Staal, Pitkanen lead Hurricanes to 3-1 win over Panthers
The Carolina Hurricanes powered to a 3-1 victory over the
Florida Panthers at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday.Captain Eric
Staal scored two goals and defenseman Joni Pitkanen added another goal
to lead the Hurricanes while...
In-Game Notes:
The Carolina Hurricanes faceoff against the Florida Panthers at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday.
Both teams are undefeated - the Hurricanes in three games while the Panthers haven't lost in five games.
Carolina's still working hard to earn points and earning a few against Florida would be advantageous to keep fans in Raleigh excited and interested right up to the final game of the season.
1st period:
- Hurricanes and Panthers start out trying to establish puck control in the neutral zone
- Florida gets a faceoff in the Carolina end and the Hurricanes clear it out
- Eric Staal gains the zone and brings the puck deep into the corner to Florida goalie Jose Theodore's left and behind the net
- As Staal carrines the puck forward of the goal line to Theodore's right, he slides the puck towards the goal, it ricochets off the defenseman's skate and into the net - 1-0 Hurricanes at 0:46 into the period
Eric Staal scores the first goal of the game at 0:46
- Play continues with the Hurricanes dominating possession and outshooting Florida 8-1 before taking a penalty
- Florida has the power play but can't convert and goalie Cam Ward gets some shots to stop in the meantime - Hurricanes still leading 1-0 with 8:55 to play
- Hurricanes still controlling the puck in the Panthers zone for most of the period so far as Florida looks sluggish playing in a back-to-back
- Drayson Bowman takes a boarding penalty at 3:16 and the Hurricanes are on the PK
- So far, Carolina's Pk is effective as Staal and Tlusty bring the puck up and get a SH shot on Theodore
- Jokinen and Tlusty plan a solid PK as both teams are at even-strength - still 1-0 for Carolina with 46.4 to go
- Hurricanes are outshooting Panthers 14-8 as the horn sounds to end the period
- Florida gets the first shot on goal which Ward stops easily - faceoff coming to his right
- Hurricanes continue where they left off during the firs period with possession in the Florida zone for an extended period of time
- Carolina still leading 1-0 with 13:47 to go
- LaRose-Staal-Tlusty doing the job in effectively forechecking but Florida clears the zone
- Hurricanes win the faceoff and Ruutu and Faulk work to get the puck back into the Panthers end with a shot on Theodore - now outshooting Florida 19-10
- DYK - Hurricanes are 14-5-7 when leading after the first while Florida is 7-15-6 when trailing after the first period of play
- Floridia trying to set up some offensive consistency as Ward has stopped three straight shots - Hurricanes will be on the PK as Tim Gleason goes to the box for hooking at 11:28 left in the period
- Tlusty-Staal first out on the PK - Florida misses wide on point shot on Ward
- Ward with big save on Marcel Goc and the Hurricanes send the puck down the ice
- Pat Dwyer and Brandon Sutter on the PK cause the turnover and Sutter tries the wrapround on Theodore - looks like it went in - under review
- After review - no goal - still 1-0 at the 9:36 mark
- Ruttu and Skinner bring it up and Ruutu drops it for Pitkanen who slaps one home with 9:05 remaining - 2-0 Carolina
- Pitkanen scores his first goal in his first game back - first 30 minutes and 55 seconds
- Just as they announce Pitkanen's goal, Fleischmann scores on a rebound that banks off Pitkanen's skate - 2- 1 Hurricanes lead with 7:27 left in the period
- Ruutu gets a chance to give Carolina a two-goal lead again but stutters on his stride while Theodore is sprawling but Ruutu can't recover to get a shot on - faceoff coming up to Theodore's right
- Strong period as play has picked up at both ends
- Florida has narrowed the gap in shots trailing only 27-25 as he period is drawing to a close - Hurricanes still leading 2-1 with 7.1 seconds left
- Dwyer comes down the right wing a puts one last shot on Theodore before the period ends - Carolina outshooting Florida 28-25
3rd period:
- Third period starts with Florida controlling play for the first two minutes in the Carolina end as Ward comes up with two pad saves
- Hurricanes manage to get it down to the Florida end and the Panthers are penalized as Carolina will go on the PP
- Hurricane's Tlusty takes a hooking penalty - both teams playing 4-on-4 - Carolina still lead 2-1 with 16:18 to play
- Skinner and LaRose gain the zone as Skinner carries it in
- As puck gets hung up in slot area, Faulk skates in to join the effort as Skinner take a shot that lands in Theodore's trapper
- Faceoff coming up to his left 2-1 still with 13:52 left in the period
- Skinner working along the boards draws a Florida penalty for hooking on Jerred Smithson - Carolina on the PP
- It only takes Staal a little time to get a pass from Pitkanen to score on a stickless Theodore to put the Hurricanes up 3-1 - a PP goal at 8:14
- Shortly after Pitkanen goes to the box for delay of game - Carolina on the PK
- Florida gets a few opportunities to set up the offense but can't score on the man-advantage - Hurricanes kill off the penalty successfully
- With under 10 minutes to go, both teams continue to battle from end to end
- Florida's shots from the point keep getting blocked and when they get through, Ward is there to stop them
- Skinner comes down the off-wing and let's a shot go but now before the Panthers' Jason Garrison slashes him
- Hurricanes go on the PP again
- Carolina with a great sequence as Skinner rings one off the post and then Brent's shot hits Theodore's pad
- Teams are back at even strength as Carolina still leads 3-1 with 4:46 remaining in the period
- Carolin continues to eat up valuable clock time with puck possession and playing deep in the Panthers' zone
- Skinner steals he puck, gains the zone but slips before taking a shot - Florida goes the other way with the puck
- As the puck slides in front of the Carolina bench, Skinner is hit hard by Scotty Upshall which cause LaRose to step in to help as Skinner and Upshall
- Both Skinner and Upshall go to the box
- With two minutes remaining Carolina holding Florida off
- Staal shoots but Theodore saves it and then as Skinner comes down on empty net, he misses
- Less than a minute to play
- Jokinen tries to score but hits the post
- Staal then does score the ENG - but time ran out
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