last seven contests. 

     After a scoreless second period, the Hurricanes extended it to 2-0 with the man advantage at the 1:30 mark of the third. Martin Necas connected a pass from the right wing to Brett Pesce on the right wing. He made a cross-ice pass and Jake Bean scored on a snap shot from the left circle for his first NHL goal. 

     Florida(13-4-3) found the net on a power-play goal at 8:13 of the third period to make it 2-1. Jonathan Huberdeau tried several times to poke the puck by James Reimer. Patric Hornqvist eventually guided it in from inside the blue paint. Aleksander Barkov got the secondary assist on the play. 

     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 with 9:47 left in the period. Kevin Connauton made a lead pass in the neutral zone. Mason Marchment carried the puck into the Canes zone and passed to his right. Frank Vatrano snapped a shot from the low slot for his sixth goal of the campaign. It was Connauton's first point since he joined the Panthers and Vatrano scored in his second straight contest. 

     The Hurricanes stopped the momentum with 5:55 remaining to go ahead 3-2. Pesce released a wrist shot from the high slot and Warren Foegele redirected it from the left of the crease. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie with just over two minute to go and it worked. It became 3-3 with 1:54 left when MacKenzie Weegar centered the puck from the left goal line and Hornqvist backhanded it in from the top of the blue paint for his second tally and 10th goal this season. Weegar has three assists in his last four games. 

     Carolina won the contest in a long shootout. Barkov converted on the Panthers first attempt and Hornqvist made it on their third attempt. Hamilton matched it on the Hurricanes first attempt and Trocheck put in the second attempt. Necas scored on a wrist shot on Carolina's fifth attempt.