In their two previous games against the Panthers this season, the Hurricanes came into the third period with a multi-goal lead only to see it disappear into the night air.
Friday night, Carolina finally held off the Panthers and got the win.
Well, they did not really hold them off.
More like ran right away from them.
The Panthers found themselves in penalty trouble throughout a third period they needed to rally in and instead watched the Hurricanes get a six-goal third and a 9-1 win at Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
Despite the final score, Sergei Bobrovsky was the only reason this game did not get out of hand a lot earlier than it did.
Bobrovsky made 20 saves in the first two periods but Florida came into the third down 3-1.
Down 1-0 after the opening period, Florida tied the score on a goal by the newly re-signed Uvis Balinskis.
But Carolina scored two more in the second — then added what was basically a 5-on-3 goal in the third — to get that elusive win against the Panthers.
The Hurricanes scored four straight goals with at least a man advantage, going 4-for-5 on the power play.
Nikolaj Ehlers got one of his three goals on the power play.
NOTES: PANTHERS AT HURRICANES
With the secondary assist on Balinskis’ goal, Sandis Vilmanis recorded his first NHL point.
Friday was the start of three games in four nights for the Panthers. Florida will play in Washington on Saturday and play host to San Jose on Monday at 6.
Aaron Ekblad was forced to take a faceoff during a 5-on-3 penalty kill in the third period — the first of his NHL career.
GOALS OF THE GAME
Hurricanes 1, Panthers 0 (18:35 1st): Nikolaj Ehlers slides into the slot untouched and scores off a pass from Jordan Staal.Â
Panthers 1, Hurricanes 1 (1:19 2nd): Uvis Balinskis gets the puck after it rolls off the stick of Mackie Samoskevich and slices one past Brandon Bussi.
Hurricanes 2, Panthers 1 (13:10 2nd): Mark Jankowski gets to a rebound in front of the net and scores on Sergei Bobrovsky.Â
Hurricanes 3, Panthers 1 (16:28 2nd PP): Alexander Nikishin rifles one from the point.
Hurricanes 4, Panthers 1 (4:08 3rd PP): Just as a 5-on-3 ended, Andrei Svechnikov scores from the left circle.
Hurricanes 5, Panthers 1 (11:17 3rd 5/3 PP): Ehlers gets a nice cross-ice feed and scores with ease.
Hurricanes 6, Panthers 1 (11:38 3rd PP): Taylor Hall in front.
Hurricanes 7, Panthers 1 (13:03 3rd): Ehlers rips one over Bobrovsky’s glove and gets rewarded with a bunch of baseball caps.
Hurricanes 8, Panthers 1 (3rd 18:23): Hall gets another.
Hurricanes 9, Panthers 1 (3rd 18:35): Hey, it’s Eric Robinson!
FHN’S 3 STARS
1. Nikolaj Ehlers, Hurricanes
2. Alexander Nikishin, Hurricanes
3. Mark Jankowski, Hurricanes
ON DECK: GAME No. 47
FLORIDA PANTHERS at WASHINGTON CAPITALS
