It’s not often you see the Carolina Hurricanes fizzle out in Florida but that was certainly the case Saturday afternoon. For the first time since game 65 of last season, Carolina was shut out on the scoresheet in its 6-0 loss to the Panthers.
Following up a game the day before which also saw the Canes surrender six goals to the same team, it seemed inevitable that the result would end the same. Having to start goaltender Spencer Martin for a second-straight game and day due to injuries, the Hurricanes were already in a hole before puck drop.
Each period gradually worsened for the Canes, cumulating in a merciless third from the Panthers. Carolina escaped the first 20 minutes with a 0-0 tie, even outshooting their opponents through the first frame.
With his first goal of the season, defenseman Aaron Ekblad opened the scoring 6:42 into the second. Ekblad fired a loose puck above Martin who was caught out of position sitting on the ice. Immediately, Martin looked over to the referee claiming interference but to no avail.
The Panthers’ second goal came within in the final second of the period when right wing Mackie Samoskevich tapped the puck past Martin in the crease. Martin had to push off one way, reacting to a pass from center Sam Reinhart, and center Matthew Tkachuk made a quick-thinking pass to feed Samoskevich who easily made it 2-0.
Samoskevich’s goal was the first of three times the Panthers scored while on the man advantage. They converted on 50% of their opportunities while the Canes were held goalless on thier two chances.
For the second straight game, the Canes took a two-goal deficit into the third and watched the game unravel before them. While Florida put four shots in the net, the Hurricanes only mustered up two shots on goal.
The first of which came from center Sam Bennett who capitalized on a defensive zone turnover from defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. Holding onto the puck until he turned it over, Gostisbehere coughed up the puck in a dangerous area, and center Eetu Luostarinen fed a flying Bennett who buried it.
The Panthers then scored a pair that only came 11 seconds apart. After center Aleksander Barkov tapped in another power-play goal, defenseman Adam Boqvist backhanded a puck past Martin’s blocker.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour had either seen enough or felt some sort of pity toward Martin and pulled him out of the game after the fifth goal. Putting in netminder Yaniv Perets for the remainder, Perets gave up the sixth and final goal on a tip the goaltender didn’t have much of a chance at saving.
The good thing for Canes fans is that the goalie woes may soon be temporarily relieved by the time they play their next game on Tuesday. Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov who has missed the past four games due to a concussion will likely make his return.
With solid goaltending behind them, the Canes will look to put these pair of losses to the Panthers behind them. The team takes on the Seattle Krakens next in Raleigh at 7 p.m.
