Finer in Carolina: Panthers Beat Hurricanes in Game 1 of Mini Series

With three goals on their first five shots, Friday looked like it would be anything but black for the Florida Panthers against the host Carolina Hurricanes.

Then the scoring run came to an end.

For a bit, anyway.

Carolina ended up tying the score by the end of the second period but a goal by A.J. Greer helped the Panthers to their second straight win — this one 6-3 over the Hurricanes.

The two teams play again Saturday afternoon in Sunrise.

The Hurricanes are down to their third and fourth goalies with Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov both injured.

That left Spencer Martin to get assaulted by the Panthers.

Early, it did not look good for Martin or the Hurricanes.

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The Panthers took a 1-0 lead on Jesper Boqvist’s backhanded 2:26 in.

Tied at 1, Florida scored the next two: Sam Reinhart got his 18th of the season to make it 2-1, then Carter Verhaeghe scored.

The Panthers survived a penalty box parade after it was 3-1, but the Hurricanes scored two in the second.

Greer broke the stalemate 5 minutes into the third, ripping a quick wrister off a loose puck from distance that Martin did not stop.

Anton Lundell, who gave Florida a 5-3 lead on another shorthanded goal, ended with two points; Aaron Ekblad, playing in his 700th game, had a pair of assists and led the Panthers in ice time.

— The Panthers are 4-1-1 when tied going into the third this season.

— Ekblad became the second player to play in 700 games with the Panthers, joining Sasha Barkov (753). The two were drafted a year apart; Barkov second overall in 2013, Ekblad first in 2014.

With an assist, he became the fourth Florida player to record a point in their 700th NHL game. Barkov did it on Jan. 6, Reinhart on Oct. 14, Jassen Cullimore (March 14, 2008) and Dave Lowry (Dec. 26, 1996).

— Reinhart had his 13-game scoring streak end Monday against the Capitals but has goals in the two games since giving him points in 15 of his past 16 games.

HOW THEY SCORED

• Panthers 1, Carolina 0 (2:26 1st): Jesper Boqvist send a sharp backhanded shot from 30-feet out and Spencer Martin never sees it.
• Carolina 1, Panthers 1 (5:42 1st PP): Seth Jarvis, who drew the penalty on Dmitry Kulikov, gets in front of the Florida defense on a stretch pass and beats Sergei Bobrovsky with a backhanded shot.
• Panthers 2, Carolina 1 (9:05 1st): Sam Reinhart gets his 18th of the season with a wrister from the slot.
• Panthers 3, Carolina 1 (11:21 1st): Carter Verhaeghe’s wrist shot from the right circle goes top corner and in on Florida’s fifth shot of the day.
• Panthers 3, Carolina 2 (6:24 2nd): Sean Walker lets one fly from inside the blue, it clips the post and goes past Bobrovsky. Carolina is outshooting Florida 13-7.
• Carolina 3, Panthers 3 (17:18 2nd): Jalen Chatfield sends a point shot through traffic that is deflected by Eric Robinson and off Bobrovsky’s glove.
• Panthers 4, Carolina 3 (4:58 3rd); A.J. Greer scores from 45 feet out to give the Panthers the lead back.
• Panthers 5, Carolina 3 (9:08 3rd SH): Aaron Ekblad picks off a pass in the defensive zone, getting Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell rolling on a 2-on-1 rush. Lundell cleaned up Luostarinen’s big rebound very nicely.
• Panthers 6, Carolina 3 (19:53 3rd EN): Sam Bennett gets another.

GR’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Aaron Ekblad, Florida
• 2. Anton Lundell, Florida
• 3. Shayne Gostisbehere, Carolina

ON DECK: GAME 25

CAROLINA HURRICANES AT FLORIDA PANTHERS 

• When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise 
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Carolina Won 2-1
• This Season (Panthers Lead 1-0) — At Florida: Saturday; Jan. 2. At Carolina: Friday.
• All-Time Regular Season Series: Carolina/Hartford leads 73-48-10, 11 ties
• Postseason History: Florida 1-0 (2023 ECF)
• Up Next for the Panthers: Tuesday at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.