RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Noah Hanifin scored with 2 seconds left in overtime, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in a brawl-filled contest on Saturday night.
Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner scored Carolina’s regulation goals, while Nick Bjugstad and Aleksander Barkov tallied for Florida.
Carolina goalie Cam Ward had 37 saves, while James Reimer stopped 44.
Lindholm set up the winner by intercepting Aaron Ekblad’s slow clear attempt and passing to Hanifin as he skated through the slot. Reimer stopped Hanifin’s initial shot but couldn’t get to the rebound.
Carolina outshot the visitors 18-4 in the first period, courtesy of three minor penalties against Florida.
The Hurricanes broke through on their third power play, when Lindholm beat Reimer from the left circle on assists from Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.
The hostilities started when Brock McGinn and Florida’s Jared McCann fought in the final minute of the period.
Several players got into a skirmish at 7:42 of the second, with Skinner getting four minutes for roughing while teammate Justin Faulk got two minutes. Florida’s Mike Matheson and Micheal Haley received two minutes each. At 9:01, Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau got two minutes and joined the group in the boxes.
Hanifin and the Panthers’ Derek MacKenzie fought later in the second.
Florida tied the score nearly 5 minutes into the third, when Bjugstad picked up a loose puck in the crease and slid it past Ward with Barkov on the primary helper.
Carolina came back with a power-play goal 3 minutes later, with Skinner beating Reimer high.
Barkov tied it again in a 6-on-5 at with 1:56 left in regulation.
NOTES: Carolina won the teams’ first meeting 3-1 on Nov. 7. … Brock McGinn and Florida LW Jamie McGinn are brothers. … Florida RW Radim Vrbata was a Hurricane from 2003-05. … Carolina’s healthy scratches were LW Phillip Di Giuseppe and D Klas Dahlbeck. … LW Connor Brickley, LW Henrik Haapala and D Mackenzie Weggar were healthy extras for Florida. … The teams’ final meeting of the season will be on April 2 in Florida.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Start a three-game homestand on Monday night against the New York Islanders.
Hurricanes: Visit Vancouver on Tuesday night in the opener of a six-game trip.
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