The Carolina Hurricanes scored three goals in a span of 3:28 in the second period to snap a two-game losing streak and beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 Sunday night.

The game saw one of the Canes’ worst periods of the year, as they fell behind 2-0 and were outshot 16-9 in the opening frame. In the second, however, the Hurricanes got a burst of goals from forwards Viktor Stalberg, Jeff Skinner and Derek Ryan.

“It was very positive for me,” head coach Bill Peters said of the first intermission. “I’m coming off the bench, last guy into the room and they’re already talking about what’s going on and what we’ve got to do. It was outstanding. They had a great little meeting prior to us ever coming in there. That’s the most important meeting, the players’ meeting, not the coaches’ meeting, so I give them all the credit.”

Goaltender Michael Leighton made his first NHL start in four years and grabbed his first win in six, as the team opted to rest starter Cam Ward on the second half of a back to back, and normal backup Eddie Lack remains sidelined with a concussion. Leighton played excellent, bouncing back from the two first period goals to shutout the Panthers over the final two periods, making several excellent saves, particularly with Carolina clinging to a 3-2 lead in the third.

“I felt better as the game went on,” Leighton said. “The first couple goals were kind of fluky goals, and I got more comfortable. That’s what’s been going on all year [in the AHL], feeling comfortable and making the save I have to make.”

Early in the first period with Stalberg in the box for boarding, the Canes’ streak of 25 consecutive penalty kills came to an end. Panthers forward Jonathan Marchessault grabbed a rebound in the crease and backhanded it by Leighton for a 1-0 Florida lead.

The Panthers extended their lead just a few minutes later, as defenseman Aaron Ekblad put a shot on Leighton, and the Panthers crashed the crease and deflected it in, putting Carolina in an early two-goal hole. To add injury to insult in an opening period that was one of the Hurricanes’ worst this season, the team lost forward Jordan Staal for the game to an injury. After the game, Peters said he did not have an update on Staal.

The Canes came out much better to start the second, and capitalized a little over five minutes in, as defenseman Matt Tennyson joined the rush and fed Stalberg in front of the net with a nice no-look, behind-the-back pass that the Swedish winger buried to cut the lead in half.

The Canes wasted no time tying things up from there, as forward Victor Rask sprung Skinner on a breakaway, and he beat Panthers goalie Reimer on his backhand with Ekblad draped over him to tie it at two about two minutes after Stalberg’s goal.

The team kept things going from there, as Skinner broke in alone again and drew a penalty. On the ensuing power play, Ryan grabbed a loose puck and beat Reimer point blank right off the faceoff for his first goal of the season to give Carolina the lead and its third goal in a span of 3:28.

“Obviously it felt really nice,” Ryan said. “I’ve been getting some power play opportunities, and the last couple games we haven’t gotten too many power plays, but if I’m getting the opportunity I have to capitalize on it. It was nice to obviously get the lead at that point and nice to get my first of the year.”

The NHL’s best penalty kill came up big late in the second, as the Hurricanes killed off back to back minors to defenseman Noah Hanifin, who played in his 100th NHL game, and forward Joakim Nordstrom to keep the lead intact.

The penalty kill was called upon again about halfway through the third period, and it again came through to keep the Panthers’ man advantage off the board.

“Those guys [the penalty killers] have done a fantastic job,” Peters said. “I chalk that first one up to mental fatigue more than anything, and now it will be good that we can start another streak; that’s the way I look at that.” 

In a rather surprising development, Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant was fired after the game.

The Canes will head out for another three game road trip, starting with the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night.