The Florida Panthers saved their best for last Tuesday night, erupting for five third-period goals to rally past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Raleigh.
Luke Kunin and Anton Lundell ignited the comeback, scoring 43 seconds apart during a stunning five-goal burst that flipped the game on its head. Niko Mikkola opened the floodgates with his first goal of the season, and Florida piled on four goals in a span of just over six minutes to seize control. Lundell finished with two goals on the night, while Seth Jones capped the scoring with a power-play tally.
Sam Reinhart was the catalyst throughout, recording three assists, while Eetu Luostarinen and Aaron Ekblad each added two helpers. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 17 shots to earn his sixth consecutive victory as the Panthers won for the fifth time in six games. The win marked Florida’s first visit to Raleigh since closing out the Hurricanes in Game 5 of last spring’s Eastern Conference finals.
Carolina appeared firmly in control early. Eric Robinson opened the scoring 4:15 into the game, and Andrei Svechnikov doubled the lead early in the second period. Fresh out of the penalty box, Svechnikov caught Florida off guard and beat Bobrovsky on a breakaway, sliding the puck between his pads 1:58 into the frame.
The Panthers struggled to generate offense through two periods, managing just seven shots on goal. That changed dramatically in the third, when Florida fired 15 shots and nearly matched that total on the scoreboard. Kunin’s goal sparked the rally, Lundell followed moments later, and the Hurricanes never recovered.
Frederik Andersen, playing for the first time after a nine-game layoff, made 17 saves for Carolina but remained winless in his last seven decisions (0-5-2). The loss was the Hurricanes’ third straight, marking the first time this season they have dropped three consecutive games.
The comeback was déjà vu for the Hurricanes. It marked Florida’s second rally against Carolina in less than a week, after the Panthers erased a three-goal third-period deficit Thursday in a shootout win at home.
The Panthers return home to begin a five-game homestand Saturday against Tampa Bay, while the Hurricanes will look to regroup when they host Detroit on Saturday.
