North Raleigh Today

SUNRISE, Fla. - The Carolina Hurricanes secured a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday. Brent Burns opened the scoring in the first minute, while Jaccob Slavin scored the decisive goal in the final period. Pyotr Kochetkov contributed with 26 saves.

The Hurricanes dominated early, outshooting the Panthers 16-6 in the first period but only managed a one-goal lead due to Sergei Bobrovsky's strong performance for Florida. The Panthers equalized before entering the third period.

Slavin broke the tie after Jesperi Kotkaniemi was brought down near the net, allowing Slavin to score from the left circle past Bobrovsky. Martin Necas sealed Carolina's win with an empty-net goal.

This win marked a change for Carolina after previous lackluster performances against Florida. They outshot their opponents 40-26 and scored first for only the second time in seven games.

Kochetkov faced fewer shots than his counterpart but effectively handled high-pressure situations, saving 10 of 11 high-danger attempts. Juha Jaaska made his NHL debut, playing over eight minutes and making three hits.

Martin Necas played his 400th game and leads Carolina with 46 points this season. Andrei Svechnikov assisted on Necas' goal, reaching his 200th career assist milestone.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour praised his team's start: "Our first period was really good... (Pyotr Kochetkov) kept us in the game there and we got the go-ahead goal."

Jaccob Slavin commented on their preparation: "We knew that they're an unbelievable team... everyone was working and contributing tonight."

Pyotr Kochetkov emphasized their need for victory: "We needed a win today because we'd lost two games to this team."

The Hurricanes will rest Friday before hosting back-to-back games against Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins at Lenovo Center over the weekend.