Martin Necas scored 1:59 into overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Monday night.
Brett Pesce and Vincent Trochek also scored for the Hurricanes, who won at Florida for the second time in three days. Alex Nedeljkovic had a career-high 44 saves.
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Martin Necas scored 1:59 into overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Monday night.
Vatrano tied the score 1-1 at 4:40 of the third with his seventh goal of the season and third in three games.
Carolina’s speed and intensity in the offensive zone paid off in the early going. On the man advantage, Pesce fired a one-timer for a 1-0 lead with 6:25 left in the first. Pesce’s third goal, coming with Patric Hornqvist in the box for roughing, followed his two-assist effort against the Panthers on Saturday night.
STATS
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Carolina visits Nashville on Tuesday night.
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Carolina Hurricanes right wing Jesper Fast (71) battle for position during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)
Frank Vatrano and Eetu Loustarinen scored in the third period to give Florida the lead, and Chris Driedger finished with 24 saves. The Panthers have lost three of four.
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Jesper Fast (71) and Florida Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (52) battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)
Vatrano tied the score 1-1 at 4:40 of the third with his seventh goal of the season and third in three games.
Loustarinen put the Panthers ahead with 3:09 remaining with his third.
However, Trocheck got his 11th just 1:36 later against his former team.
Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) takes a shot against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) and defenseman Haydn Fleury (4) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)
Carolina’s speed and intensity in the offensive zone paid off in the early going. On the man advantage, Pesce fired a one-timer for a 1-0 lead with 6:25 left in the first. Pesce’s third goal, coming with Patric Hornqvist in the box for roughing, followed his two-assist effort against the Panthers on Saturday night.
Carolina escaped a 4-on-3 situation late in the second period as the Panthers dominated in the Hurricanes’ end for over a minute. During that Florida surge, Nedeljkovic made a clutch snap glove save off a blast by Aaron Ekblad.
Florida appeared to have tied the game on a power play in the first period, but a quick whistle nullified the goal. Video replay showed Nedeljkovic never had control of the puck, leading to boos at the referees throughout the rest of the game.
Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck (16) and defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) celebrate with goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) after the Hurricanes defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2 in an overtime period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)
STATS
Jake Bean had an assist on Pesce's goal, giving him seven points (one goal, six assists) in his last nine games for Carolina.
MILESTONE
Florida captain Aleksander Barkov played in his 500th NHL game, becoming the 11th player in franchise history to reach that milestone in a Panthers’ uniform. Barkov, who had six goals and eight assists in 14 games during February, is the sixth player to reach the 500-game mark while spending his entire career with Florida.
Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) takes a shot against Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)
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The game drew 3,817 fans, including Miami Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, to the BB&T Center. The Panthers are one of only 10 teams allowing a limited number of fans, with the Columbus Blue Jackets set to join that group Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) attempts a shot at Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) and right wing Jesper Fast (71) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)
Carolina visits Nashville on Tuesday night.
Florida visits Nashville on Thursday night.
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Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) and right wing Owen Tippett, right, battle for the puck with Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jake Bean (24) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Carolina Hurricanes right wing Jesper Fast (71) battle for position during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)