Hurricanes recover to top Panthers in shootout, end skid

SUNRISE, Fla. --The Carolina Hurricanes ended a three-game losing streak by defeating the Florida Panthers 4-3 in the shootout at BB&T Center on Saturday.

"We needed to get the win here," Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck said. "Obviously good teams don't lose back-to-backs, and we lost three in a row, so coming in tonight against a good team we needed to get that win. In this shortened season, every game matters, every point matters. So to get the two points against a good team is important."
Martin Necas scored the deciding goal in the fifth round, and Brett Pesce had two assists for the Hurricanes (13-6-1). Jake Bean scored his first NHL goal, Trocheck scored against his former team, and James Reimer made 28 saves. Bean was playing his 13th NHL game.
Patric Hornqvist had a goal and an assist, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves for the Panthers (13-4-3), who tied the game twice in the third period.
"I have a big belief in this team and that they have a lot of skill," Bobrovsky said. "I believe we'll eventually score and get at least one point. Obviously it's unfortunate. It's a little bit tough to lose the way we lost. For me personally, I have to be better in the shootouts. Other than that, it was a really solid game and a big point for us."
The teams finish the two-game set here Monday.

Warren Foegele gave Carolina a 3-2 lead at 14:05 of the third after Florida scored twice within two minutes earlier in the period to tie it.
"It wasn't pretty," Foegele said. "Just happy to get the win. But we definitely have to figure it out to be consistent and stick to what makes us successful. Right now we're having spurts of it, but we need to probably stop talking about it and we all need to do it."
Hornqvist tied it 3-3 at 18:06 with Bobrovksy pulled for the extra attacker.
Florida scored three goals in the third period for a second consecutive game, also doing it in a 3-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
"We started to play more 5-on-5 style (in the third period)," Hornqvist said. "Everyone was skating, everyone was talking, and it was easy to play hockey in the third. We have to start the game like that on Monday."
Trocheck and Dougie Hamilton scored in the shootout for Carolina; Aleksander Barkov and Hornqvist scored for Florida.
The Hurricanes are 4-0 in the shootout this season. The Panthers are 1-2.
"We definitely upped the talent level around here, so we have a lot of good options on the shootout," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "So that's very, very positive. It's coming through this year obviously."

Trocheck, playing his first game at BB&T Center since the Panthers traded him to the Hurricanes on Feb. 24, 2020, gave Carolina a 1-0 lead at 17:38 of the first period with a power-play goal when he tipped Hamilton's shot from the point.
"Yeah, it's a good feeling obviously," said Trocheck, who played seven seasons for Florida. "Played here for a long time and [have] a lot of good memories here. To be able to come back and play against them and to get the win is really special."
Bean made it 2-0 on the power play at 1:30 of the third on the power play with a shot from the point through traffic.
"All the boys on the bench were so happy and so excited for him," Foegele said. "He's been playing really well since he's been up. You're always just happy for the guy to get their first. No one better to get it because he works so hard and he's a really special player and a great person."
Jonathan Huberdeau made it 2-1 with a power-play goal at 8:13 before Vatrano tied it 2-2 at 10:13 when he finished a 2-on-1 with Mason Marchment.
"We were fortunate to get the point after coming back twice in the third to tie it up," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "We'll take the points in these [types of] games, and that's a positive thing."