SUNRISE, Fla. — Jaccob Slavin scored the crucial go-ahead goal that propelled the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-1 victory against the Florida Panthers on Thursday evening.
The Panthers’ Anton Lundell initially equalized at the start of the second period, but Slavin found the net with just under seven minutes left in the third period, getting one past goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Pyotr Kochetkov, who made 26 saves throughout the game, assisted on Slavin’s goal, while Martin Necas capped off the scoring with an empty-net goal.
Brent Burns opened the scoring for Carolina just 35 seconds into the game when his shot deflected off Florida’s Aleksander Barkov and into the net. Bobrovsky, who faced a barrage of shots, made 37 saves in total.
This matchup marked the final regular-season meeting between both teams. Florida had dominated earlier encounters, winning both the home-and-home series held in late November, with scores of 6-3 and 6-0 against the Hurricanes.
**Key Takeaways**
The Hurricanes struggled to convert their numerous chances in the first period despite holding a significant advantage in shots on goal, registering 16 compared to Florida’s six. Kochetkov made several key saves to keep Carolina ahead.
For the Panthers, Bobrovsky was exceptional after allowing Burns’ early goal but the team missed a few critical opportunities to capitalize on his performance and equalize later on.
**Key Moment**
A pivotal moment occurred when Bobrovsky contested with the officials that play should have been stopped on Slavin’s goal, claiming he was impeded in the crease. The referee ruled in favor of the goal, stating that Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk had effectively prevented Jesperi Kotkaniemi from getting up following a collision with Bobrovsky.
**Key Stat**
The game marked Bobrovsky’s 269th appearance as a goaltender for Florida, which ranks as the second highest in franchise history.
**Looking Ahead**
The Hurricanes will welcome the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, while the Panthers will stay home to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
