A few days ago, the Florida Panthers made franchise history by rallying from a three-goal midway through the third and beating the Carolina Hurricanes in a shootout.
Tuesday night in Raleigh was not as dramatic. The Panthers only trailed by two going into the third.
And it only took the Panthers 7 minutes of that third period to take their first lead of the night.
The Panthers scored three times within a span of 3:07 to take a lead they would not surrender in an eventual 5-2 win over the Hurricanes.
Florida goes into the Christmas break with wins in five of its past six and eight of 10.
On Tuesday, the Panthers trailed 2-0 early in the second and were struggling to get anything against Frederik Andersen and the Hurricanes when Paul Maurice gave his team a bench-side tongue lashing.
The Panthers only mustered five shots on goal in the second — and a grand total of eight in the first 40 minutes — before the tide turned and washed all over the Hurricanes.
Florida scored four goals off eight shots in the first 10 minutes of the third period for a 4-2 lead.
Niko Mikkola got the scoring started when his point shot went off a skate in front at 4:11.
Luke Kunin tied it off a fat rebound at 6:17, with Anton Lundell making it 3-2 just 43 seconds later.
A sharp bounce off the sidewall came back to Sam Bennett, he pulled in the puck, circled, then fired off a wrist shot for a 4-2 lead at 9:57.
That’s four goals in a span of 6:04 in the third.
Carolina came to Sunrise last Friday riding a five-game winning streak; the Hurricanes have now lost three straight.
NOTES: PANTHERS AT HURRICANES
Florida has three multi-goal, third-period comebacks this season which is fifth-most in the NHL. Anaheim and Dallas lead with five apiece.
With an assist Tuesday, Brad Marchand extended his scoring streak to six games.
Sam Reinhart had three assists on Tuesday; Aaron Ekblad and Eetu Luostarinen had two each.
Carolina is wearing its new white road jerseys at home twice this season — including Tuesday night, which meant the Panthers wore their home reds in Raleigh.
The Panthers were limited to four scoring chances (off three shots on goal) in the first period per NaturalStatTrick.com — with two coming from a high-danger area. Carolina led 1-0 after the opening 20.
By the time Seth Jones scored to make it 5-2, Florida had 12 scoring chances in the third alone.
The Hurricanes have 40 first-period goals this season — only trailing Tampa Bay (43) and Colorado (42).
GOALS OF THE GAME
Hurricanes 1, Panthers 0 (4:11 1st): Eric Robinson rolls in off the rush and sends one past Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove from the high slot.
Hurricanes 2, Panthers 0 (1:58 2nd): Andrei Svechnikov races out of the box and puts a show between the skates of Bobrovsky.
Hurricanes 2, Panthers 1 (3:53 3rd): Niko Mikkola lets a point shot fly and it hits the skate of Alexander Nikishin and past Frederik Andersen.
Panthers 2, Hurricanes 2 (6:17 3rd): Aaron Ekblad keeps a puck in the zone, sends in a shot from the side wall that Andersen stops — only it goes right to Luke Kunin who scores from the left circle.
Panthers 3, Hurricanes 2 (7:00 3rd): Anton Lundell hammers a backside pass from Sam Reinhart and, just like that, the Panthers have the lead.
Panthers 4, Hurricanes 2 (9:57 3rd): Sam Bennett finds a puck off the boards and beats Andersen with a wrist shot.
Panthers 5, Hurricanes 2 (15:21 3rd PP): Seth Jones is all by himself in the right circle and cashes in. Five goals on 12 shots on goal in the third for the Panthers.
FHN’S 3 STARS
1. Sam Reinhart, Panthers
2. Seth Jones, Panthers
3. Aaron Ekblad, Panthers
ON DECK: GAME No. 37
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING at FLORIDA PANTHERS
