Hurricanes Outhustle Panthers

     The Carolina Hurricanes took the Florida Panthers 4-2 at BB&T Center on Thursday night. First place in the Central Division was on the line.  Both teams will meet again on Saturday in Sunrise. 

     Florida(30-13-5) jumped out to 1-0 lead at the 6:22 mark. Alekander Barkov flipped a wrist shot from the inner right circle by Alex Nedeljkovic for his 20th goal of the season. Patric Hornqvist and Nikita Gusev were credited with assists on the play. Barkov reached the 20-goal mark for the sixth consecutive season. 

     Carolina(31-10-5) evened it up 1-1 just 14 seconds into the second period. Jordan Staal made a centering pass from the right wing and Jordan Martinook scored on a wrist shot from the slot area for his fourth goal of the campaign. Martinook put the puck in the net for the second straight game while Staal got a point for the second straight contest

     The Canes gained the lead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 11:09. Martin Necas fed the puck from the top right circle to Brett Pesce. His slap shot was saved by Sergei Bobrosky, however Nino Niederreiter chipped the puck into the cage from the top of the crease for his 17th goal of the year. Niederreiter found the net and Necas had an assist for the second straight contest. 

     The Panthers surrendered a shorthanded goal with 1:52 remaining in the second and they trailed 3-1. Necas intercepted a cross-ice pass at the top of the Cats zone and he along with Sebastian Aho went on a 2-on-0 breakaway. They passed the puck several times between them in the crease area until Aho put in a wrist shot. It was Aho's club-high second shorthanded tally of the year and 19th goal this year. 

     In the third period, Florida converted on a 5-on-3 power play with 7:58 left and were down 3-2. Keith Yandle sent the puck from the above the left circle and Barkov blasted a slap shot from the high slot for his second tally of the game. Jonathan Huberdeau had the secondary assist on the play. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie at the start of a power play with 1:42 to go and could not score. Necas shot the puck from his own blue line and missed, but Aho raced to the end wall and shoved the puck into an empty net with 15.2 seconds left for his second shorthanded goal of the game and 20th goal of the season.