Playoff race tightens as Panthers’ 6-game win streak ends in Carolina. ‘It’s a fun race’
What separates the Florida Panthers from the Carolina Hurricanes this season has usually not been more than one play — a couple overtime goals to decide a pair of games in the winter, a decisive goal in the fifth round of a shootout in February or, in the latest clash, a fluky collision in front of the net leading to an own goal in the third period.
A slight misplay by Sergei Bobrovsky with 11:08 left in regulation left a puck sitting on the goal line, and Radko Gudas and Owen Tippett both raced to clear it. They bumped into each other and knocked the puck into the net, and gave the Hurricanes the lead for the first time Tuesday. Although Carolina tacked on a pair of empty-net goals to win 5-2, it was another game between two of the NHL’s best teams decided ultimately by one play in the third period in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“There’s not a big difference on the ice between two teams. Both teams are playing really well and not giving much, and playing tight games,” star center Aleksander Barkov said. “All five games have been tight. I expect all the other games are going to be tight, too, but we’ve just got to find a way to win those.”
The Panthers’ loss snapped a season-best six-game winning streak and brought the Central Division race even tighter. Florida (26-10-4) still sits atop the division and is tied for the league lead in points. The Hurricanes (26-9-3) leap into second place, one point behind the Panthers and now leading the Central in points percentage. The Tampa Bay Lightning, after losing 4-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, now sits in third place, two points behind Florida.
All three teams rank among the top seven in the NHL in points and the top eight in points percentage. The Central is the only division with multiple teams at 55 points and the only one with three at 54.
Carolina, though, has now won 4 of 5 against the Panthers this season, and Florida will play three more games against the Hurricanes and Lightning on this six-game road trip.
“It’s a fun race. It’s huge, too, where you’re seeded. Who knows what’s going to happen, obviously, come playoff time with home games and such,” defenseman Anton Stralman said. “It’s going to be a tight race to the finish line here and we have these teams a few more times, too. Finishing off with Tampa, as well, so it’s going to be a fun stretch here.”
It’s a needed stretch for the Panthers, too. Florida charged to the top of the NHL standings in the last two weeks by winning six straight against the dregs of the division. The run both answered questions about the Panthers’ resolve — they were missing several stars during the streak — and left an opening to wonder about how they will fare against the league’s best teams with defenseman Aaron Ekblad out for the rest of the regular season.
A road test against a Stanley Cup contender in front of 4,987 at PNC Arena was the first chance to see how Florida would fare with its new look.
It started with promise. Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar began by doing his best Ekblad impression in the first period, deking and dangling his way to the net to create a rebound goal for star center Aleksander Barkov to put the Panthers ahead 1-0.
Ekblad, who was tied for the league lead in goals among defensemen at the time of his injury, was so important to Florida’s offense and Weegar continues to replicate his former linemate with five points in five games since the injury. The Panthers’ top grouping is as strong as ever and it delivered again in the last two minutes of the second period.
Carolina tied the game 1-1 on a power play with 1:57 left in the second and Florida answered just 27 seconds later. Barkov won a faceoff, the Panthers pressured Petr Mrazek and Barkov eventually beat the Hurricanes goaltender on a one-timer from star forward Carter Verhaeghe.
“He’s skating well,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “That line’s dangerous.”
Once again, Florida couldn’t hang on against the one team it has yet to consistently solve in the 2020-21 NHL season.
Carolina went on the power play again in the last minute of the second period and tied the game 2-2 when star defenseman Dougie Hamilton scored with 19:15 remaining.
The Panthers finally faded in the third. They mustered just 10 shots and the Hurricanes closed with four unanswered goals. Mrazek made 34 saves on 36 shots and Bobrovsky made 31 on 34.
Throw out the two empty-net goals and Florida’s five games against Carolina have been decided by six goals, with two in overtime and one in a shootout. The Panthers are close, but close won’t cut it in a race this tight.
“It’s just all about figuring out how to win these games,” Barkov said. “They’re all tight games, so you don’t need much. You need to be a little better in certain areas and clean up certain things, and we’ll be fine.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2021 at 9:42 PM.
