The Carolina Hurricanes traveled south to take on the Florida Panthers in hopes of avenging themselves against the team that swept them in last season’s conference finals. It looked like the Canes were ready to exorcize last year’s demons with an early goal, but the Panthers dominated the rest of the game, handing Carolina a 5-2 loss.

The Hurricanes (8-6-0) and the Panthers (8-4-1) both entered the contest on two-game winning streaks. By the end of the night, Florida had collected its fifth-straight win over the Hurricanes.

Carolina got off to a quick start when center Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored the first goal of the game just over a minute in. The scoring play started when Kotkaniemi dumped the puck into the offensive zone, creating a shot for left wing Jordan Martinook that rebounded to set up a golden opportunity for Kotkaniemi in front of the net.

It didn’t take long for the Panthers to answer — left wing Matthew Tkachuk evened the score less than two minutes later. Tkachuk terrorized the Canes in last year’s playoffs, and continued his dominance when he faked out goaltender Antti Raanta for the equalizer.

After the initial goal, the Panthers dominated the rest of the period and capped it off with a goal with just over a minute left in the period to give them a lead that they never relinquished. 

The second period was mostly even as both squads recorded 12 shots on goal and each side put one in the back of the net. Center Sebastian Aho netted his third goal of the season in the period in similar fashion to Carolina’s first goal of the game, capitalizing on a rebound that gave him a clean look for a quick snap shot.

After gaining momentum at the end of the second, the Canes were unable to carry it over to the third period. Florida relied on its defense to maintain its 3-2 lead, only allowing seven Carolina shots on goal in the period. The Panthers increased their lead by two goals in the final period to earn a convincing win.

Despite a tough loss to a Florida team that has had their number, Hurricanes fans were happy to see defenseman Brett Pesce back on the ice for the first time since Oct. 19. Pesce logged over 18 minutes on the ice and looked good playing with his usual linemate, defenseman Brady Skjei.

For its next game, Carolina will stay in Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, Nov. 11 with puck drop set for 7 p.m.