When the Panthers put players in front of the net, something good usually happens -- especially when Steven Reinprecht is the one near the crease.

Reinprecht scored his team-high ninth goal Wednesday night after a puck ricocheted off him, the fortuitous bounce helping to lift the Panthers to a 3-0 victory over the Hurricanes at BankAtlantic Center.

Cory Stillman also scored after deflecting a puck while shielding Carolina goalie Cam Ward.

``We've been crashing the net, getting pucks there and things have been bouncing around there. We've been getting lucky,'' said Reinprecht, dubbed Mr. October by Fox Sports after he scored eight goals -- including a hat trick in Dallas -- last month.

``It was a big goal because it was 0-0 with 15 minutes left. We knew it would be a momentum-changer. It's good to get the win.''

BACK-TO-BACK WINS

Those goals helped Tomas Vokoun earn his second consecutive win -- and second shutout in a row. Vokoun last recorded consecutive shutouts last Dec. 21 and 23, against Colorado and Nashville.

Bryan Allen scored his first goal of the season and Florida's third of the night when he fired into an empty net with 2:01 left.

The victory was Florida's third in a row, its longest winning streak of a season that seemed lost just last week. Before winning in Dallas, St. Louis and against the woeful Hurricanes, Florida had lost four in a row and eight of its first 10.

Carolina remains in the Southeast Division basement with the loss, its 10th in a row. The Hurricanes' last win came against the Panthers on Oct. 9 -- Florida's first game in North America after opening the season with a pair of games in Finland.

``Yeah, it's a long month but it has been a long month for both teams,'' said coach Pete DeBoer, whose best friend is Carolina skipper Paul Maurice. ``We haven't exactly had it easy for the past four weeks either. I'm just glad we're on the other end of it. I'm sure they will be, too. They're a better team than their record indicates.''

The Hurricanes winless streak is approaching the franchise record of 14 set in 1992 when the team was the Hartford Whalers.

Because of the lengthy losing streak, DeBoer stressed before the game that he expected to see Carolina play its best Wednesday.

The Hurricanes came hard at Vokoun and the Panthers early, outshooting Florida 21-4 in the opening period.

But the Hurricanes failed to convert on three power play chances in the opening period. Florida wasn't any better, failing to score on four consecutive power play chances in the second.

In the third, Reinprecht set up in front of Cam Ward and Stillman sent a shot that hit Reinprecht in the ``left shin pad'' and bounced into the net with 14:51 left in the game.

MASTERING THE NET

After that, all eyes were on Vokoun to see whether he could pitch a second consecutive shutout. After not being challenged much down the stretch, Vokoun got the 33rd shutout of his career and 12th with the Panthers.

``Our situation wasn't good and we weren't playing good, getting the breaks,'' Vokoun said. ``If we kept doing the right things, it would turn around. But sometimes it's hard to believe when you are in that situation. You think nothing is ever going to change.''

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